A Guide to the Latin American Art Song Repertoire: An Annotated Catalog of Twentieth-Century Art Songs for Voice and Piano

10 El Salvador

159 10 El Salvador El Salvador is sorely under-represented in the existing literature. Although several attempts have been made to correct this problem, there remains a noticeable gap in the area of research and published compositions . A committee was established in 1942 with the hopes of rectifying this situation; however, the results were unsatisfactory. A further attempt was made by María de Baratta with Jeremías Mendoza in the two-volume publication Cuzcatlán típico: Ensayo sobre etnofonía de El Salvador, folklore, folkwisa, y folkway. Nicolas Slonimsky’s forward-looking announcement of the committee’s initial study in his 1945 publication proved overly optimistic, although Baratta’s work seems to be an improvement.1 Slonimsky discusses El Salvador briefly, but the country is completely missing from Béhague’s Music in Latin America.2 From the existing literature, the following conclusions can be drawn: the instruments and dances common to Central America in general, such as the danza, pasillo, and marcha, are prevalent in El Salvador; and the nineteenth-century musical scene was dominated by Italian musicians, who brought leadership and education in the Western style with them. The first orchestra, the Sociedad Orquestal Salvadoreña, was also directed by an Italian, Antonio Gianoli.3 Some earlier composers, who in general incorporate indigenous melodies into their music, include Ciriaco Jesús Alas (1866–?), a voice teacher who seems to have written mostly larger scale works; the Italian -schooled Domingo Santos (1892–?); María Mendoza de Baratta (1890–1978), an important figure in the preservation of El Salvadorian culture; and the composer and voice teacher José Napoleón Rodríguez (1901–).4 a guide to the latin ­american art song repertoire 160 Cáceres, German Gustavo, 1954– 10.1, Cartas interdimensionales 10.1a, I. [Las estrellas binarias . . . ], 2004, Juana Rosa Pita, A3–G5, High, —, —, LCP, — 10.1b, II. [Los poemas que al verbo se resisten . . . ], 2004, Juana Rosa Pita, A3–G5, High, —, —, LCP, — 10.1c, III. [Estos ojos que ahora están mirándo . . . ], 2004, Juana Rosa Pita, Bb3–G#5, High, —, —, LCP, — 10.2, Cuatro canciones para soprano y piano 10.2a, I. Si un niño muere en la guerra, 1981, Álvaro Menéndez-Leal, B3–A#5, High, Soprano, —, PEN, The Art Song in Latin America, + 10.2b, II. Apunte, 1981, Álvaro MenéndezLeal , C4–G#5, High, Soprano, —, —, LCP, — 10.2c, III. Canción de cuna, 1981, Álvaro Menéndez-Leal, F4–A5, High, Soprano, —, —, LCP, — 10.2d, IV. Preguntas, 1981, Álvaro Menéndez-Leal, Bb3–A5, High, Soprano, —, —, LCP, — 10.3, Cuatro canciones para soprano y piano 10.3a, I. [Sos un sueño . . . ], 1999, —, C#4– F5, High, Soprano, —, —, LCP, — 10.3b, II. [Cuando haya tomado . . . ], 1999, —, B3–F#5, High, Soprano, —, —, LCP, — 10.3c, III. [Si alguna vez . . . ], 1999, —, B3– G#5, High, Soprano, —, —, LCP, — 10.3d, IV. [Adios de deo clausurar . . . ], 1999, —, C4–A5, High, Soprano, —, —, LCP, — 10.4, Elegía de junio 10.4a, I. Fin de un sueño, 2005, Cristóbal Humberto Ibarra, A#3–F#5, Med, —, —, LCP, — 10.4b, II. Alta noche, 2005, Cristóbal Humberto Ibarra, A#3–F#5, Med, —, —, LCP, — 10.4c, III. Llora un niño, 2005, Cristóbal Humberto Ibarra, G3–G5, Med, —, —, LCP, — 10.4d, IV. Madrugada, 2005, Cristóbal Humberto Ibarra, B3–G5, Med, —, —, LCP, — 10.4e, V. La euforia nos nace y muere adentro , 2005, Cristóbal Humberto Ibarra, F#4–G5, Med-high, —, —, LCP, — 10.5, El señor de la casa del tiempo 10.5a, I. [Pero cómo habríamos de permanecer aquí . . . ], 1996, Ricardo Lindo, B3– Ab5, High, Soprano, —, —, LCP, — 10.5b, II. [Desciende, gris, de las olas lentas del aire . . . ], 1996, Ricardo Lindo, C4– G#5, High, Soprano, —, —, LCP, — 10.5c, III. [Ceniza, lluvia, vino, . . . ], 1996, Ricardo Lindo, C#4–G5, High, Soprano, —, —, LCP, — Modern composers from this country also exist, such as serialist Gilberto Orellana (1942–).5 German Gustavo Cáceres (1954–), another important modern composer and conductor, was educated in the United States but returned to El Salvador to maintain important positions in the musical life there.6 His numerous vocal compositions are listed in this catalog, and he is currently the only El Salvadorian member of The Living Composers Project.7 el salvador 161 10.5d, IV. [¿Y quién eres, . . . ?], 1996, Ricardo Lindo, C#4–G#5, High, Soprano, —, —, LCP, — 10.6, In Memoriam Elisa...