Antonio Lauro

Antonio Lauro (born the August 3rd 1917 with Ciudad Bolívar, deceased the April 18th 1986 with Caracas) was a Guitariste and Compositeur Venezuelan, considered as one of the most brilliant type-setters for traditional Guitare of South America of the 20th century.

Biography

The father of Antonio Lauro, an Italian immigrant, was a hairdresser knowing to sing and play of the guitar, also he enseignit with his son what he could, but died whereas Antonio was still child. After the removal of the family with Caracas, Lauro continued its studies of music (piano, composition) to the Academia de Música there Declamación , where type-setter Vicente Emilio Sojo (1887-1974) celebrates it was one of his professors. A concert of 1932 carried out by Agustín Barrios, the legendary guitarist and Paraguayan type-setter, impressed so much the young person Lauro (already an accomplished folk guitarist) whom it was persuaded to give up the piano and the violin in favor of the guitar. From 1933, Lauro studied with Raúl Borges (1888-1967), which taught the traditional repertory of traditional guitar to him. The ten following years, the pupils of Borges were increased by Rodrigo Riera, Jose Rafael Cisneros, and Alirio Diaz. These colleagues, particularly Díaz, were later responsible for the revelation of work of Lauro to an astonished international audience, presenting this unknown work of the guitarists such Andrés Segovia and John Williams.

Like the many South American ones of its generation, Lauro was an enthusiastic cultural nationalist, determined to help and celebrate the musical heritage of its nation. As member of the Trio Cantores del Trópico in 1935-1943 (Lauro sang like low while playing of the guitar and the Cuatro ), it carried out rounds in the adjoining countries to present the music vénézuélienne to them. Lauro was particularly attracted by the myriads of waltz created the previous century by accomplished national type-setters such as Ramón Delgado Palacios (1867-1902). Mélodieux without fault, alternatively melancholic person and bright, with use characteristic of syncope (created by a Hémiole in which two measurements into 3/4 become a simple measurement into 3/2), such a music was precisely the kind of compost of folk music that Smetana, Béla Bártok or Granados raised in national art in Europe.

A concert whose program was entirely composed of such waltz, by the famous pianist Evencio Castellanos (1914-1984) convainquit Lauro which the guitar could also have of the comparable parts in its repertory. Among its first work in this style appeared the parts known later under the names of Tatiana, Andreina, and Natalia, composed between 1938 and 1940; their instantaneous popular success inspired some to him by others. In complement of its parts for guitar, Lauro composed of many works for orchestra, chorus, piano and voice; Much of them remains not published. It tried out modern technologies of composition occasionally, but the major part of its musics for guitar remain primarily on the Calle Real (main roads), an expression used by the musicians of the generation of Lauro in reference to a straight line and direct, without harmonic turnings.

In 1951-1952, the army junta of the general Marcos Pérez Jiménez imprisoned Lauro for its belief in the principles of the democracy. Lauro buried this experiment later, saying to his/her friends that the prison was a common stage in the life of a Venezuelan of its generation. It continued to compose even in prison, and after its release immediately started again to occur with a professional trio of traditional guitar, coldly created “Trio Raúl Borges”. During the following decade, the compositions of Lauro were published, recorded and carried out all over the world, and its contributions to the national musical life were recognized of everywhere. Lauro was appointed professor of guitar in several famous schools of which the Conservatoire Juan Jose Landaeta , and named president of the Symphony orchestra Venezuelan. In spite of its insistent modesty to affirm that it was more type-setter than interprets, his/her friends persuaded it to embark for a round in concerts solo which began in Venezuela and led to one triumphing performance in London with the Wigmore Hall. Little time before its death in 1986, it was presented with the Premio Nacional de Música , the artistic reward highest of its country.

Popular work

Seis por derecho : a Joropo, subtitle " Al estilo LED ARPA venezolana" (" in the style of the toothing-stone vénézuélienne"), is an extraordinary version of this energetic regional dance. Like the valleys venezolano , the joropo uses much the hémiole, in this case an alternation of 6/8 and 3/4. The title of this work comes from Llaneros (inhabitants of the plains vénézuéliennes Llanos ). The four following parts are waltz venezolanos (waltz vénézuéliennes): María Carolina , published only in 1983, of the name of one of the nieces of the type-setter. El Marabino (the synonym of most common the maracucho ) in reference to a native of Maracaibo, an important city where Lauro itself lived some time. Lauro told even once with one of its pupils Luis Zea whom he baptized a new part Maria Luisa according to the name of his wife, and who the part was as difficult as she; a remark which caused later a insane-laughter with Señora Lauro. In fact, it is a very romantic work, the second part being inspired of the Waltz in major A sharp, COp 69, No 1 of Frederic Chopin. Angostura , which is the old name of Ciudad Bolívar, the birthplace of Lauro.

Lauro wrote impressive a Suite Venezolana , consisted of Registro (Prelude), Danza Negra, Canción , and Vals , during its imprisonment in 1951-52. The first movement curiously baptized Registro, refers to a kind of improvisation ( registrar ) that a musician should carry out to heat or explore new or unusual instrument; it is thus equivalent at the end Italian Ricercar E used at the origin with the Rebirth. Lauro used the same title for the first movement of its Suite para piano . The Danza will negra is a very difficult part, frequently selected like challenge principal or final in the international contests of guitar, requiring not only one great technique, but also a solid controls complexes rates/rhythms Venezuelans. It is mainly about a Afro-Vénézuélienne dance, which takes again a folksong vénézuélienne name of San Pedro; another popular song, Tumba , is included in the last two movements, typical a canción of serenata (Sérénade) and a valleys . In 1971 Lauro wrote the waltz El niño , in homage to his/her oldest son, Leonardo.

The first three waltz of Four Waltz Venezolanos were made up in Ecuador in 1938-40, while Lauro was there in round with the Trio Cantores del Trópico ; years later, after the parts were published, Lauro decided to baptize them names respectively of his/her niece Tatiana , its sister Andreina , and its own daughter Natalia . The last is by far the most known work of Lauro, commonly called Vals criollo (the title under which it was recorded by Andrés Segovia), or Vals No.3 (the title under which it was published in 1963). The fourth waltz, Yacambú , are a Rondo with curious Chromatisme S and unexpected harmonies; she was baptized name of a picturesque mountainous region of Western Venezuela.

El Negrito (in reference to its young person sons Shine Augusto) and Gatica (the kitten, a nickname for its wife) were published whole in 1984; they were intended to be played of pair. Tríptico consists of three parts as a Semi minor whom the type-setter gathered together to conform at the request of Andrés Segovia. The first among it, Armida , is contemplative a canción, thus called according to the name of his/her sister. Madrugada (" before the aube") is a study of the appoggiaturas inspired by one of some original work for guitar of Sojo. Lauro composed this part in 1974, little time before the death of sound so much liked maestro . Negra was the nickname of his/her niece Armida, the girl of her sister of the same name; this small waltz was made up in August 1976.

Sober Variaciones Una Canción Infantil on which figure the mention " Homage to the guitarists off the XIX Century" , i.e. a homage to the guitarists Sor, Giuliani, Carcassi, and others of their generation which liked the style " topic then variations". First half of this melody is an infantile song Palomita Sentada , but the second part was created by Lauro, which found the small song too short to be developed successfully. Carora became one of the favorite parts of the virtuoso Alirio Díaz; when Lauro invited it to baptize this part, Díaz chooses the name of its town of origin (and that of his/her friend Rodrigo Riera), a city in the State de Lara), in the west of Venezuela.

Heritage

Work of Antonio Lauro was very popular a long time among the guitarists of the whole world, however there were few recordings only devoted to him. However, some recordings of John Williams and David Russell, in a way very semblabe so that they made for Agustín Barrios Mangoré, having placed the fame of Lauro to the height of its merit. John Williams is quoted like having rightly indicated Lauro the " Stauss of the guitare".

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