JAVS Spring 2025

vi. Do not try to impress with the use of elaborate techniques and notation, but aim to move others with the depth of your message. vii. Do not debase the nobility of sonic materials through an unscrupulous desire to discover foolish textures. viii. Recognize that the material you use in your works is not hollow and dehydrated but full and alive. ix. Remember that just as God is reflected in nature, man is reflected in art. x. Finally, accept with modesty and humility, but also with determination and joy, the truth that Art—Music in our case—does not begin with us, but is an eternal constant, incessantly renewed, in which we barely participate in an infinitesimal proportion. 16 Atehortua believed that music was not confined to specific styles; but rather considered music a constantly evolving definition over generations. Advocating for the equal importance of all music styles, he simplified them into just two categories: well-crafted compositions that enriched the art form and those that did not contribute positively. 17 While studying with Aaron Copland at the Harvard Club in Manhattan, Atehortua learned about the importance of American musical identity, overarching musical principles, and contemporary music viewpoints. Furthermore, Luigi Nono’s ideas regarding the composer’s responsibilities in social and political spheres greatly shaped Atehortúa’s perspectives. These experiences resonate with the late twentieth-century Latin Americanism movement, which integrated traditional folk rhythms and melodies from various Latin American regions into classical music works. 18 Atehortua created more than 240 musical compositions, making him one of the most prolific Latin American composers of his time. His works spanned a wide range of styles, from electronic and neoclassical to dodecaphonic music. The catalog of Atehortua’s works is primarily divided into three distinct groups, each with specific characteristics and themes. 19 In the first group, one finds works bearing titles related to traditional academic music, such as concertos, quartets, and symphonies. These pieces are often described by Atehortua himself as being written

without a specific intention, sometimes even labeled as neoclassical. Examples of these works include his six string quartets, piano concertos, and concertante duets, as well as compositions paying homage to past masters like Mozart, Frescobaldi, and Telemann. 20 The second group comprises of thematic compositions related to musical nationalism. These pieces often have titles referring to political events or historical figures, such as the Cuban Revolution, the death of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara, or Martin Luther King. Examples of these works include symphonic poems such as “Silence Requiem” and “Hymn to Earth, Love, and Life.” Indigenous compositions like “Apu Inka Atahualpaman,” together with nationalist compositions such as “Latin American Dance on a Boat Table” and “Colombian Suite for Youth Orchestra,” are also included in this group. 21 The third group consists of works whose titles allude to technical procedures or aesthetic principles of contemporary music, such as dodecaphony and electronic music. Compositions in this category include “Symmetric Overture”,” and “Psychocosmos.” In addition to these three main groups, two smaller groups were identified. In the fourth group, Atehortúa honors his Sephardic (Jews of Spain) heritage with works like “Symphony for Ana Frank.” The fifth group includes pieces dedicated to significant people in his personal life, including his teachers, friends, and loved ones, as well as autobiographical compositions. 22 Examples of the latter category include the “HPTU Paisa Suite,” dedicated to the medical staff of the Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital in gratitude for a successful kidney transplant; as well as the string octet “Finitude,” composed to confront his own death, which premiered at the Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo on February 18, 2020. 23 “Romanza”, from Five Romantic Pieces “Romanza,” for viola and piano, belongs to the first category and is cataloged as neoclassical in style. Its form is ABA’, with the A and A’ sections almost identical, except for the final coda. The B section is distinct, featuring a key change from G minor to G major, before returning to G minor in the A’ section This piece is characterized by the continuous dialogue between the viola and piano, with the interplay of melody between the two instruments. Another notable feature is the constant clash of duplets and triplets, which occurs

Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 41, No. 1, Spring 2025

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