Photographic Venezuelan Music

"Musica lanera" music of the plains is a vibrant contribution to Latin American Music.

Inocente Carreno, composer, won the National Music Prize in 1989

Indigenous Venezuelan Musicians playing the Cuarto, Arpa,and Maracas.

Venezuelan Drumming African influenced

Musical Group of the 1960s. Gonzalo Castellanos was the music director.

Shaman

Drums

or Membrophanes

Diatonic Harp

4-stringed Cuatros & Maracas

Plucked Lutes

The Venezuelan Violin is one of the most often used instruments in Venezuelan music.

Composers

Venezuela

I. Gonzalo Castellanos

A. Biography:

Castellanos was born in Canoabo on June 3, 1926. He had a wide range of studies including organ, choir, composition, symphony, conducting, and orchestra. After numerous awards he went on to conduct, teach, administrate and direct. He is considered one of the great Venezuelan composers and his work has reflected post-impressionist nationalism, traditional music within classical, neo-impressionistic and romantic.

He attended Escuela Superior de Musica and after graduating he won awards such as, National Composition Prizes for 1947, 1952,1954,1956,1958, 1966. He also won the award for the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 1955. He held a position in the music department of the Instituto de Cultura y Bellas Artes and worked with the Juan Manuel Olivares School of Music, the Collegium Musicum of Caracas, the Andres Bello University Chorale, and the Coral Filamonica de Caracas.

Discography:

1. Suite caraquena, 1947

2. Antelacion e imitacion fugaz, 1955

3. The Violin, 1972

4. Viola Concertos, 1990-96

B. Source :

Carmen Helena Téllez. "Castellanos, Gonzalo." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. 2 Jul. 2009 .

II. Alfredo Rugeles

A. Biography:

Rugeles was born in 1949 and was a music administrator, composer and conductor. He studied composition and orchestral conducting. He later went on to become a professor of orchestral conducting and com position. He is known to be an active conductor of the country and having a lot of impact on Venezuela’s musical aspects.

He won numerous awards including, National Composition Prize in 1979 and Premio Muncipal de Musica in 1985. He is affiliated with organizations such as the Universitario de Estudios Musicales, Mova Musica, the Teatro Teresa Carreno, ISCM, Circuito Sinfonico Simon Bolivar, and the Festival Latinoamericano de Musica.

According to the Oxford Music Online Library, his work had Pointellism and aleatory techniques as well as collage technique in his electronic pieces. El ocaso del heroe used stark sectionalism and functional harmony in alternation with pandiatonicism.

B. Discography: -

1. El ocaso del heroe, 1982

2. Oracion para clamar por los primidos, 1989

3. Tanguitis, 1984

4. Hace veinte anos, 1988

C. Source:

Erick Carballo. "Rugeles, Alfredo." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. 2 Jul. 2009 .

III. Jose Angel Montero

A. Biography:

Born in 1839 and passed in 1881. He was a composer, singer and flautist. He produced a music periodical called the Gazeta musical and created a proposal to educate musicians on how to print Venezuelan compositions and reprint foreign music. Oxford music online dictionary states that Montero favors a homophonic style and is often seen using major/minor shifts and word-painting. These styles are what make is work versatile yet graceful.

He has been known for his compositions, stage works and efforts to eduate musicians. His entire family is that of musicians and famous in Venezuela for their talent and dedication. His works are considered sacred and historical.

B. Discography:

1. Colegiales son colegiales, 1968 for stage

2. Diomira, 1873

3. Virginia, 1873

C. Source:

Sharon E. Girard. "Montero." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. 3 Jul. 2009 .

IV. Juan Bautista Plaza

A. Biography:

Born and died in Caracas, Venezuela. He lived from July 19, 1898 until Jan 1, 1965. He was a composer and musicologist. He started studying music in his mid-teens and participated in his school choir. He studied law, medicine and choir. He worked specifically with harmonies, organ and conducting. It appears that most of his work is vocals and show a high interest in impressionism.

He was well known for being in scholarly journals, radio, catalogues and newspapers. His most well known publication is a 12-volume collection Archivo de Muscial Colonial Venezolana. He is also known for his positions in the Escuela Preparatoria de Musica and the Escuela Nacional de Musical. His strength was in choir music and church affiliated pieces.

B. Discography:

1. Zapatero a tus zapatos

2. Archivo de Musica Colonial Venezolana, 1943

3. Misa breve, e, TB, orch, org, 1924 – for mass

4. Las horas, orchestra, 1930

C. Source:

Alejandro Enrique Planchart. "Plaza, Juan Bautista." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. 3 Jul. 2009 .

V. Inocente Carreno

A. Biography:

Born in Porlamar on December 28, 1919. He studied composition, guitar, trumpet, horn, conducting, singer and choral arranger. He went on to teach harmony at the Lamas School. He was a student of Sojo and had modernist techniques that established is works as nationalist aesthetic. Neo-classical, post-impressionist and melodic flair describe his works. Many of his works are inspired by traditional folk melodies.

He studied at Escuela de Musica y Declamacion. He founded the Prudencio Esaa School of Music. He won the National Music Prize in 1989 and this being from his position in the Ministry of Culture.

B. Discography:

1. Margaritena, 1954 – Orchestra

2. El pozo, 1946 -Orchestra

3. Por entre hierbas, 3vv, 1941

4. Capricho, str qt, 1947

5. Fantasia, fl, pf, 1986

C. Source:

Carmen Helena Téllez. "Carreño, Inocente." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. 3 Jul. 2009 .

Music that comes from Venezuela has had much influence from many different cultures and countries, however its most influential genres and styles come from Spain and Africa. Three distinct categories of Venezuelan music are indigenous, folk, and popular.

Indigenous music has been documented from the 1500's through the 1700's. The music is inclusive of supernatural and symbolic phenomena, and gendered vocal lyrics and songs written by men and women. One group, the Shamans, were key makers of music for the indigenous people. They were also responsible for the mental and physcial health of the people and for connecting them to the supernatural world.

Folk music is a popular genre that consists of both European and African based music. The music is heard mostly during the yearly fiestas. Venezuelan folk music also known as "Creole music," coined by the peasants who developed this genre, was comprised of Europeans and Africans experiences in the new land.

The instruments of Venezuelan music include rattles and wind instruments (Creole music), drums, and string instruments. These instruments are derived from the cultural influence of Spain and Africa. The Arpa, a harp, and the Cuatro, a four stringed lute were derived from Spain and are the most prominent instruments in Venezuelan music. Afro-Venezuelans are acclaimed for their knowledge and talent of drums and drumming, derived from Africa.

The history of the people, the music and the instrumentation of the music are interesting within themselves. Yet, the heritage, the acculturation, and adaptation of the music live because of a rich conglomerate of noted composers. These composers were nationalist and conduits for introducing the Venezuelan music to the world.

Composers