HSQ on Audubon: Latin American Folklore

The HSQ’s 2019/2020 season begins with an exploration of the vivid, vibrant, and intricate music from Latin America. Alberto Ginastera, one of Argentina’s most famous and influential composer and the teacher of Astor Piazzola, wrote numerous string quartets, and his first comes at the end of his “objective nationalist” period in 1948. Filled with electrifying Argentinian dance rhythms and kaleidoscopic harmonies, his first quartet stands among his finest works. “Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout” for string quartet by Gabriela Lena Frank draws inspiration from the idea of “mestizaje” as envisioned by the Peruvian writer José María Arguedas, where cultures can coexist without the subjugation of one by the other. As such, this piece mixes elements from the western classical and Andean folk music traditions. The program also includes “Metro Chabacano” by Mexican composer Javier Alvarez, whose piece for string quartet uses jazz-infused harmonies and a ceaseless pulse to capture the spirit of a fascinating work of kinetic art in the heart of Mexico City’s largest train station. 

Latin American Folklore
Ginastera no. 1
Gabriela Lena Frank "Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout"
Alvarez Metro Chabacano

*This program may be shortened to allow for in-depth conversation regarding the musical selections, the composers, and the historical context.