Andres Gaos - Integral de la Obra Sinfónica

Andrés GAOS BEREA (1874-1959)

Integral de la Obra SInfónica

Sinfonía nº 1 (ed. Joan Trillo) 

Sinfonía nº 2, "En las montañas de Galicia"

Granada, un crepúsculo en la Alhambra (ed. Joan Trillo) 

Fantasía para violín y orquesta, op. 24 (completada y rev. por Joan Trillo) 

Impresión nocturna 

Suite a la antigua 

Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia

Víctor Pablo Pérez, director

The "Symphony No. 1" was possibly started in 1899, during his long voyage across the Atlantic at that time, but he abandoned his writing citing lack of time. At this time he was affected by the nervous disease known then as neurasthenia.

Finally the symphony ends in 1906 but it is not released, being forgotten. We do not know why the composer repudiated this work, which was never cataloged, leaving it abandoned in his music library.

In 2006 it was published by the IGAEM, Instituto Galego das Artes Escénicas e Musicais. The symphony was revised and completed by Joám Trillo, as the original and an autograph reduction for piano were preserved.

The first movement, allegro moderato e rhythmico , is written in sonata form. After a few bars of introduction, a decided theme appears, followed by the second, more lyrical and calm. This material is subjected to extensive development, which reaches moments of tension followed by others that are clearly romantic. The main theme leads us to the coda.

The second movement, andante , in the form of a lied, is based on a lyrical nostalgic theme. Its development leads us to moments of painful tension, to return with some bitterness to the initial tranquility.

The third movement, allegro moderato , written in the form of a rondo, presents a main theme full of vitality. The contrasting sections are more sedate, using more melodic themes. In an abstract way, he describes us with his youthful strength a struggle between painful moments and others of happiness. The main theme closes the symphony.

Gaos left the second and third movements inked out. We can wonder why he abandoned this work forever. Although we will never know the answer, since he never spoke of it to his son Andrés Gaos Guillochon, interested in the recovery of his father's work. We suppose it reminded him of past times that he wanted to forget, something that will also happen with his violin concerto.

On May 8, 1903 he premiered at the Odeón Theater in Buenos Aires the first movement of a "Concerto for violin and orchestra" that he was composing. His wife América Montenegro performed as a soloist. This concert was never finished, perhaps because of the memories it aroused in the composer of past happy times. Joám Trillo with the authorization of his heirs has rescued it, changing the name to "Fantasy for violin and orchestra" Op.24.

Andrés Gaos left the Williams Conservatory in 1903 to form his own the following year, an activity that lasted until 1912, closing it for unknown reasons.

In 1904 Gaos met two important musicians. Pau Casals, who had also been a student at Monastery, and Camille Saint-Saëns, with whom he toured Argentina as a violin soloist. Later he will make another tour of Europe reaching Russia. In 1917 he wrote "Chant Élégiaque" for cello and piano dedicated to Pau Casals.

"Aires Gallegos" Op.22 finished its first series in 1905 is a set of nine short pieces for piano dedicated to the Argentine composer Julián Aguirre (1868-1924). A nostalgic work on the typical Galician morriña or longing for his homeland.

In 1909 he made a European tour with the Lamoureux Orchestra in the company of his wife América Montenegro, returning to Buenos Aires in 1912. He rejoined the Williams Conservatory in 1916, where he worked until 1923.

One of his few symphonic works that triumphed on the day of its premiere was "Granada, a twilight in the Alhambra" , presented on November 7, 1916 at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires directed by André Messager. Then it was presented in New York, Madrid, A Coruña, Vigo and finally, as we will see later in Paris.

The work is part of the style called alhambrismo , which was discussed in the chapters dedicated to Bretón and Chapí. A symphonic poem that describes the Granada atmosphere through attractive melodies and careful instrumentation.

He composed an important work at the beginning of 1917, the "Sonata in B minor for violin and piano" Op.37, being awarded in the contest that had been summoned by the National Music Society in 1916. Despite being a magnificent example of romantic sonata, was not preferred by the composer, who did not want to interpret it. We suppose it reminded him of his wife, whose relationship was becoming increasingly difficult.

In 1917 Gaos divorced America Montenegro, a marriage from which five children were born. He remarried in 1919, this time with his student Luisa Guillochon, twenty-five years his junior, who would accompany him until his death and give him three new children

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The "Symphony No. 2" (In the mountains of Galicia) was composed between 1917 and 1919. With the name of "Galicia" he presented it in 1923 to the Composition Contest called by the Miter Institution of Buenos Aires. Although it won the First Prize with a gold medal, the play was not performed.

In 1953 he presented it with the current title to a contest sponsored by the Galician Center of Buenos Aires. Winning had to be performed in its entirety, but only the third movement was performed.

The total premiere of the work had to wait years after the death of the composer. On July 28, 1974, the National Radio Youth Orchestra conducted by maestro Washington Castro premiered it at the General San Martín Municipal Theater in Buenos Aires.

In Galicia it was presented on September 29, 1999 in a concert sponsored by the Pedro Barrié de la Maza Foundation.

The first movement, andante mosso , bears the subtitle Village Festival , being based on popular elements of the Galician dawn . But Gaos does not use folk themes literally, he always presents them transformed, subjecting them to great development. Written in sonata form, the main theme places us in the first bars in Galicia. It consists of the pastoral motif of the dawn, interpreted by means of a solo of the oboe accompanied by the bassoons imitating the bagpipes, together with the rhythm set by the tambourine.

Then the popular Galician melody that forms the main theme is interpreted by the string. The horns end the presentation of the subject by linking to the next one. The second theme has a more romantic character also presented by the string. These motifs are interchanged with the dominance of the Galician theme.

The Galician Alborada is a musical composition that the piper, accompanied by a tambourine, performs at dawn on feast days. The dawn was popularized by the composer Pascual Veiga (1842-1906) with his "Alborada de Veiga" premiered in 1880.

The second movement, andante , is entitled Celtic songs , corresponding to the slow tempo of the symphony. Of a tripartite nature, the first part presents us with various melodies of great lyricism, far from what we currently know as Celtic music. Nor did we find anything that relates them to Galician folklore.

The center section is rhythmic in character, beginning with a bassoon melody. It could be considered as the part corresponding to the scherzo, included within the slow movement. The final part repeats the initial melodies with some changes. The use of the celesta could remind us from a distance of the Celtic harps.

The current Celtic music concept was not known when the symphony was composed. It was born in the 1970s, as a protest movement for the ancient origins of the Galician people, seeking a common past with the Irish.

The third movement, allegro moderato , entitled Country Dance by its author , is based on the characteristic Galician rhythm of the Muñeira , adopting the form of a rondo. But folklore is never so clearly presented as in the first movement. The theme is presented by the horns then passing to trumpets and trombones to finish on the string