A PERFORMANCE GUIDE TO LATIN-AMERICAN GUITAR...

A Performance Guide to Latin-AmericanGuitar Quartets: The Quartets of ErnestoCordero, Leo Brouwer, and Sérgio Assad

Item Type text; Electronic Dissertation

Authors Puerta, José Luis

Publisher The University of Arizona.

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A PERFORMANCE GUIDE TO LATIN-AMERICAN GUITAR QUARTETS: THE

QUARTETS OF ERNESTO CORDERO, LEO BROUWER, AND SÉRGIO ASSAD

by

José Luis Puerta

____________________________________________________________

Copyright © Jose Luis Puerta 2016

A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the

FRED FOX SCHOOL OF MUSIC

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of

DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS

In the Graduate College

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

2016

2

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE

As members of the Document Committee, we certify that we have read the document prepared by José Luis Puerta De Jesús titled,A Performance Guide to Latin American Guitar Quartets: The Quartets of Ernesto Cordero, Leo Brouwer, and Sergio Assad and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the document requirement for the Degree of Doctor in Musical Arts.

_________________________________________________________Date:11/18/2016

Thomas Patterson

_________________________________________________________Date: 11/18/2016

Janet Sturman

_________________________________________________________Date: 11/18/2016

Phillip Alejo

Final approval and acceptance of this document is contingent upon the candidate's submission of the final copies of the document to the Graduate College.I hereby certify that I have read this document prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the document requirement. _________________________________________________________Date: 11/18/2016

Document Director: Thomas Patterson

3

STATEMENT BY AUTHOR

This document has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at the University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library.

Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that an accurate acknowledgement of the source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the copyright holder.

SIGNED: José Luis Puerta

4

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to express my gratitude to all of my professors and teachers that lead

to this accomplishment.

To my guitar teachers for believing in me, and inspiring me: Eduardo Flores, Ivan

Rijos, Juan Sorroche, and Leonardo Egúrbida.

To my committee members. Professor Patterson for all his support and guidance,

and for giving me the opportunity. To Dr. Janet Sturman, for helping me develop as an

academic and always pushing me to work harder. To Professor Alejo for helping me with

this project.

To my family Aita, Ama, Anamaría and Estíbaliz. For always supporting me and

encourage me to keep going forward. To Arlene, thank you for your love, patience and

support.

To my friends that became family during this school years, and that have

contributed in one way or another to this process: Gabriel Navia, Valquiria, Juan Carlos

Merello, Marjorie Choque, Jaime and Emily Bofill. Thank you to Sathya and Bodil for all

the translations and proof reading in all these years. Special thanks to my summer writing

partner Faez Abdallah, pura vida!

5

DEDICATION

Para mis padres y hermanas por apoyarme incondicionalmente en todo.

6

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................... 6

LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ 8

ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... 10

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 11

Scope and Aim ............................................................................................................... 12

History of the Guitar Quartet ........................................................................................ 14

CHAPTER II. ERNESTO CORDERO ............................................................................ 19

Composer’s Biography .................................................................................................. 19

Punto y canto para cuatro ángeles ............................................................................... 21

CHAPTER III. LEO BROUWER ..................................................................................... 31


Cuban Landscape with Rain (Paisaje Cubano con Lluvia) .......................................... 34

CHAPTER IV. SÉRGIO ASSAD .................................................................................... 41


Sinceridade .................................................................................................................... 43

Uarekena ....................................................................................................................... 47

7

CHAPTER V. CONCLUSION ......................................................................................... 49

APPENDIX ....................................................................................................................... 54

REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 56

8

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Munich Guitar Quartet…………………………………………………………16

Figure 2: Rumba clave and son clave…………………………………………..…………23

Figure 3: Punto y canto para cuatro angeles (mm 151-154) ………………….…………23

Figure 4: Sonatina Tropical (mm 1-2) ………………………………………...…………25

Figure 5: Punto y canto para cuatro angeles (mm 1-3) …………………………………26

Figure 6: Punto y canto para cuatro angeles (mm 106-113) …………………………..…28

Figure 7: Punto y canto para cuatro angeles (mm 158-159) ………………………..……29

Figure 8: Punto y canto para cuatro angeles, diagram of guitar strokes…….……………30

Figure 9: Paisaje cubano con lluvia (mm 1-13) …………………………………….……34

Figure 10: Scales…………………………………………………………………………36

Figure 11: Cinquillo rhythm……………………………………………………………...37

Figure 12: Paisaje cubano con lluvia (mm. 64-65)…………………………………...…..37

Figure 13: Notation and explanation of extended techniques………………….…………38

Figure 14: Paisaje cubano con lluvia G –H, and ending. ………………………...………39

Figure 15: Rondo form in Sinceridade……………………………………………………43

Figure 16: Sinceridade (mm1-29) ………………………………………...…………...…45

9

Figure 17: Syncopated binary figures characteristics of choro music. ……………….…46

Figure 18: Sinceridade, guitars 2 and 3, (mm 30-38) ……………………………….……46

Figure 19: Choro rhythm, Choro No. 1 by Heitor Villa-lobos, (mm 26-29) …………...…47

Figure 20: Uarekena (mm. 94-98) ……………………………………………….………48

Figure 21: Uarekena (mm. 283-287) …………………………….………………………48

10

ABSTRACT

Latin-American guitarist-composers Ernesto Cordero, Leo Brouwer, and Sergio

Assad are three of the most influential figures in the contemporary world of classical

guitar. In addition to their important compositions for solo guitar, their compositions for

guitar ensemble represent significant contributions to the concert repertory. These three

guitarist-composers share a knowledge of popular, folkloric and classical music and

demonstrate a commitment to bridging these realms in their compositions in the classical

tradition. This study reviews the history of the guitar quartet. It then examines the

different cultural influences in selected compositions for classical guitar quartet by each

composer, exploring the significance of these choices for the performer and for the

medium. The document also offers a performer’s guide for accurate and stylistic

performance. When performed well, these quartets represent the vitality of contemporary

Latin American composition and confirm the stature of the guitar quartet as a compelling

medium for the concert artist.

11

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION

Guitar ensembles have long been used in popular and folkloric music, and can be

traced back to the tunas and rondallas popularized in medieval times in Spain. Within

these popular and folkloric traditions, the role of the guitar varies: accompanying the

voice or an instrument, performing solos or introductions, and filling gaps between vocal

and melodic sections. However, the classical guitar quartet differs from these ensembles

in that, instead of following folkloric traditions, it more closely resembles the string

quartet.

Since its Spanish origins, the guitar has earned international appeal, becoming the

common denominator in the development of Latin-American music and the precursor to

of guitar-like instruments including the guitarrón, violão de sete cordas, trés cubano and

cuatro. The Latin-American classical guitar repertoire is greatly influenced by popular

and folkloric genres that reflect three major lines of cultural influence: African, European

and Latin-American indigenous.

I have chosen to focus on three composers: Ernesto Cordero (Puerto Rico, 1946),

Leo Brouwer (Cuba, 1939), and Sérgio Assad (Brazil, 1952). These artists share similar

backgrounds. Each was formally trained in classical guitar performance; in addition, each

has experience with regional popular and folkloric musical genres, such as choro, salsa,

seis, bolero, and rumba. Although they draw upon similar influences, each composer also

has a distinctive style. Traditionally, the classical guitar (nylon strings) is most often used

for folkloric and popular music in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Brazil, instead of the acoustic

12

guitar (steel strings) or the electric. While the music of these composers has been

analyzed by other scholars, the focus has largely been on their solo instead of ensemble

compositions. Afro-Latin rhythms and styles drawn from specific Latin-American

musical traditions of popular and folkloric music can be discerned in guitar quartets

written by these composers. Recognition of the presence of these styles can enable

musicians to create more accurate, authentic, and stylistically appropriate performances

of these works. The analyses provided in this document may serve as a guide to more

accurate performance practices.

Scope and Aim

This study will examine an original composition for classical guitar quartet

composed by each of these guitarist-composers. The aim of this research is to show how

each composer draws upon different cultural influences to contribute to the growing

repertory for the modern guitar quartet and to serve as a performer’s guide so that the

player can honor the composer’s intent of the pieces in this research. The pieces to be

taken into consideration are: Punto y canto para cuatro ángeles (1996) by Ernesto

Cordero, Paisaje cubano con lluvia (1984) by Leo Brouwer, and Sinceridade (2007) by

Sérgio Assad. Other pieces by these composers may be referenced in the discussion of

stylistic features and other concerns. The organization of each chapter includes relevant

biographical information for each composer that contribute to an understanding of the

character of the piece in reference to other works by the composer.

The aim of this work is to demonstrate how each composer’s unique cultural

background influences his compositional style and how this contributes to the expressive

13

vitality of the guitar quartet. There are clear influences of Puerto Rican music such as the

seis, música jíbara, and aguinaldos in compositions of Ernesto Cordero, but also a

variety of rhythmic influences from the African heritage in the Caribbean. Similarly, in

Leo Brouwer’s composition, one can see not only an Afro-Cuban influence, but also a

very distinctive twentieth-century approach to the use of tonality and extended techniques

in writing, and performance. Sérgio Assad's music is highly influenced by Brazilian

music genres, for example: choro, samba, forró, bossa nova and Afro-Brazilian styles.

The research will involve the examination and analysis of the three principal

compositions, placing them in historical context, with reference to the history of classical

guitar quartets, and within the compositional trajectory of each composer. Special

attention will be placed on the techniques demanded of the performer.

One of the main musical characteristics linking these three composers is the

implementation of modern performance techniques for the guitar and for the skilled

concert artist. These quartets contain extended sections for improvisation with harmonics,

and in percussion style, using different strokes and even drum-like slapping of the guitar

to emulate African rhythms and percussion. Significantly, all three composers allow the

performer opportunities for individual improvisation within well-defined compositional

frames, a characteristic found in many Latin-American genres.

Creating different voices with the same instrument is a challenge for composers

when writing for the guitar. One significant difference between a guitar quartet and the

traditional string quartet is that the guitar quartet involves four identical instruments, not

four different ranges in pitches and colors. To compensate for this, the guitars are

14

assigned different roles and characteristics in the composition. Guitars 1 and 2 tend to

play in the higher registers, with guitar 1 generally being the highest. Guitar 4 tends to be

very rhythmic and it is mostly used as the accompaniment and bass line. Guitar 3

alternates between playing countermelodies with first or second guitar and by filling in.

Scordatura1 is a common approach when expanding the possibilities of pitch register in

the guitar, it can make the guitar a four-octave instrument.

History of the Guitar Quartet

The guitar quartet is truly an international genre. Quartets are found in most guitar

programs in higher education, in both universities and conservatories. There are

internationally-recognized quartets such as Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, The Romeros,

European Guitar Quartet, Quaternaglia, Maogani, Canadian Guitar Quartet, and

Aquarelle. Ensemble performance is a well-recognized aspect of the pedagogical process

of learning the guitar. Quartets are a commonly aimed at the beginner level, with typical

repertoire being simple arrangements and transcriptions. However, since the twentieth

century, there has been a great development in the level of performance, fame and

repertoire for professional guitar quartets. The pieces examined in this document belong

to that high concert level.

It was not until the 1950 that we find the first publication of scores for guitar

quartets. There were two pieces in the Guitar Music Catalogue of the C.F. Peters

Corporation, both arranged by Heinrich Albert: Quartet Op. 21, by Ferdinando Carulli

1 Scordatura consist of retuning the instrument in a different manner that usual. For example,

tuning the six string from E to D.

15

(1770-1841) and Quartet Op. 15, by Fernando Sor (1778-1839). They were originally

published by Zimmerman in Frankfurt, in a series of guitar chamber music entitled Die in

der Hausund Kammermusik (In-House and Chamber Music), indicating the principal

setting for this for format in that era.2

One earliest examples of professional guitar quartet is the Munich Guitar Quartet,

founded by Fritz Buek in 1907. Based on the premise that the string quartet is the most

distinguished form of chamber music, Buek took it upon himself to emulate the format

with a guitar quartet. In contrast to modern guitar quartets, he did not use four guitars

with the same range. His quartets were scored for different sized guitars that resemble the

ranges of the instruments in a string quartet. They used what would now be considered a

normal classical guitar, a terz guitar, a terz lyre guitar and a quintbasso guitar.

2 According to Allan Morris, Albert formed a guitar quartet in the years before World War I, for

which he contributed a number of original works and arrangements. Allan Morris, “Heinrich Albert and the First Guitar Quartet,” last modified February 28, 2007, accessed September 2015, http://www.guitarandluteissues.com/morris/heinrich.htm

16

Figure 1. The Munich Guitar Quartet3 circa 1912. From left to right Albert with a Terz Bogengitarre (tuned a minor third higher than a normal guitar), Buek with a Lyra-Terzgitarre with 24 frets and a number of sympathetic strings, Rensch with a Quintbassogitarre (tuned a fifth lower than a normal guitar) and Kern with a Wappenformgitarre (an instrument shaped like a large mandolin) with a number of free bass strings, which could have been tuned to a chromatic scale.4

Heinrich Albert (1870-1950) left the Munich Guitar Quartet in the 1920s and was

replaced by Hermann Hauser on the terz guitar. Hauser came from a family of musician

and luthiers and later became one of the most important luthiers in the Twentieth

Century. His guitars were played by Andrés Segovia (1893-1987) for three decades.

Albert was a contemporary of two other great Spanish guitar figures of late 1800s and

3 Published in “Der Guitarrefreund” No.1 January-February 1914.

4 Source: “Heinrich Albert and the First Guitar Quartet,” last modified February 28, 2007,

accessed September 2015, http://www.guitarandluteissues.com/morris/heinrich.htm

17

early 1900s: Miguel Llobet (1878-1938) and Francisco Tárrega (1852-1909). However,

the majority of their performances did not include Albert’s works for the quartet

repertoire and were instead focused on original solo guitar repertoire rooted in Spanish

music, as well as transcription from the great Spanish piano composers like Enrique

Granados (1867-1916) and Isaac Albéniz (1960-1909). Albert’s contribution to chamber

music included duos, trios, quartets as well as chamber music with guitar, and other

instruments: flute, viola, and guitar; voice with guitar accompaniment.

Another professional guitar quartet appearing later in the 20th century is The

Romero Guitar Quartet, also known as “The Royal Family of the Guitar.” They have

been performing since 1960. In an article from The New York Times it says:

"Collectively, they are the only classical guitar quartet of real stature in the world today;

in fact, they virtually invented the format."5 The original members of the quartet were

Celedonio Romero and his three sons, Celin, Angel and Pepe. When Angel left the

quartet Celin’s son Celino joined and when Celedonio passed away in 1996, Angel’s son

Lito joined. The quartet members have always been members of the Romero family. The

Romero’s have performed internationally in their more than 50 years of career. The

repertoire that is mostly associated with them is Spanish music, as well as early music,

including arrangements of Vivaldi, Bach, amongst others. Pepe and Angel, each enjoy

very successful careers as solo performers.

5 The Romeros “The Royal Family of the Guitar, “ last modified 2002, accessed June 2016,

http://www.romeroguitarquartet.com/frameset.html.

18

One of the most prominent guitar quartets is the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. It

was established in 1980 at the Thorton School of Music at the University of Southern

California, under the guidance and coaching of Pepe Romero. Originally called the USC

Quartet,6 the founding members include Anisa Angarola, William Kanengiser, Scott

Tennant, John Dearman. Anisa was replaced later by Andew York who then left the

quartet in 2006 and was replaced by Mathew Grief, a former student of both Kanengiser

and Tennant.

6 Mark Ari, “The Process Never Stops: The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet’s Scott Tennant discusses

the group’s evolution.” Accessed June 14, 2016. http://classicalguitarmagazine.com/the-los-angeles-guitar-quartet-has-braved-hell-er-mexico-and-high-water/.

19

CHAPTER II. ERNESTO CORDERO

Composer’s Biography

Composer and guitarist Ernesto Cordero (born in 1946 in New York and raised in

Puerto Rico) has composed a large rich catalogue of music distinguished by its Caribbean

flavor. He has written nine concertos: four for guitar, two for violin, one for flute-piccolo,

one for oboe and one for the Puerto Rican cuatro, as well as orchestral and choral works,

art songs accompanied by the guitar, piano or orchestra, and a variety of chamber works

in which the guitar appears. Several of his numerous ensembles and guitar solos have

become standards. He has received important awards for composition and his music is

performed and recorded worldwide by the finest artists. To date, there are more than fifty

recordings of Cordero's works and he is represented by leading publishers, such as Max

Eschig (France), Berben (Italy), Chanterelle, Antes Edition and Hubertus Nogatz

(Germany), Doberman-Yppan and D’oz (Canada), Mel-Bay Publications, Boosey &

Hawkes, Falls House Press, Editions Orphée, TrevCo Music Publishing and Michael

Lorimer Editions (USA).

Although Cordero is generally known today only as a composer, he was also a

performer. New York Times reviewer, Peter G. Davis, praised Cordero as both a guitarist

and composer after his 1978 New York Carnegie Recital Hall debut:

His technique is impeccable, remarkable for its finger independence and ability to clarify and articulate the most complex textures. The colorist variety of his playing is also extensive, and the subtle interplay of tonal nuances gave each

20

piece a solid musical profile as well as supplying a beguiling sensuous wash of sound."7

Of Cordero's compositions, Davis stated, "...like Mr. Cordero's performances they

projected a healthy combination of skill, sensitive invention and sound musical effect.”8

His music is characterized by applying a great variety of performance techniques and this

variety is also evident in his compositions for guitar quartet.

The most important Puerto Rican artists, including Guillermo Figueroa, Iván

Rijos, Leonardo Egúrbida, Juan Sorroche, Edwin Colón Zayas, have all performed

Cordero’s concertos, as have leading international performers including, Angel Romero,

Carlos Barbosa Lima, Manuel Barrueco, Costas Cotsiolis, Eduardo Fernández, Pepe

Romero, Alirio Díaz, and Carlos Pérez among many others. Some orchestras that have

played his works include the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber

Orchestra, Philharmonie Baden-Baden, Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio

France, National Philarmonic Orchestra of Russia, Orquesta de Cámara Reina Sofía, I

Solisti di Zagreb and Orquesta Simón Bolivar.

Ernesto Cordero began his higher studies in 1963, when he entered the

Conservatory of Music in Puerto Rico. He continued at the Royal Conservatory of Music

in Madrid, Spain where he earned a diploma in 1971. Subsequently, he did post-graduate

work in composition with Roberto Caggiano in Rome, Italy from 1972 to 1974 and with

7 “Críticas,” last modified 2012, accessed August 23, 2016,

http://ernestocordero.com/criticas.html.

8 Ibid.

21

Julian Orbón in New York from 1977 to 1978. He first studied guitar from 1961 to 1964

with Jorge Rubiano and he later worked with several teachers, most importantly Regino

Sainz de la Maza in Spain in the from 1967-1970 and Alírio Díaz from 1972-1974 and

Claudio de Angelis in Italy in 1972. Since 1971 he taught composition and guitar in the

music department of the University of Puerto Rico from 1971-2005. In addition to his

activities as composer, performer and teacher, Ernesto Cordero, was music director of the

International Guitar Festival of Puerto Rico from1980 –1997. He is in demand

throughout the world as a distinguished participant in leading competitions and festivals.9

Leo Brouwer says: “Cordero quintessentializes for us the sonority of the world of 16th-

century music, with a contemporary touch, in a totally organic manner. His sonority also

possesses a quality which humanity has sought and will forever seek; a serene beauty.”10

Punto y canto para cuatro ángeles

Cordero’s Punto y canto para cuatro ángeles is dedicated to the famed classical

guitar ensemble, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, who premiered the composition in San

Juan, Puerto Rico on December 18, 1996. The title translates roughly to “dance song for

four angels.” Punto is a genre of popular Cuban music, in addition, punto refers to the

early 17th-century instruments that were plucked instead of strummed, as in the

Andalusian style of playing flamenco music. In this style chords for accompaniment were

9 Michael Lorimer [?] Ernest Cordero, Compositor, last modified 2015, accessed June 6, 2016,

http://ernestocordero.com/biografia.html. 10 Ibid.

22

broken and played arpeggiado with a pick instead of a rasgueado (strum). The traditional

instrumentation of the punto includes the Spanish guitar, in combination with regional

guitar-like partner instruments of trés Cubano (three-courses instrument from Cuba),

tiple (guitar like instrument with higher pitch and five strings), laud (six double-courses)

and percussion instruments such as güiro (scraped percussion instrument), and clave

(wooden sticks). An example of punto can be observed in measure 3 in the first guitar

part, where the harmony is arpeggiated in the traditional montuno style of Caribbean

music. Cordero depicts the rhythms and harmonies of the punto and other Afro-

Caribbean genres, such as the güajira and son. In mm 1 and 2, the first, second and third

guitars present a variation on the rhythmic pattern of the güajira, a traditional music and

dance genre that translates to “humble farmer.” The güajira can be traced to troubadour

music brought by the Spanish to the Caribbean. The traditional ensemble for güajira

consists of a guitar, tres and minor percussion. The progression of the “Punto Güajiro” is

I-IV-V-V in 2/4 time, but this evolved in the güajira to a chord progression of I-IV-V-IV-

I in a 2:3 clave.

23

Figure 2. The clave is a rhythmic pattern that is the underlying structure for many of the Caribbean music genres in Cuba and Puerto Rico. It can be either in a 2:3 pattern or a 3:2 pattern. The term clave also refers also to a specific percussion instrument that performs the pattern. Here we can see two examples of two different types of 3:2 clave.

Figure 3. Ernesto Cordero, Punto y canto para cuatro ángeles, mm 151. The Son Clave is presented compressed into one measure in guitar 4.

The main theme of the piece (m. 1) of Punto y canto para cuatro angeles was

taken from as a guitar duo Cordero composed in 1981 called Two Short Songs. He used

this piece as the main theme for development and variations for Punto y canto para

cuatro angeles. The first of the songs written in punto cubano style is named Mi

Güajirita, meaning “my little güajira,” referring to the way Cubans refer affectionately to

8

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a woman from the country side. The second song, Canción azul, resembles a Cuban

bolero with, romantic and slow melodies. Here the first guitar plays the melody and the

second guitar accompanies.

In 2002 he renamed the piece Sonatina Tropical adding a third movement, Salsa

en Piñones, influenced by popular music from Puerto Rico that is now recognized

internationally (Salsa refers to the popular dance genre; Piñones refers to a beach in the

northeast end of the island). The third movement has an A-B-A form. The melody in the

A section is based on a montuno with a pattern recognizable today in salsa music. The B

section resembles a more improvisatory setting, based on the well-known popular güajira

song El Ratón (the mouse), by Puerto Rican composer Cheo Feliciano.11 Guitars 1 and 2

of Sonatina Tropical later became guitars 1 and 4 of Punto y canto para cuatro angeles,

but not for the entirety of that piece.

11 Ernesto Cordero, Sonatina Tropical. (Québec, Canada: Les Éditions Dobberman-Yppan, 2002).

25

Figure 4. The first two measures of Sonatina Tropical.

The main theme in the Punto y canto para cuatro angeles is presented in the first

measure in guitars 1 and 2. It reappears many times throughout the piece, in different

sections and in different guitars. Although the key signature would suggest that the piece

is in G Major, measure 1 starts with a I-IV-V güajira progression in C Major. It is not

until measure 6 that we arrive in the key of G. This is recurrent with the main theme, it is

often presented transposed to a different key, with variations, and different textures. The

variety in textures is accomplished by changing the voicing of the chords, adding

dissonances, and on occasions adding percussions strokes to the body of the guitar.

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gtiss.

-mp

26

Figure 5. Ernesto Cordero, Punto y canto para cuatro ángeles, mm 1–3. An example of the rhythm of the güajira in the first two measures of guitars 1, 2 and 3. On the third measure in guitar 1, the progression I-IV-V, characteristic of the güajira, is arpeggiated instead of block chords, a characteristic of the punto.

The second theme is presented in section B (m.15), this segment is more melodic

and serene, resembling a song in the style of Cuban bolero. Guitar 1 plays the main

melody while the other parts accompany with arpeggiated chords characteristic of the

bolero, the chords are connected with passing tones creating a descending chromatic

bassline. The melody is often echoed by the third guitar, in a style that resembles the

27

melodic improvisations that the requinto12 plays in traditional boleros. Throughout the

piece, the two main themes: the güajira and bolero re-appear with small transitional

sections. The second theme does not change, but the first theme, the güajira, is presented

with less tonal characteristics. More percussive parts are added as the piece progresses. In

section H there is use of hemiola and syncopations. The same rhythm is used throughout

all the guitar parts, with block chords in an ascending motion with crescendo and forte

indications. This creates an atmosphere of tension throughout the following sections,

until we get to section N. This is the central part of the piece. Now we encounter a

completely contrasting section with indications of lento angelico (slow and angelic), In

notations throughout the different moments of the piece Cordero refers to the Los

Angeles Guitar Quartet, making a play on words with descriptions of angelic character.

This section is composed entirely in harmonics and a third theme is presented. This is the

first time that the composer creates a space for improvisation, an important characteristic

of Caribbean music, and a skill associated with traditional performers of his homeland. In

measure 106, Cordero gives the performer the opportunity to improvise inside a frame of

specific pitches based on a minor pentatonic scale, and by keeping the eighth note as the

constant rhythm. The diamond-shaped notes indicate that the improvisation is via

harmonics, and evoking the theme in the free parts. This overlapping improvisations ends

with a cluster of pitches related to the E minor scale. The composer indicates that the

improvisations last between 20 and 25 seconds.

12 Requinto is a smaller guitar tuned a 4th higher than a standard guitar. It was made popular in

bolero music by Trío Los Panchos.

28

Figure 6. Ernesto Cordero, Punto y canto para cuatro ángeles, mm. 106-113. An example of harmonic and melodic improvisation. there are some guidelines to follow, for example, bringing in the main theme back and specific clusters of notes to use during this section.

In the next sections, various themes and rhythm from throughout the piece are re-

encountered and re-instated, but with minimalistic characteristics. There is a transition in

harmonics in section R (similar to section N) that comes to a breath follow by guitar 4

playing a compressed Son Clave (mm. 92) with pizzicato and seco, signifying the use of

29

the clave in salsa music. It builds up with overlapping rhythms adding more guitars and

ending the section with a fermata. Guitar 1 plays a small percussion solo using the guitar

to emulate a bongó. Sections like these pauses are called cortes (breaks) in salsa music,

and are common features that builds excitement towards the end of the piece.

Figure 7. Ernesto Cordero, Punto y canto para cuatro ángeles, mm 158. First guitar with the rhythm and indications for the percussion with the guitar. This rhythm emulates the bongo drum.

157 II

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30

Figure 8. Ernesto Cordero, Punto y canto para cuatro ángeles. Instructions to where to strike the guitar to get different strokes and slaps sounds during the percussive improvisation.

In Figure 8, we can see the specific places where the composer wants the

performer to strike the guitar to create a percussive effect, thus adding another layer of

texture to the piece and using rhythmic characteristics important to Caribbean music. To

indicate how to strike the guitar, he uses percussion symbols and uses the location of the

pitches to indicate where on the guitar to strike. This creates different effects that imitate

characteristics of drums. The strokes and slaps in the body of the guitar could be seen as

representatives sounds and rhythms of the conga and bongó drums which are very

common in the folklore of Afro-Caribbean music. Cordero requires a demonstration of

artistry and skill, but demands performers demonstrate it through a knowledge of regional

percussion patterns.

-

NOTACION - NOTATION

Golpe sabre el costado superior usando la mana izquierda.

Golpe sabre el costado de la guitarra con la mana izquierda.

Golpe sabre la parte inferior y estrecha de la tapa arm6nica, mana izquierda.

Golpe sabre la parte inferior de la tapa arm6nica con la mana derecha.

Todos esos golpes han de hacerse usando la coyuntura entre la primera y segunda falange del dedo indice o medio.

Percussion sur la petite partie de l'eclisse superieure avec la main gauche.

Percussion sur l'eclisse inferieure pres du manche avec la main gauche.

Percussion sur la partie etroite inferieure de la table d'harmonie avec la main gauche.

Percussion sur la partie inferieure de la table d'harmonie avec la main droite.

Tous ces effets de percussion peuvent etre faits avec la phalange moyenne de l'index ou du majeur.

Posiciones aproximadas. Endroits approximatifs.

Approximate spots.

Percussive blow on the upper side with the left hand.

Percussive blow on the side of the guitar with the left hand.

Percussive blow on the lower and narrow part of the soundboard, left hand.

Percussive blow on the lower part of the soundboard with the right hand.

All these percussive blows should be effected using the middle phalanx of the index or middle finger.

31

CHAPTER III. LEO BROUWER


Leo Brouwer is arguably the most influential guitarist-composer of the twentieth

century. He has composed for solo guitar, duos, quartets, ensemble, and orchestra. He has

created 11 concertos for guitar, works for choir, and over 120 soundtracks for films.

Brouwer graduated in 1955 from the Conservatorio de Peyrelade in Havana where he

studied guitar under Isaác Nicóla. Later he was awarded a scholarship from the Cuban

government to study composition at the Julliard School of Music in New York and at the

Hartt School of Music Connecticut. In 1961 he became Director of ICAIC (Cuban

Institute of Art Industry and Cinematography), and the composition professor at the

Conservatorio Nacional.

Brouwer’s style of composition may be categorized in three distinct periods: in

the first style period (1955-1961), he explores the possibilities of the guitar using material

from his roots in Cuba, with the idea of creating universality in collaboration with

composers from the Grupo renovación cultural. They adopted the classical forms but

remained deeply rooted in their Cuban musical heritage. The second style (1961-1980) is

more avant-garde, resulting from his experiences when traveling in Europe and being in

contact with Penderecki and Hans Werner Henze. During this time Brouwer starts

utilizing twentieth century compositional techniques such as minimalism, extended

techniques, and atonalism. The third and current style, beginning in 1980 has been

32

labeled "National Hyper-Romanticism." This style is a return to Afro-Cuban roots mixed

with elements of tonality, traditional forms, programmatic gestures, and minimalism.13 In

1963 with his composition Sonograma I for prepared piano, Brouwer emerged as the

most relevant composer in the avant-garde movement in Cuba.14 Paisaje Cubano con

lluvia, resembles more of the late second period because of the compositional techniques,

programmatic and minimalistic, although the piece has a tonal characteristics that are part

of the more romantic Brouwer.

Brouwer began a series of minimalist pieces known as Paisaje Cubano in the

1980s. Paisaje cubano con lluvia (Cuban Landscape with Rain) for guitar quartet was

completed in 1984; Paisaje cubano con rumba (Cuban Landscape with Rumba) in

198515, Paisaje cubano con campanas (Cuban Landscape with Bells) for solo guitar in

1986; Paisaje cubano con tristeza (Cuban Landscape with Sadness) for solo guitar in

1996; Paisaje Cubano con fiesta (Cuban Landscape with Festivities) for solo guitar in

2007. As the titles suggest, these are programmatic pieces. This chapter will focus on

Paisaje Cubano con llluvia for guitar quartet.

13 William J. Zick, “Leo Brouwer Afro-Cuban Composer, Guitarist & Conductor,” last modified

January 1, 2016, accessed April 15, 2016, http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/brouwer.html. 14 Vladimir Wistuba-Alvarez, “LLuvia, rumba y campanas en los paisajes Cubanos de Leo

Brouwer y otros temas” Latin American Music Review,” 10, no. 1 (June 1989): 135-147.

15 Originally composed for a recorder quintet and commissioned by Frans Bruggen, in Holland. Premiered in Amsterdam in 1985. Later Brouwer arranged it for guitar quartet.

33

In an interview in 2011 for the 13th Habano Festival16, Brouwer describes what

motivated him to compose for guitar and how the activity changed his views on life:

I started composing to fill the gaps in the guitar repertoire in the 1950s, when we didn’t have anything from the great composers of previous centuries. They had written for guitar or instruments from the guitar family or predecessors, but they had not been transcribed, or converted from tablature into the current notation, or edited. It occurred to me that I had to do a little of that completing work. On the other hand, the analysis of a few compositions for guitar from the past, particularly from the 19th century, helped me discover that they were relatively poor in certain codes that were considered rich, such as in works by Beethoven, Brahms or Stravinski, for example; that’s why I decided to take on that role. That’s why when I started to make music, the view of life changed me in terms of composition, because I started to see composition in the landscape, in nature, in the description of planes of a single city.

The idea of creating a landscape series and other programmatic music was

connected to Brouwer’s interest in painting and visual arts from a very young age. He

was an admirer of Paul Klee and the Bauhaus aesthetic. Klee’s abstract and photo-

minimalistic artistry was an important influence in Brouwer’s approach to musical

minimalism. Musicians borrow the term “minimalism” from the arts to describe “a style

of composition characterized by an intentionally simplified rhythmic, melodic and

harmonic vocabulary.”17 Leo Brouwer’s guitar quartet and other chamber works have

contributed vastly to the minimalist genre.

16 “Leo Brouwer: An Essential Musician,” last modified January 22, 2011, accessed July 16, 2016

http://habanosnews.habanos.com/en/leo-brouwer-essential-musician.

17 Keith Potter, “Minimalism” Oxford Music Online, accessed July 18, 2016, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com

34

Cuban Landscape with Rain (Paisaje Cubano con Lluvia)

In Paisaje Cubano con lluvia we can see that Brouwer maintains the customary

disposition of the guitar parts associated with the guitar quartet where guitars 1 and 2

play in the higher registers, with guitar 1 generally being the highest; guitar 4 providing

rhythmic support, accompaniment and articulating the bass line, and guitar 3 filling in.

(Figure 10)

Figure 9. The pentatonic introduction in mm.1-4, and the arrival to G Lydian m.10.

35

Paisaje Cubano con lluvia is a highly programmatic and minimalistic piece. The

entire piece is a vivid description and representation of a rain storm in the Caribbean. It

starts with isolated quarter notes referencing subtle droplets of rain, presented almost as a

kind of music pointillism. This adds a polyrhythmic texture that is a predominant

characteristic in the piece, and a common trait of Afro-Cuban music. At rehearsal A,

guitar 1 starts by performing a single note on the first measure and repeating each

measure four times. This applies to the introduction as a whole. Another guitar is added

every four measures until finally all guitars commence in an almost fugal or imitative

manner, creating an effect similar to an stretto mm 5-9 and again in mm. 63-74.18

Brouwer commonly utilizes forms from the baroque such as the fugue with syncopations

characteristics of Cuban music. As the different guitar parts commence in a downward

motion, the sonorous effect is of that of rain drops falling on the roofs of houses and

buildings, evoking the calm before the storm. Harmonically, in rehearsal letter A, the

piece starts by introducing pitches that create an atmosphere of B minor pentatonic, from

mm. 1-4. Every part maintains the quarter note as the pulse of the introduction, creating

an atmosphere of calmness. This initial material is reinstated in the Coda. From mm. 5-9,

the notes correspond to a B minor scale, but the piece gravitates towards G Lydian as a

tonal center confirmed by the lower G bass in mm.10. This scale is kept throughout

rehearsal letter B section, mm. 10-23.

18 “Stretto” It refers to when all the voices are playing the subject in fugue in an overlapping

manner. It serves as a way of creating excitement, and tension in climatic situations.

36

Figure 10. a) notes as the order presented in mm 1-7; b) B minor pentatonic created with pitches of mm. 1-4; c) G Lydian scale created with notes from mm1-8.

Guitar 3 and 4 serves as an accompaniment through the B section while guitar 1

and 2 are written in a manner of call and response, using tremolo technique. Call and

response is a characteristic of common Caribbean and Latin-American genres like the

salsa, bomba, plena, batá, and rumba. The dialogue may be between the singer and the

chorus, known as coro-pregón, or it the dancer and the percussion in genres like the

rumba (Cuba), bomba and plena (Puerto Rico). The performers of Paisaje Cubano should

strive to project the dynamism of this give and take.

In rehearsal letter C, there is an unforeseen harmonic change that gravitates

towards an B-flat minor chord, mm. 24-25. The modality of the chord shifts to Major in

mm. 26 and stays through the section. In mm. 32 the harmony returns to G Lydian and

remains in this tonal center through the rest of the piece, with the exception of the coda

which verbatim restates the opening six measures.

a)

b)

c)

&

Pitchs in the order presented

b.

c.

&

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&

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37

At rehearsal D the same harmonies from rehearsal B are reinstated. In rehearsal E,

the texture is indicated as sul tasto19 (meaning over the fingerboard) and the pulse

changes to the eighth-note. Each guitar plays a different grouping of eighth notes: 8, 6

and 4. With the indication of legato and ad lib, the pulse becomes more flexible,

obscuring the downbeat. This changes in mm. 64 when the cinquillo rhythmic figure, a

decidedly Cuban motive, appears in guitar 3.

Figure 11. There are two different ways to write the Cuban cinquillo (rhythmic pattern of five notes). Cinquillo is fundamental rhythmic pattern for the danzón Cubano, a traditional dance from Cuba.

Figure 12. Guitar 3 of Paisaje Cubano con lluvia, mm 64-65. Although not an exact imitation of the cinquillo it shares similarities in the syncopation created.

At rehearsal letter F begins an abstract section that follows non-metric time. The

cues for the players are given based on the duration of seconds in each guitar part, they

are added through what Daniel Fernando Castro has labeled “aggregative pentatonicism.”

19 Sul tasto: close to the frets not to the sound whole. This creates a less aggressive and more

warm or round sound.

8

17

30

43

56

69

2

4

2

4

&

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&

∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑

&

∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑

&

∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑

&

∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑

œ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœœ

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38

20 Rehearsal sections G and H are the penultimate sections of the piece and are the most

intense and aggressive. Brouwer indicates that players should use a Bartok pizzicato,

irregolare, 21 this section is free and improvisatory, since it depends on the ensemble for

the interpretation. This is the climax of the piece which can be seen as a musical

representation of how it feels to be in the middle of a tropical storm or hurricane.

Figure13. Brouwer is well known for his use of extended techniques in the guitar. Here we can see the description and function of the symbols that Brouwer used in Paisaje Cubano con Lluvia. Notice the symbols used for cues and time duration.

20 Daniel Fernando Castro Pantoja. Aguacero: A semiotic analysis of Paisaje Cubano com Lluvia

by Leo Brouwer. TRANS-Revista Transcultural de Música, 18 (2014). www.sibe/trans.com

21 To realize a Bartok pizzicato, the player pulls and snaps the guitar string so that it hits the fretboard in an aggressive manner. Also known as snap pizzicato.

39

Figure 14. Here we can see the climax of the piece in Rehearsal G and H. Notice the use of extended techniques and the reinstatement of the introduction.

In an interview with Vladimir Wistuba-Alvarez, Leo Brouwer explained his

visual inspiration for Paisajes. In answer to the question: is there a specific landscape in

Habana that you have in mind? Brouwer replied:

to me it is the Cuban landscape, but not only the nature. It can be any landscape in the world, it is the landscape that man recreates, and transforms… it does not need to be an urban landscape like New York or Paris with the Eiffel Tower, but the man with his cultures that transforms it…22

40

When performing this piece, it is tangible the programmatic characteristics and

intentions of the composer. Its effect is very powerful by evoking mental images in both

the performer and the audience.

22 Vladimir Wistuba-Alvarez, “Lluvia, rumba y campanas en los paisajes cubanos de Leo Brouwer

y otros temas.” Latin American Music Review,” 10, no 1. (January 1989): 135-147.

41

CHAPTER IV. SÉRGIO ASSAD


Sérgio Assad (b. 1952) is renowned as a performer, with his brother and fellow

guitarist Odair Assad in the Duo Assad, and as a composer of solo and chamber works

for the guitar. His compositions range from chamber pieces for guitar with flute, viola,

cello, and orchestra. Assad grew up in a musical family in Mococa, São Paulo, Brazil,

where as a child he learned how to play Brazilian folkloric music and started a duo with

his brother. His father, Jorge Assad, was a respected choro musician and from him,

Sergio absorbed elements of this expression ensemble style. He studied under Monina

Távora, considered one of the finest guitar teachers in Brazil and a disciple of Andrés

Segovia. Assad’s performances, compositions and arrangements have established new

standards of quality. The virtuosity of the Duo Assad has also inspired new works from

great composers such as Astor Piazzolla, Radamés Gnattali, Nikita Koshkin, and Jorge

Morel. They have also collaborated with outstanding musicians such as Yo-Yo Ma,

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Fernando Suarez Paz, and Paquito D’Rivera.23 The Duo

Assad recently recorded an album with Paul Simon from Simon & Garfunkel.

Sergio Assad’s compositions have been well received and acclaimed

internationally. Many of his solo and ensemble works have become standard repertoire

for the classical guitar. His compositions have been used as mandatory repertoire for

international competitions such as the Guitar Foundation of America International

23 “Assad Brothers,” last modified 2016, accessed August 23, 2016,

https://assadbrothers.com/biography/

42

Competition, and have been performed and dedicated to great guitarists such as David

Russell (Aquarelle, for solo guitar 1986) and Los Angeles Guitar Quartet (Interchange,

for guitar quartet and orchestra 2009).24 Assad won two Latin Grammy awards, one for

his performance in Sérgio and Odair Assad Play Piazzolla and the second for his

composition “Tahhiyya Li Oussilina,” in the album Jardim Abandonado named after a

piece by Antonio Carlos Jobim (1927-1994).

Assad’s compositions for guitar quartet include: Uarekena (1997), Alvorada

Tropical commissioned by the EOS Guitar Quartet (2007), Sinceridade written for

Maogani Guitar Quartet (2007), Interchange (2009, concerto for guitar quartet and

orchestra) and One 4 All 4 One dedicated to Quartet Eclisses (2016).

In an article for Soundboard, Sérgio described his compositional development:

The way I developed as a composer had a lot to do with my experience with Brazilian popular music. I grew up playing traditional Brazilian music, like choros and other traditional forms. Brazilian harmony is quite complex, and the music I would compose later in my life had a lot to do with this harmonic language. From the beginning of my training, I became very familiar with modulations to unrelated keys and their modes, as well as a certain language of improvisation. Brazilian melodies are very rich, and run from linear in shape to a high level of angularity. Mixing these elements with a more academic approach to composition helped me shape the way I write.25

One of the most influential genres in Brazilian music is the choro, the music

performed by Sergio Assad’s father. The origin of the word translates to “cry” or

24 “Interchange: Concertos by Rodrigo and Assad,” Last modified 2016; accessed July 2016,

http://www.lagq.com/recordings/interchange-concertos-rodrigo-assad

25 Sérgio Assad, “From Interpreter to Composer,” Soundboard, 39, no. 3 (2013): 8.

43

“lament.” It has become integrated into popular music, and its form has been used in

classical music by composers such as Villa-Lobos and Assad. In Rio de Janeiro between

1875 and 1900 popular instrumental ensembles wandered the streets performing dance

music such as maxixes and polkas, as well as sentimental and melancholic love songs in

the modinha style. This type of ensemble, known as chorões came to be known as choro.

Traditionally its instrumentation includes guitar, flute, and cavaquinho (small four-

stringed guitar of Portuguese origin). Modern instrumentations for the choro include

other melodic instruments such as the saxophone, clarinet and mandolin. These

instruments are accompanied by a rhythm section that include violāo de sete corda

(seven-string guitar) and small percussion such as the pandeiro (tambourine). 26 Choro

music follows a specific form that resembles a five-part rondo: ABACA.

Sinceridade

This practice of using folkloric genres with an academic approach is reflected in

Assad’s quartet. Sinceridade is written as a choro and follows its specific form:

Sections A B A C A

Measures 1-33 34-65 66-97 98-141 142-182

Figure 15. Rondo form of Sinceridade.

26 Gerard Béhague, “Choro,” last modified 2016, accessed July 15, 2016,

http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy1.library.arizona.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/05679?q=choro&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit

44

Choro music is known for virtuosic melodies, bass lines that are usually

performed on a 7 string guitar, and is often improvisations. Sinceridade embraces the

choro aesthetic and has a mellow mood resembling a slow jazz standard; choro music has

been referred to as the New Orleans Jazz of Brazil.27 Although the piece does not include

space for improvisation, the melody is improvisatory in character.

The main motive, presented in the introduction of the piece is presented in m.1 as

an Am7 arpeggio that is re-introduced in every “A” section. The motive is transposed to

different keys throughout the section in a manner of call and response (see fig. 16).

27 Saint Paul Sunday, “What is Choro Music?,” last modified 2016, accessed July 15, 2016,

http://saintpaulsunday.publicradio.org/features/0109_choro/

45

Figure 16. Sinceridade, mm 1-29. Call and response patterns and descending chromatic bass line.

This transposing of the theme to unrelated keys and the use of extended chords

creates a jazzy feel. The improvisatory style of writing returns, in the B section,

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46

supported now by a rhythmic foundation characteristic of the choro, which appears

numerous times through the piece (see figures 17 and 18).

Figure 17. Syncopated binary figures characteristics of choro music. This rhythmic figure has been use by Villa-Lobos, Assad and other Brazilian composers.

Figure 18. Sinceridade, guitar 2 and 3 mm. 30-38, the selection in red marks the measures with the rhythmic pattern.

A more rhythmic unison forms among the parts in the C section, creating

rhythmic breaks. As a genre, choro can be classified as both as folkloric and or popular, a

relationship explored by the famous twentieth-century composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, who

was also influenced by choro rhythms in his compositions (see fig. 19).28

28 Eduardo Costa, “Sergio Assad’s (b.1952) Aquarelle and Fantasia Carioca: A Performer’s

Guide” (DMA diss., University of Arizona, 2012).

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Uarekena

In its recording of Spirit of Brazil, the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet documented their

performance practice for the piece Uarekena, a composition named after an Amazonian

tribe. The musicians describe the adjustments made by the composer in the second

edition to suit the capabilities of their quartet.

Originally, Uarekena was written for three standard classical guitars and seven-string guitar with an extended bass range. As none of us actually plays a seven-string guitar we have opted for the composer’s second version, for four standard guitars, which resulted in… … having to tune the sixth string down a fourth to a B.29

Assad’s choice of instrumentation is an important detail in considering the

relationship with folk musical genres. The seven-string guitar is essential to choro music;

the extra bass string provides a deeper bass preferred in the genre. The fourth guitar in

Uarekena is assign the typical role of the seven-string guitar, accompanying with an

elaborated bass line that, often provides counterpoint to the melody (see fig. 21). To

29 Spirit of Brazil, CD-ROM (Chandos Records, 2009).

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48

emulate the seven-string guitar, the six-string is tuned to a low C instead of the traditional

low E.

Figure 20. Here we can see the bass line of the fourth guitar with the 6th string tuned to Low C, a pitch that could not be played unless the instrument was retuned.

Assad, like Cordero, uses the guitar as a percussion instrument. His notations

indicate the specific location and technique to create the desired timbre on the sound box

of the guitar.

Figure 21. Here we can see the indications of the composer as to improvise with percussion using both hands in the resonating box of the guitar, for guitars 1st and 3rd. He also gives the option to the 2nd guitar that his section can be improvised.

49

CHAPTER V. CONCLUSION

The influence of folkloric and popular music genres in the classical guitar quartet

compositions of Ernesto Cordero, Leo Brouwer and Sérgio Assad is palpable. Not only

do these guitarist-composers follow both contemporary and traditional trends, but they

also require guitarists to become co-composers of the piece through improvisation. The

contributions of these guitarist-composers to the repertoire of the guitar quartet are

representative of current trends in Latin-American classical music.

The influence of Caribbean music in the compositions of Ernesto Cordero is not

limited to traditions from his native Puerto Rico. He uses modern harmonies with

traditional harmonic progression30 from a range of Afro-Caribbean rhythms frequently

found throughout Latin America in genres such as bolero, güajira, and punto. Their

music call for an active involvement from the performer to listen to music of this style.

Leo Brouwer intertwines avant-garde compositional techniques such as minimalism with

sounds rooted in Cuban music. This creates a distinct style recognizable to every guitarist

and it situates traditional Cuban music in a universal setting. Sérgio Assad’s

compositional style draws upon folkloric and popular genres from Brazil such as música

popular brasiliera (MPB, brazilian popular music), the use of extended chords, and jazz

influence. His compositions favor lyrical and cantabile melodies with very powerful

rhythms and virtuosic polyphonic textures that make his music exhilarating.

30 For example when Cordero uses the traditional güajira progression but the harmonies are not

traditional, and related to twenty century music.

50

The music of these composers is influenced by classical music forms and

harmonic functions, but also reflects the deep musical roots of each composer. Resulting

are three different styles of composition that share the use of popular, classical, and

folkloric music in common. The influence of popular styles expand the repertoire for the

guitar quartet and enrich the options for performers and listeners. These guitar quartets

exemplify the capabilities of the medium and provide a model for non-guitarist

composers. Composers who are unfamiliar with the instrument tend to find it difficult to

write for the guitar. These pieces may reduce that concern by showing the pitch range of

the guitar and the great variety in the technique of the instrument. By crossing the

boundaries between classical and popular music, these quartets make classical structures

more accessible to the community and invite performers to explore additional venues for

sharing the music with the public. The quartets need not be exclusively attached to

concert halls like other styles of classical guitar. The challenge of performing these

quartets comes from the need to rehearse and coordinate the ensemble parts, not merely

from the required technique. The joy of performing these works lies in the ability to

create sonic worlds as a team, something that classically-trained guitarists are not

typically encouraged to do.

Cordero, Brouwer, and Assad set new standards for composing for the guitar

quartet. Their compositions are accessible, but also innovative, and reflect their

individual cultural influences. The compositions are an inspiration to guitarists,

composers, and the audience.

51

At this point I would like to talk about my experience performing these pieces, as

this research served as the basis for a lecture recital. When rehearsing these pieces, I

pondered the possible order for the performance. The end result was the following:

Sinceridade, Paisajecubano con lluvia, and Punto y canto para cuatro angeles. In my

opinion, this is an effective order because the music becomes progressively more

demanding in technical difficulty, the duration of the pieces, and in intensity. This order

made it more comfortable for the performers and provides a calmer ambience for the

quartet. The audience reacted well to the increasing drama of this order. Since

Sinceridade is a slower, less technically demanding piece, it provided a great transition

between the lecture and the performance, but even without preamble, it makes for a

comfortable opening for this grouping. Paisaje Cubano con lluvia is a programmatic

piece with outstanding special effects simulating a storm. Placing it second on the

program helped build excitement and mystery. Creating the dramatic effects in the

performance was exciting for the performers and, in our experience, captured the

imagination of the listeners. Punto y canto para cuatro angeles was the perfect ending. It

is the longest piece of the set, comprised of multiple sections. There is a good deal of

contrast among these sections with the references to bolero, guajira, improvisations with

harmonics, breaks, guitars simulating percussion instruments, and a loud and fast

strumming section between the four guitars leading to the powerful conclusion of the

work.

For an effective performance, memorizing the music is ideal. Performing from

memory is not common when performing as ensemble, since different cues are written in

52

the score so the players do not get lost and have a point of reference in case they do. It is

a very common practice to play from memory in popular and folk ensembles. It has a

more theatrical appeal and is easier to engage with the audience—it allows performers to

interact more freely with each other and with the listeners. We found that, at a minimum,

certain sections should be memorized so that the performers can look at each other and

have a tighter result. This is especially important both at the beginnings and ends of each

section, and is extremely important at the beginning and conclusion of the piece.

One of the most demanding aspects when performing these pieces is achieving a

groove required to make the Latin rhythms swing. This is challenging; in order to

assimilate and internalize the music, performers needs to immerse themselves in these

genres. For example, the way that the clave is written, it is not the same way as it is

played. To obtain the proper musical inflection, it is important to listen to authentic

examples of the root musical styles.

I would like to offer a suggested listening list (easily accessible through

YouTube) that will familiarize the performer with the genres encountered in the featured

quartets:

Salsa artists

• Ruben Blades (Patria)

• Cheo Feliciano (El Ratón)

• Hector Lavoe

• El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico

Bolero artists

53

• Los Panchos

• Ibrahim Ferrer

• Los Tres Ases

Choro artists

• Paulo Nascimento

• Yamandu Costa

• Chiqo Buarque

• Pixinguinha

• Ernesto Nazareth

This is not a comprehensive list of relevant examples, but it will help the listener

begin to discern the different nuances in the music.

The featured quartets by Ernesto Cordero, Leo Brouwer, and Sérgio Assad

discussed in this document represent just three examples from the guitar quartet

repertoire. I trust that this research will encourage readers to explore other music for

guitar quartet, particularly by Latin American composers. It is the aim of this research to

inspire performers to have a better understanding of these guitar quartets, to perform

existing repertoire and to pursue future commissions for the guitar quartet genre.

54

APPENDIX

Copy of the program from the concert premier by the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet of Punto y canto para cuatro angeles. In San Juan Puerto Rico on December 18, 1996. This was the first version of the piece, the one that is published is the revised version from 1999.

56

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______. “Lluvia, rumba y campanas en los paisajes cubanos de Leo Brouwer y otros temas.” Latin American Music Review 10 (January 1989): 135-147.

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