Juan Bautista Plaza and Musical Nationalism in Venezuela

20. Plaza in Retrospect

20 Plaza in Retrospect How did the nationalist spirit affect art music culture in Venezuela ? Answers are found in the events connected with the life and work of Juan Bautista Plaza. Motivated by his own high standards and energized by the ubiquitous patriotic sentiments of the time, he worked to modernize his country’s musical life. Although he became one of the pioneers of Venezuelan nationalist composition, in reality all of his activities had a patriotic, or “nationalist,” motivation. His work helped transform the art music culture of his country, and he became a founding father of the present Venezuelan musical and musico-pedagogical establishments. In retrospect, one could imagine that the renovations that Plaza and his colleagues brought about were valued by everyone and facilitated by support appropriate to such praiseworthy undertakings. As Plaza’s biography reveals, however, financial and political issues frequently interfered with promising efforts. Some projects—such as the conservatory, organ, and concert hall—were never realized at all or were delayed for decades because of bureaucratic problems, changes in the government, lack of funds, lack of official interest, and the like. Nor were the accomplishments of Plaza and his associates always appreciated. The concert-going public, enthusiastic at first about the Orquesta Sinfónica Venezuela, did not sustain that enthusiasm by consistent attendance at concerts, a lamentable reality that extended to performances by visiting foreign artists. Additionally, certain individuals opposed the new developments for personal reasons and made their opinions known in the press. Fortunately Plaza refused to be- come discouraged, and he let neither lack of prompt results nor poor health interfere with the pursuit of his goals. Which of Plaza’s efforts had a permanent effect on Venezuelan art music culture? The results of some of his undertakings were more lasting than others. His work at the cathedral does appear to have served as an example for certain churches, at least during part of his chapel mastership. In the mid-1960s, however, the reforms of Vatican II brought about drastic changes in the Catholic liturgy. Vernacular services and vernacular song replaced Latin and therefore, except for special anniversaries or occasions, it is no longer customary to perform Latin sacred music or Gregorian chant. Thus Plaza’s sacred compositions—with the exception of his Requiem of 1933, which is occasionally revived—are no longer heard. Most of Plaza’s activities in the area of music education resulted in permanent changes. He instituted music history classes in 1931, and those are now a regular part of the curriculum at state-supported music schools. His establishment of a second official music school in Caracas was the first step toward making state-supported music instruction more widely available, and today there are a number of government-funded music schools available to Venezuelans. His pioneering educational radio programs in 1939 and 1940 set an example for a few compatriots, who began creating their own series of radio shows about European and Venezuelan music of the past and present. Only his efforts to found a lasting chapter of Jeunesses Musicales, and to secure a modern conservatory on a European model, were frustrated. Plaza enjoyed a highly fruitful association with the press, and the cultural importance of his articles and lectures became evident to his countrymen beginning in the late 1920s. As a result, during his lifetime many of his writings were reprinted one or more times, and the texts of many of his lectures and presentations were also issued and even re-issued. During the first three and a half decades after his death, however, the reprinting of his writings slowed, with the majority of reprints being articles about Venezuelan colonial music or the national anthem. Fortunately, recent efforts have resulted in the re-issuing of all of his writings (see below). Among the collaborative enterprises in which Plaza participated, the Orfeón Lamas and the Orquesta Sinfónica Venezuela made the most signi ficant contributions to Caracas art music culture. They offered novel genres and modes of performance and engendered a flowering of nationalist composition that brought Venezuela into line with parallel developments in other Latin American countries. Although the Orfeón Lamas dissolved after a few decades, it spawned a national popular choral movement, Plaza in Retrospect / 247 and today there are several hundred choral societies in Venezuela. The Orquesta Sinfónica Venezuela has continued to thrive, and its example has inspired the...