Héctor Angulo ( Santa Clara,

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

, 1932 – 2018) was a Cuban composer who combined in his works the result of deep studies about Afro-Cuban folklore and the most modern techniques of musical composition.Angulo, Héctor: Orovio, Helio: Cuban Music from A to Z, Duke University Press, Durham, U. S., 2004

Academic background

Héctor Angulo began his musical studies in Santa Clara and concluded in

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Julián Orbón Julián Orbón de Soto (August 7, 1925, Avilés, Spain – May 21, 1991, Miami, Florida was a Cuban composer who lived and composed in Spain, Cuba, Mexico, and the United States of America. Aaron Copland referred to Orbón as "Cuba's most gifte ...

.Angulo (Rodríguez), Héctor: Victoria Eli Rodríguez: Oxford Music Online: https://oxfordindex.oup.com/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.46048 Angulo studied

Architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

during four years at the

University of Havana The University of Havana (UH; ) is a public university located in the Vedado district of Havana, the capital of Cuba. Founded on 5 January 1728, the university is the oldest in Cuba, and one of the first to be founded in the Americas. Originall ...

. In 1959 he attended a summer course in

Tanglewood Tanglewood is a music venue and Music festival, festival in the towns of Lenox, Massachusetts, Lenox and Stockbridge, Massachusetts, Stockbridge in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts. It has been the summer home of the Boston Symphony ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, and at a later time, during that same year, he received a grant to study at the

Manhattan School of Music The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music a ...

in New York, where he stayed for the next three years. Angulo returned to

in 1964, where he continued his music composition studies with

Leo Brouwer Juan Leovigildo Brouwer Mezquida (born March 1, 1939) is a Cubans, Cuban composer, conducting, conductor, and classical guitarist. He is a Member of Honour of the International Music Council. Early years Brouwer was born in Havana, Cuba. When he ...

. While studying in the

, Hector Angulo informed the famous American folk-singer

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and social activist. He was a fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s and had a string of hit records in the early 1950s as a member of The Weav ...

about a famous Cuban song called

Guajira Guantanamera "" (; ) is a Cuban patriotic song, which uses a poem from the collection '' Simple Verses'', by the Cuban poet José Martí, for the lyrics. It is an expression of love for Cuba and of solidarity with the poor people of the world. The official ...

; referring to a version composed by his previous professor

Julián Orbón Julián Orbón de Soto (August 7, 1925, Avilés, Spain – May 21, 1991, Miami, Florida was a Cuban composer who lived and composed in Spain, Cuba, Mexico, and the United States of America. Aaron Copland referred to Orbón as "Cuba's most gifte ...

, which utilized the poem of

José Martí José Julián Martí Pérez (; 28 January 1853 – 19 May 1895) was a Cuban nationalism, nationalist, poet, philosopher, essayist, journalist, translator, professor, and publisher, who is considered a Cuban national hero because of his role in ...

as its lyrics. That way, Angulo played an important role in the worldwide diffusion of that popular song. About this subject the Cuban double-bassist and musicographer Antonio Gómez Sotolongo says: "In 1961, the improvised verses ("décimas") on the "Guajira Guantanamera" were not still in fashion; but the young Cuban musician Héctor Angulo (Santa Clara, September 3, 1932), who was studying in the

and was a music professor, used to sing the poems of

as he had heard from his professor

. According to the American folklorist

, he knew about that song from the students that were also Angulo's disciples, and was from Héctor himself that he learned to sing it."Gómez Stolongo, Antonio: Tientos y diferencias de la guantanamera compuesta por

. Política cultural de la revolución cubana de 1959. Cuadernos de música, artes visuales y artes escénicas, vol. 2, núm. 2, abril-septiembre, 2006, pp. 146-175, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia

Professional activities

Héctor Angulo began to compose during the mid-forties decade of the 20th Century, and his first pieces were premiered during the fifties decade. Upon his return to

after studying in the

, Angulo became immersed in the activity of the musical avant-garde of the sixties, and his Works "Trío" for flute, violin and piano from 1965, and his "Sonata for eleven instruments" from 1967 represented a contribution to the Cuban modern music at that time, due to the utilization of "series" and "aleatoric" techniques. In his work it is possible to notice a constant search for a "Cuban style" and an important influence of the works of Roldán and Caturla; about which he himself commented: " I am a follower of the aesthetics of Alejandro García Caturla considering the fact that his work is based on the presence of Cuban elements in the aspects of timbre, rhythm, melody and form �� We can find a sign of his prominent interest for the Cuban folklore, and especially the Afr-Cuban folklore in his "Tríptico de Cantos Afrocubanos", based on the transcription of 250 melodies by the folklorist Rogelio Martínez Furé; as well as in other compositions, such as his "CInco poemas africanos, and his "Cantos Yorubá de Cuba", for solo guitar. In this same fashion we can mention the chamber opera Ibeyi Añá, based on the story called "Se cierran y se abren los caminos de Cuba", gathered by

Lydia Cabrera Lydia Cabrera (May 20, 1899, in Havana, Cuba – September 19, 1991, in Miami, Florida) was a Cuban independent ethnographer, writer, and literary activist. She was an authority on Santería and other Afro-Cuban religions. During her lifetime she ...

in her "Cuban black stories". Héctor Angulo also worked as adviser at the Cuban "National Puppet Theater".

Works

Orchestra * Variaciones, 1967, cuerdas * Mirandolina, 1975, pequeña orquesta * A los estudiantes del 71, 1976, guitarra y orquesta * Tres cantos, 1981, textos: Miguel Barnet, Héctor Angulo y Gerardo Fulleda, voz grave y orquesta * La llama, 1984, texto: Manuel Navarro Luna, voz media, orquesta de cuerdas, piano y percusión * El himno unánime, 1992, textos: José Martí y Nicolás Guillén, cantata, para soprano, coro masculino y orquesta * Somos la misma tierra, 1993, barítono y orquesta de cuerdas * Ecos, 1996, orquesta de cuerdas. * Música de cámara * Cuarteto, 1964, para arcos * Sobre un canto a Changó, para dos pianos, Sexteto, para metales, y Trío, flauta, violín y piano, 1965 * Preludio y rumba, 1966, para clarinete y piano * Sonata, 1967, para dos flautas, oboe, trompeta, piano, tímpani, dos violines, viola, cello y contrabajo * Poema, 1970, para flauta, fagot, violín, cello y piano * Climas, 1972, para violín, cello y piano * Del Gran zoo, 1974, texto: Nicolás Guillén, para flauta y guitarra, con recitante opcional * Cuarteto núm. 2, 1976, para guitarra, violín, viola y cello * Punto y tonada, 1978, para flauta y piano * Toque (homenaje a Amadeo Roldán), 1980, para piano y diez percusionistas * Bucólica, 1984, para saxofón soprano y banda magnetofónica * Música para un títere, para violín, cello y piano * Fantasía sobre un cuento ruso, para flautín, violín, cello y piano * Evocación de Villa-Lobos, para cello y arpa, 1986 * Preludio para una flor, 1988, para guitarra y piano * Ramo, para guitarra y piano * Tema final para Ernesto (TV), 1989 * Versión de contradanzas de Saumell, para violín y piano * Sonera, para violín y piano, 1993 * Canto a la amistad, 1993-1994, para piano y quinteto de viento * Canciones infantiles, 1994, para cello y piano * Transcripciones de cuatro sones de París de Carlo Borbolla, 1995, violín y piano. Choir * Despedida, texto: Federico García Lorca, para coro mixto a capella * Cortaron tres árboles, texto: Federico García Lorca, para coro mixto a capella, 1963 * Tres canciones sin texto, 1964, para coro infantil y piano * Sin un beso no puede ser, texto: Nicolás Guillén, para coro mixto a capella, * Esta es tu tierra, texto: Pablo Armando Fernández, para coro mixto a capella, 1980 * Mistrales, 1981, texto: Gabriela Mistral, para coro femenino y arpa * En los álamos del monte, 1986, texto: José Martí, para coro mixto a capella * La lágrima de amor, 1987, texto: José Jacinto Milanés, para coro mixto a capella * Poemas de Milanés, 1989, texto: José Jacinto Milanés, para coro femenino y piano * Vino usted de tan lejos, 1992, texto: Nicolás Guillén, para coro mixto a capella * Palma sola, 1992, texto: Nicolás Guillén, para coro mixto a capella. Piano * Piezas sencillas, 1954 * Sonatina, 1957 * Contradanza, 1959 * Estudio para una épica, 1977 * Evocaciones, 1978 * Estudios, I y II, 1983 * Zapateo cubano, 1984 * Estudios, III y IV, 1988. Guitar * Punteado, 1956 * Son y décima, 1964 * Cantos Yorubá de Cuba * Elogio a Calvert Casey, 1970 * Cantos para ir juntos, 1972 * Sonera (homenaje al bongó), 1976, parados guitarras * Puntos cubanos, 1984 * Para Roberto y Clara, 1990, para dos guitarras * Titiritera, 1996. Accompanied voice * Un son para niños antillanos, texto: Nicolás Guillén, para voz aguda y piano, y Palma sola, texto: Nicolás Guillén 1962 * A Cucalambé, 1963, texto: Juan Cristóbal Nápoles Fajardo * Ibeyi Añá, 1968, texto: Camejo-Rogelio Martínez Furé, para tenor y conjunto de cámara con folklore (coro); Poemas africanos, texto: Anónimo africano, para voz aguda y piano, y Cantos afrocubanos, sobre cantos folklóricos en lengua yorubá, para voz media y piano, 1969 * La batalla del mundo, texto: José Martí, para voz grave, flauta, violín, cello y piano, Y te busqué, texto: José Martí, para voz aguda y piano, y Sé de un pintor, texto: José Martí, para voz aguda y piano, 1973 * Homenaje a Salvador Allende, 1976, texto: Pablo Neruda, para recitante y piano que toca percusión * Poema con niños, texto: Nicolás Guillén, recitante, para flauta, oboe, clarinete, fagot, corno y piano, y Las tierras heridas, texto: Agostinho Neto, para recitante y piano,1977 * La estrella y la paloma, 1978, texto: José Martí, para recitante, flauta, guitarra, cello y percusión * Sinfín, 1980, texto: Mirta Aguirre, para voz aguda y piano * Tres cantos, textos: Miguel Barnet, Héctor Angulo y Gerardo Fulleda, para voz grave y piano, Así se hace la historia, texto: Pablo Armando Fernández, para barítono, flauta, trompeta, cello, piano y arpa, y Jesús, ópera en un acto, voces solistas y coro con piano (provisionalmente), 1981 * Mistrales, para voz aguda y piano, y La llama, texto: Manuel Navarro Luna, voz media y piano, 1984 * Que todos estén, 1985, texto: David Chericián, para voz media y piano * Los álamos del monte, 1986, texto: José Martí, para voz media y piano * La lágrima de amor, 1987, texto: José Jacinto Milanés, voz media y piano * Veintidós pregones para el filme Papobo, 1987-1988, texto: Hugo Alea, para voces a capella * Pregón, 1989, texto: Excilia Saldaña, para voz y piano * Como la tierra del llano a la montaña, 1995, texto: José Martí, para barítono, quinteto de viento y de cuerdas * Floripondito o Los títeres son personas, 1996, ópera de cámara, texto: Nicolás Guillén, para voz y piano * Tirry 81, texto: Carilda Oliver Labra, para voz aguda y piano, y Sonetos, texto: Rafaela Chacón Nardi, para voz aguda y piano, 1997 * Aquellos, 1998, texto: Bertolt Brecht, para voz aguda y piano * La Aurora, 1999, texto: Federico García Lorca, para flauta, violín y piano, con recitante. Theatre * Larga noche de Medea, 1959 * Variaciones para muertos en percusión, 1966 * Las Máscaras, La soga en el cuello, El Sótano, y Pedro y el lobo, Teatro Infantil, 1967 * Otra vez Jehová con el cuento de Sodoma, La Rueda, e Ibeyi Añá, Guiñol Nacional, 1968 * Mutatis mutandi, 1969, El Sótano * Vladimiro Maiakovski y Una niña busca una canción, 1970 * Programa Yeats, 1971 * Guiso de conejo, Parque Lenin, y El ratón poeta, Guiñol Nacional, 1972 * Viajemos al mundo de los cuentos, 1973 * Los animalitos del bosque y Tingo talango, 1974 * Mirandolina, Rita Montaner, y Coplas americanas, Grupo Teatro Popular Latinoamericano, 1975 * Los profanadores, Rita Montaner, y La lechuza ambiciosa, Guiñol Nacional, 1976 * Caperucita roja, Guiñol Nacional, y Orfeo en carnaval, 1980 * Bebé y el señor don Pomposo y El tigre Pedrín, 1981 * Cucarachita martina, 1982 * Pinocho y Mascarada, 1984 * El caballito jorobadito, 1986 * En tiempos de ña seré, 1987 * Para subir al cielo se necesita, 1988 * El sol es nuestro y Variedades de Guiñol, 1989 * Un sitio bajo el sol, 1990 * El que sigue la consigue, 1991 * Floripondito o Los títeres son personas, 1996 * La lechuza canta de noche, 1996, Guiñol Nacional.

References

External links

* Cantos Yoruba de Cuba – Flores Chaviano: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQo7FHeyzOw * Pete Seeger canta la Guantanamera que le escuchó a Héctor Angulo: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOF58Pn_FHM {{DEFAULTSORT:Angulo, Hector 1932 births 2018 deaths 20th-century Cuban classical composers 20th-century Cuban male musicians Latin music composers Cuban male classical composers Musicians from Havana

Academic background

Professional activities

Works

See also

References

External links