Colombian Piano Music For Four

COLOMBIAN PIANO MUSIC FOR FOUR HANDS: A HISTORICAL CONTEXT
AND PERFORMANCE CATALOG
by
Diego Arango
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... IV
INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1
CHAPTER ONE: EVOLUTION OF FOUR-HAND PIANO LITERATURE BY

MAJOR COMPOSERS ................................................................................... 3
CHAPTER TWO: THE PROCESS .................................................................................. 15
CHAPTER THREE: THE COMPOSERS AND THEIR PIECES ................................... 21
Manuel María Rueda and Francisco Boada ................................................... 21

Bambuco Aire Nacional Neo-Granadino ............................................... 22
Overview ......................................................................................... 24
Execution details ............................................................................. 24
Julio Quevedo Arvelo (1829 - 1896) ............................................................. 27
Recuerdos de Ubaque: Introducción, Valses y Final.............................. 29
Overview ......................................................................................... 30
Pedro Morales Pino (1863-1926)................................................................... 34
Ya Ves .................................................................................................... 36
Overview ......................................................................................... 37
Gonzalo Vidal Pacheco (1863 - 1946)........................................................... 39
Ensayos Musicales (Selection of works) ................................................ 40
Overview ......................................................................................... 40
El Valse de los Novios ........................................................................... 45
Overview ......................................................................................... 45
Guillermo Quevedo Zornoza (1886 - 1964) .................................................. 49
Danza Sin Nombre ................................................................................. 51
Overview ......................................................................................... 51
Meditando, Op.30 ................................................................................... 54
Overview ......................................................................................... 54
Marcha Andina ....................................................................................... 56
Overview ......................................................................................... 57
Luis Antonio Escobar (1925 - 1993) ............................................................. 60
Bambuquerías ......................................................................................... 62
Overview ......................................................................................... 63
Jesús Pinzón Urrea (b. 1928) ......................................................................... 65
Toccata en La Menor .............................................................................. 68
Overview ......................................................................................... 68
Mario Gómez-Vignes (b. 1934) ..................................................................... 72
Pasillo ..................................................................................................... 74
ii
Overview ......................................................................................... 74
Luis Torres Zuleta (b. 1941) .......................................................................... 77
Motivos Colombianos ............................................................................ 78
Overview ......................................................................................... 79
Javier Fajardo Chaves (1950 - 2011) ............................................................. 81
Siete Aforismos Concertantes ................................................................ 84
Overview: ........................................................................................ 85
Execution details: ............................................................................ 86
Andrés Posada Saldarriaga (b. 1954)............................................................. 93
Figuras a Cuatro Manos.......................................................................... 95
Overview: ........................................................................................ 95
Execution details: ............................................................................ 97
Juan Antonio Cuéllar (b. 1966) ................................................................... 100
Ocho Piezas para Piano a Cuatro Manos .............................................. 101
Overview ....................................................................................... 101
Execution details: .......................................................................... 103
Natalia Valencia Zuluaga (b. 1976) ............................................................. 108
Tres Miniaturas para Piano a Cuatro Manos ........................................ 109
Overview ....................................................................................... 109
Execution details ........................................................................... 111
CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................... 113
BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 117
iii
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Cover page of the original edition of Bambuco Aire Nacional Neo-
Granadino located at the CDM of the National Library of Colombia ............... 23
Figure 2. Theme (Tema) section, mm. 9-10 (Secondo). .................................................... 25
Figure 3. Beginning of the first variation (Secondo).......................................................... 25
Figure 4. Harmonization of the melody in parallel thirds. The letter "U" indicates
unison (Primo). .................................................................................................. 26
Figure 5. Primo part (top) combining sixteenth-note with triplet figurations. Also,
the rhythmical figuration in the secondo (bottom) produces an eight
against three between both players. ................................................................... 26
Figure 6. Cover page of the original edition of Recuerdos de Ubaque located at the
CDM of the National Library of Colombia, Bogotá. ......................................... 29
Figure 7. Pedal bass on G in the Introduction, mm. 1-30 (Secondo). ................................ 30
Figure 8. Pedal bass on E-flat. Final, mm. 1-18 (Secondo). .............................................. 31
Figure 9. Modulation by descending stepwise motion of the bass between mm. 8 and
9 of Waltz No. 2 (Secondo). .............................................................................. 31
Figure 10. Waltz No. 1, mm. 17-32. Chromatic line of the bass and chord
substitutions (Secondo). ..................................................................................... 32
Figure 11. Waltz No. 4, mm. 19-29. Chromatic line of the bass and chord
substitutions (Secondo) ...................................................................................... 32
Figure 12. Waltz No. 1, mm. 3-7 (Primo). ......................................................................... 33

Figure 13. Waltz No. 3, mm. 17-32 (Primo). ..................................................................... 33
Figure 14. Waltz No. 5, mm. 1-16. Broken octaves (Primo). ............................................ 34
Figure 15. Original manuscript of the primo part of Ya Ves located at the Luis
Angel Arango Library, Bogotá, Colombia. ....................................................... 37
Figure 16. Capricho a cuatro manos, mm. 9-16 (Primo). The L.H. crosses over to the
bass register. ....................................................................................................... 43
Figure 17. Capricho a cuatro manos, mm. 9-16 (Secondo). The R.H. crosses over to
the treble register................................................................................................ 43
Figure 18. El Obsequio, mm. 13-20 (Primo). ..................................................................... 44
Figure 19. El Obsequio, mm. 17-24 (Secondo). Figuration that combines both
melody (on the 5th finger) and harmony in the R. H. ........................................ 45
iv
Figure 20. Valse de los Novios, mm. 42-52 (Secondo) ..................................................... 46
Figure 21. Valse de los Novios, mm. 85-93 (Secondo). .................................................... 47
Figure 22. Valse de los Novios, mm. 117-149 (Secondo). ................................................ 48
Figure 23. Valse de los Novios, mm. 101-117 (Primo) ..................................................... 49
Figure 24. Danza sin Nombre, mm. 1-6, (Primo and Secondo) ......................................... 53
Figure 25. Danza sin Nombre, mm. 18-28 (Primo). The melody voicing switches
from middle line (m.18) to the top (m.22). ........................................................ 53
Figure 26. Meditando, Op 30, mm. 13-16 (Secondo). ....................................................... 55
Figure 27. Meditando, Op. 30, mm. 1-12 (primo). Extended rolled chords (Primo). ........ 56
Figure 28. Meditando, Op. 30, mm. 18-22 (primo). Arpeggios carrying the melody
on the thumb (Primo) ......................................................................................... 56
Figure 29. Marcha Andina, mm. 11-14. Chromaticism (mm. 13-14) to embellesh the
monotonous bass-chord-bass-chord typical of the march accompaniment
(Secondo) ........................................................................................................... 58
(Secondo) ........................................................................................................... 58
Figure 31. Marcha Andina, mm. 39-44 (Secondo)............................................................. 59
Figure 32. Marcha Andina, mm. 39-44 (Primo)................................................................. 59
Figure 33. Marcha Andina, mm. 4-10 (Primo)................................................................... 60
Figure 34. Bambuqueria No.4. Frequent changes in the time signature are not always
written. ............................................................................................................... 64
Figure 35. Sonoptic chart for the piece Ajedrez (Chess) consisting of 64 different
musical signs distributed on a chessboard. The music is interpreted
according to each move from a famous chess match played in 1972 for the
world championship. .......................................................................................... 67
Figure 36. Tocatta en La menor. Manuscript located at the Luis Angel Arango
Library in Bogotá, Colombia ............................................................................. 69
Figure 37. Tocatta en La menor. Beginning of the fugue section. ..................................... 70
Figure 38. Pasillo. Opening page. ...................................................................................... 75
Figure 39. Pasillo. B section in the key of F-sharp minor. ................................................. 77
Figure 40. Motivos Colombianos. I. Gracioso, mm. 8-12. Guabina rhythm mm. 11-
12 (Secondo). ..................................................................................................... 79
v
Figure 41. Motivos Colombianos. II Entusiástico, mm. 1-8. Bambuco
accompaniment pattern (Secondo). .................................................................... 80
Figure 42. Motivos Colombianos. I. Gracioso, mm. 12-19. Chromatic character of

the melody (Primo). ........................................................................................... 81
Figure 43. Major and minor seconds make up the harmonization of multiple
passages throughout Motivos Colombianos. ..................................................... 82
Figure 44. Aforismo I, mm. 38-39 ..................................................................................... 87
Figure 45. Aforismo II, mm. 9-14 (Primo)......................................................................... 87
Figure 46. Aforismo II, m.29 (Primo) ................................................................................ 88
Figure 47. Aforismo III. ..................................................................................................... 89

Figure 48. Aforismo IV, mm. 28-35 .................................................................................. 90
Figure 49. Aforismo V. Pedal markings are not written. ................................................... 91
Figure 50. Aforismo VI, mm. 8-12. Rhythmical structure of the melody.......................... 92
Figure 51. Aforismo VII, mm. 9-16. 2-note slur articulation. ............................................ 92
Figure 52. Diagonales entre Planos. Contrast between the planes (chords) and the
diagonals (sixteenth-note ascending and descending lines)............................... 96
Figure 53. Figuras a cuatro manos. Diagonales entre planos. Example of the rapid
change of dynamics within a phrase. ................................................................. 97
Figure 54. Figuras a cuatro manos. Bloques y líneas. The secondo (ostinato) portrays
the Lines whereas the Primo does the Blocks .................................................... 98
Figure 55. Figuras a cuatro manos. Bloques y líneas. Both parts play Blocks. ................. 98
Figure 56. Figuras a cuatro manos. Bloques y líneas. Both parts play Blocks .................. 99
Figure 57. Ocho Piezas para Piano. Preludio. Bambuco accompanimet pattern.
(Secondo) ......................................................................................................... 104
Figure 58. Ocho Piezas para Piano. Preludio. Bambuco rhythmical pattern of the
melody.............................................................................................................. 104
Figure 59. Ocho Piezas para Piano. Canon. (Primo) ........................................................ 105
Figure 60. Ocho Piezas para Piano. Canon. The primo (Fig. 59) and the secondo
(above) alternate the accompaniment figure of the repeated major second..... 105
Figure 61. Ocho Piezas para Piano. Octatonic. ................................................................ 106
Figure 62. Ocho Piezas para Piano. Joruco. The R.H. of the secondo (LEFT) shares
the accompaniment with the L.H. of the primo player (RIGHT). ................... 107
vi
Figure 63. Ocho Piezas para Piano. Final, (Primo) mm. 21-24 (LEFT) and mm. 30-
34 (RIGHT). ..................................................................................................... 108
Figure 64. Tres Miniaturas. III. Tala, mm. 1-8................................................................. 110
Figure 65. Tres Miniaturas. I. Hombres como árboles, (mm. 1-3)................................... 112
Figure 66. Tres Miniaturas. II. Pájaros y lluvia. (mm. 7-8) ............................................. 112
vii
1
INTRODUCTION
This essay will focus on the repertoire of piano music for four hands written by
Colombian composers. The purpose of this study is to create an annotated catalog of
published and unpublished piano duets by Colombian composers. Through this project, a
significant amount of unknown and underutilized piano pieces will receive visibility and
will potentially become an object of study by pianists and teachers, thus resulting in the
increased practice and performance of Colombian piano music.
The four-hand piano repertoire does not necessarily constitute a large percentage
of the piano literature in Colombia. However, because of its limited size, I can include all
of the compositions that I was able to discover in Colombia and discuss them in detail,
while maintaining a manageable length for this essay. Thus, this study can represent the
beginning of a complete cataloguing process in an effort to bring Colombian music to the
eyes and ears of today's pianists.
Through my research, I found fourteen Colombian composers whose work
represents a variety of compositional styles and level of difficulty with pieces appropriate
for traditional classical piano training. A few of these pieces are published and readily
available in libraries and bookstores in Colombia, whereas others are merely manuscripts
located in special collections at public libraries and museums. Some of these are even
buried in the composers' or their families' private collections. All of them are deserving of
consideration and are included in this essay.
This essay will begin with a brief overview of the history of the piano duet
repertoire in the western classical music tradition. Beginning with the earliest
composition from the early 17th century, I will chronologically refer to the most
2
significant piano duets in the western repertoire, its most important exponents and the
most distinctive social implications of the practice of playing piano 4-hand music. Next,
there will be a concise description of the process of acquiring the scores in Colombia, to
show that without a comprehensive catalog the difficulty of accessing this music would
be a deterrent to most performers, students and teachers.
The main body of the essay follows with a short biography of each represented
composer, a musical description of their piece(s) and a brief commentary on potential
difficulties during study and performance that will help determine their level. The
composers will be presented chronologically. The annotations include: title, publisher and
date of composition (if available), location (if in a public library or museum),
approximate length, suggested level of difficulty, musical overview, and other pertinent
information for the execution of the music. I will not be discussing details on how to
manage these technical difficulties as that would go beyond the scope of this document.
This document can also be valuable to piano teachers not only in Colombia but
also around the world. Once a piano teacher uses this document as a reference, he or she
will have a general idea of the appropriateness of the piece for his or her pupils, as well
as the basic information about the location of the piece that may not yet be published.
3
CHAPTER ONE: EVOLUTION OF FOUR-HAND PIANO
LITERATURE BY MAJOR COMPOSERS
The repertory written for keyboard duets is divided in two: that composed for one
instrument (four-hands) and the other, for two instruments, one performer on each
keyboard. This chapter will discuss only the chronology and nature of the first one, the
four-hand keyboard repertory.
Four-hand keyboard music presents more repertory in general but its quality is
more modest and not as dazzling as the two-piano duets. This is most likely due to the
lack of mobility caused by the confined seating position of the performers. The amount of
repertory though is greater because in the last third of the 18th century composers
increasingly became more inclined to compose and publish four-hand duets since
demands of the interested public were higher for that style. On the contrary, two-piano
music had some practical disadvantages: families could not fit two keyboard instruments
in a living room nor afford it, and keeping both instruments tuned was difficult and costly
as well1.
Another factor that contributed to the cultivation of the piano duet repertoire was
the economic growth of the middle class. This eventually resulted in a society that
became more educated and acquired a consistently growing ambition for the arts. The
number of instruments and instrument builders multiplied and a generalized interest in
the everyday life for music making at home eventually resulted in an increase of
keyboard instrument ownership.
1 Cameron McGraw, Preface to Piano Duet Repertoire (Bloomingon: Indiana University

Press, 1981), x.
4
Compositions for duet keyboard have their origins in the early 17th century. A
battle and no battle is to be known the first composition for two players at the same
instrument2, in which one of them, the higher part, only uses one hand. It is attributed to
John Bull (1563-1628), from England. Also from this region of Europe, more specifically
Worcestershire, there are two pieces, one by Thomas Tomkins (1572-1640) and the other
one by Nicholas Carleton (d. 1630), which represent the earliest pieces for four hands.
Tomkins’s piece, A Fancy for Two to Play, is a capriccio most likely composed for the
domestic pastime of Carleton and himself. Carleton’s piece is a liturgical In Nomine that
says in the superscription “a verse for two to play on the virginal or organ”. These duets
have been found in the form of manuscripts and have been published by Schott and
Company3. William Byrd, another English composer, composed Ut, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La
for Two to Play that had some imitative material for the treble section, but only using one
hand. In continental Europe, French composer Gaspar Le Roux (d. 1707) included some
3-part versions of the majority of his keyboard pieces found in Pièces de Clavecin
(1705). François Couperin (1668-1733) wrote five similar 3-stave pieces named Pièce-
Croisées. They were titled this way (Part-Crossed) because the parts overlap each other in
register at times4.
The first printings of this kind of music, or so claimed by the composer himself,
are the two sets of Four Sonatas or Duets for Two Performers on One Pianoforte or
2 Howard Ferguson, Keyboard Duets from the 16th to the 20th Century for one and two
pianos (New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 1995), 1.
3 Ernest Lubin, The Piano Duet. A Guide for Pianists (New York: Grossman 1970), 8.
4 Ferguson, Keyboard Duets, 2

5
Harpsichord (1777). The composer's name is Charles Burney, a music historian from
England, and the pieces are two-movement sonatas. Burney had a Merlin piano of six
octaves (at the time they were typically of 5 or 5 and a half at the most) built especially
for duets5. In addition to composing piano duets, he also discussed the social implications
of this particular medium. He pointed out in the article “Ravalement” in Rees
Cyclopaedia6 that “the ladies wearing hoops kept them far from each other”7 when
referring to the physical difficulties of composing and performing four-hand music, and
he also talked about the awkwardness of different people touching hands while playing.8
In 1778 J.C. Bach published a C major duet among his set of sonatas Op. 15 and
in 1781 two duets –one in A major and one in F major– among his Op.18. W. F. Bach, on
the other hand, wrote the three-movement Dueto in F major (F.10), later mistakenly
attributed by Johannes Brahms as an original composition by his father, J. S. Bach.
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) wrote only two piano duets, each consisting of
two movements in which the second one is a minuet. The first piece was a didactic one, Il
maestro e lo scolare, (The Master and the Pupil). Its first movement is a set of variations
in which the pupil echoes little phrases that the master plays. The other duet is a partita.
5 Donald I. Sonnedecker, "Cultivation and Concepts of Duets for Four Hands, One
Keyboard, in the Eighteenth Century" (PhD Diss. Indinana University:1953), 19.
6 Rev. Abraham Rees (1743-1825) edited the Cyclopaedia between 1802 and 1820. It
was an important British encyclopedia that discussed articles on literature, science and arts.
Charles Burney wrote extensively for this publication on music subjects.
James B. Coover and John C. Franklin. "Dictionaries & encyclopedias of music." Grove
Music Online, accessed June 2013, Oxford Music Online.
7 Hugh M. Miller. "The Earliest Keyboard Duets," The Music Quarterly 29, No. 4
(October 1943): 438, accessed May 2013, Jstor.
8 Sonnedecker, "Cultivation and Concepts of Duets for Four Hands," 20.
6
Both compositions are considered of little importance, when compared to the quality of
most of Haydn's keyboard works. His colleague Muzio Clementi (1752-1832) wrote a
few piano duets among his Op. 3 piano sonatas (C, E-flat and G major) and dedicated his
entire Op. 14 to the piano duets in C, F and E-flat major.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) is considered one of the greatest
exponents of the keyboard duet. Influenced by J.C. Bach in England when he was very
young, Mozart composed his first keyboard duet, the Sonata in C Major K. 19d, when he
was only 9 years old. This is believed to be the piece that he often performed publicly
with his sister "Nannerl"9 in his pre-teen years, most likely on the harpsichord10. Later,
in 1772 and 1774, he composed two other four-hand sonatas, No.2 in D major, K.381 and
No. 3 in B-flat major K. 358, most likely intended to be played with his sister. The last
two sonatas, No.4 in F major, K.381 and No. 5 in C major, K. 521, are of much more
musical substance, portray more maturity, and exploit the symphonic sound of the range
covered by a duet.
Mozart also wrote other pieces for piano duets: There is a set of Variations in G
major, K. 501, an unfinished Sonata in G major, K. 357 (only two movements survived),
an unfinished Fugue in G minor K. 401, the Adagio and Allegro in F minor, K. 594 and
the Fantasy in F minor K. 608. These last two works were originally commissioned for
mechanical organ, but they were later arranged for four-hand keyboard duets. Mozart's
autographs are both lost.
9 Hugh M. Miller. "The Earliest Keyboard Duets," 438.
10 William Kinderman. Mozart's Piano Music (Oxford: University Press, 2006), 96.
7
Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827) wrote a few works for four hands of lesser
maturity level than those by Mozart. They are the Variations in C on a Theme by Count
Waldstein, WoO 67, the Sonata in D major, Op. 6, which has only two movements, a set
of Variations in D on the Song ‘Ich Denke Dein’, WoO 74 and 3 Marches op. 45. On the
other hand, during his last years, Beethoven wrote The Grosse Fugue op. 134. This is an
arrangement of the Grosse Fugue op. 133 for string quartet, one of Beethoven’s greatest
works, but considered to be also of unprecedented un-pianistic nature because of its
awkwardness when it comes to its layout.
Franz Schubert (1797-1828) composed more than seventy piano duets throughout
his entire life. He divided his output for this medium in four different sub-genera: concert
pieces, social gatherings (i.e. the Schubertiads), pedagogical pieces and commercial
pieces for profit11. Schubert's attitude towards composing for this medium gives a
generalized idea of how the four-hand literature had reached a remarkable popularity in
the early nineteenth century. Cameron McGraw writes in Piano Duet Repertoire that
...there is an extensive body of piano four-hand literature, well

known to piano students and music lovers, consisting of
arrangements of classical and romantic compositions: symphonies
and chamber music of Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Mendelssohn,
Schumann and Brahms; complete Operas of Wagner and Verdi–all
of them valuable sources of instruction and pleasure to the music
amateur of pre-phonograph and -radio days.12
11 Dallas A. Weekley and Nancy Arganbright. Schubert's Music for Four-Hands (New
York: Pro/Am Music Resources, 1990), ix.
12 McGraw. Piano Duet Repertoire. xiii.
8
Publishers and editors also took advantage of such situation to make profit, not
always maintaining high standards of taste. There is knowledge of some four-hand
arrangements of piano solo pieces (Sonatas, Nocturnes, Etudes)13, and in some cases,
when they were multi-movement works, four-hand arrangements of movements alone
were sold as independent pieces.
Schubert's first four-hand composition took place in 1810, the Fantasy in G, D.1,
when he was only 1314. After that, there are three different periods in which he
significantly dedicated his time to write duets. In 1818, the first of these three periods, he
went to Slovakia for six months with the Esterházy family as the tutor of the Count’s two
daughters. He then provided the young teenage girls with over a dozen works, among
which there is the Sonata in B-flat, D. 617, the Introduction and Variations in B flat on
an original theme, D. 603 no.2, and the Variations in E minor on a French Song, D.
624.15 In 1824 he returned to the Slovakian country home of the Esterhazy family. There
he composed fewer pieces but each individually of larger proportions. The first was the
Sonata in C, D. 812, also known as the Gran Duo, which is considered to be one of the
greatest piano duets ever written due to its symphonic texture, technical display, and
lyricism (especially in the slow movements). The second one is the Variations in A flat
on an Original Theme, D. 813 and the third one is the 4 Ländler, D. 814, which are easier
13 McGraw, Piano Duet Repertoire, xiii.
14 Weekley and Arganbright, Schubert's Music, 3.
15 Weekley and Arganbright, Schubert's Music, 20-30.

9
and lighter ABA pieces. And the fourth one is the Divertissement à la hongroise, D. 818,
largely influenced by gypsy music.16
Throughout his life, Schubert wrote marches for piano duet. The most famous of
these are: No.1 in B minor from the Marches Militaires, Nos. 2, 3 and 5 from the 6
Grandes Marches, D. 819 and the Grande Marche Funebre, D. 859 and the 2 Marches
Characteristiques, D. 886.
In the last two years of his life, he wrote quite a few duet pieces which are the
Divertissement sur des motifs originaux français, D. 823, Nos. 1, 2 and 3, the March in G
major (Kindersmarsch) D.928; the piano duet masterpiece, The Fantasie in F minor, D.
940, one of the most famous works for four hands; the Allegro in A minor Lebenstürme,
D. 947 and the Rondo in A, D. 951.
In the romantic era, Carl Maria Von Weber (1786-1826) started the output of this
period with three sets of pieces for four hands. They are Six Pieces Op.3, Six Pieces
Op.10 and Eight Pieces Op.60. Later on, Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) contributed to
this medium with very few works but of great musical and technical content: Andante
and Variations in B Flat, Op. 83a, and Allegro brilliant in A, Op. 92. The Duo
concertante en variations brillantes for two pianos and orchestra, which he wrote in
collaboration with his friend Moscheles, was later on rewritten by Mendelssohn for piano
duet without the orchestra.
His contemporary, Robert Schumann (1810-1856) composed four sets of piano
duets: Bilder aus Osten (6 impromptus), Op. 66; 12 vierhändige Klavier-Stücke, Op. 85;
16 Weekley and Arganbright, Schubert's Music, 52

10
Ball-Scenen (9 characteristische Stücke), Op. 109; and Kinderball (6 leichte Tänze), Op.
130. They are intended to be for instructional purposes.
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) as a teenager wrote a set of variations titled
Variations sur un air national de Moore in D major for piano duet. However, the
manuscript was damaged and only reconstructed and rewritten by Jan Ekier in 196517.
On the other hand, Franz Liszt (1811-1886) wrote a significant amount of pieces for this
medium in the form of arrangements of his own compositions and those of other
composers. Among them we can find transcriptions for piano duets of all his symphonic
poems, the Via Crucis, Bach’s St. Matthew’s Passion and Haydn’s Creation. Although
this chapter focuses on literature originally written for four hands, it is important to
remark how Liszt's transcriptions played an important role within the nineteenth century
society, by bringing major works from the symphonic and chamber literature to the living
room of the common household. In fact, in his catalogue, McGraw says
"Many a young nineteenth-century musician first became

acquainted with the great works of music literature through just
such transcriptions. A quick glance at current publishers'
catalogues indicates that a surprisingly large proportion of these
works is still available in four-hand reduction, along with a healthy
number of arrangement of twentieth-century orchestral works by
Debussy, Richard Strauss, Max Reger, Schoenberg, Ravel,
Stravinsky, and Hindemith."18
17 Ferguson, Keyboard Duets, 15, 57.
18 McGraw, Piano Duet Repertoire, xiii.

11
Liszt and Chopin wrote one original work for piano duet named the
Festpolonaise, as a wedding gift (to be performed in the ceremony) of the Princess Marie
of Saxony19.
With the exception of Schubert, Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) composed more
extensively for both the four-hand and the two-piano media than any other composer in
the nineteenth century. Among his most remarkable works for four hands we can find
publications of the Waltzes, op. 39, and the Hungarian Dances WoO1, which became so
popular that numerous arrangements for other instrumentations have been made since
their appearance. Before these pieces were composed he wrote a set of Variations in E
flat major on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 23. The theme was written by
Schumann shortly before his death. The Variations, which are of some technical
difficulty and end with a funeral march, were dedicated to Julie Schumann, one of
Schumann’s daughters. Besides the Op.39, there are two more sets of Waltzes: The 18
Liebeslieder, Op. 52 and the 14 Neue Liebeslieder, Op. 65. They were originally written
for vocal quartet (S.A.T.B.) with piano duet accompaniment, but there is also a version
by Brahms without the voice (Op. 52a and Op. 65a). In 1865 he wrote a lesser-known
piece, a piano duet arrangement of the 17 Ländler D. 366, by Schubert.
Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904) reveals a symphonic approach in his piano duets,
such as that seen in Schubert’s Gran Duo, which led him to orchestrate most of his duets
later on. The Slavonic Dances, Op. 46 and the New Slavonic Dances, Op. 72, are his most
famous works, in which he uses Czech dance-forms (the furiant and the polka) with his
19 Lubin, The Piano Duet, 109.

12
own original melodies. He also wrote lesser known works named the Ten Legends Op.
59/I and II and From the Bohemian Forest Op. 68/I and II. His contemporary, Edvard
Grieg (1843-1907) also used folk dances to compose for the four-hand setting. He wrote
the 4 Norwegian Dances, Op. 35 and 2 Waltz Caprices, Op. 37. His Two Symphonic
Pieces Op. 14, originally for orchestra, were also arranged as a piano duet by Grieg
himself.
In 1871 French composer George Bizet (1838-1875) wrote the suite Jeux
d’enfants, Op. 22, a piece that describes children’s games, and with it, started a tradition
of piano duet writing by French composers. Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) composed the
Dolly Suite, Op. 56, meant to be played to children (not by them), and Souvenirs of
Bayreuth: Fantasie in the Form of a Quadrille on Favourite Themes from the 'Ring of the
Nibelungs' (1888) as a tribute to Richard Wagner. Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
composed Le Petite Suite (1889), which is of light character but pianistically awkward
and Marche écossaise (1891) as a commission from a Scottish army officer. In 1914 he
wrote the 6 Epigraphes, taking some movements from an earlier chamber music piece.
Erik Satie (1866-1925) composed three suites for piano duet: 3 Morceaux en forme de
poire (1903), 3 Aperçus désagréables (1908) and four En habit de cheval (1911).
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) is known for being a magnificent orchestrator of his own
keyboard music. Rapsodie Espagnole (1907-1908) was initially a piano duet. The same
process occurred with Ma mere l’oye (1908-1910), a piano duet that later became a ballet.
From Russia, we can find two exponents of piano duets in this era: Sergei
Rachmaninoff (1873-1943), who composed a few duets: A Romance in G (1893), Six
Duets, Op. 11 (1894) and the Polka Italienne (1906); and Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971),
13
whose ballet transcription of Le Sacre du printemps (1913) is underplayed since it proves
to be technically extremely difficult to play. It was intended for rehearsals when there
was no orchestra available. Substantially easier, there are the 3 Easy Pieces (1915)
created for beginners and the 5 Easy Pieces (1917), with a simple primo part.
In the 20th and 21st centuries, the production of duet repertoire ranges mostly from
didactic and children’s books, dances (continuing the tradition of the late nineteenth
century with Grieg, Dvorak and Brahms), and miniatures; more significant literature
exists in the two-piano literature in this epoch. Charles Koechlin (1867-1951) wrote his 4
Sonatines françaises, Op. 60 (1919), which are multi-movement works for intermediate
to early-advanced players. Florent Schmitt (1870-1958) also French, composed eight
suites for piano duet, which vary in difficulty in the primo part, from amateur level to
intermediate. They are great pieces for the teachers to play with their pupils.
Darius Milhaud (1892-1974), Georges Auric (1889-1983) and Francis Poulenc
(1899-1963) each wrote only one piece for piano duet. They are Enfantines (1928), 5
Bagatelles (1926) and a piano duet Sonata (1918), respectively. Paul Hindemith (1895-
1963) as well wrote only one work for four hands, the Sonata in 1938. Other European
composers of remarkable reputation such as Oliver Messiaen (1908-1992), Pierre Boulez
(b.1925), György Ligeti (1923-2006) and Luciano Berio (1925-2003) wrote no literature
for piano duets, but rather explored the two-piano setting, whereas in England, William
Walton (1902-1983) wrote Duets for Children (1940) and Benjamin Britten (1903-1976)
composed Gemini Variations, Op. 73.
The North American output consists mostly of the Works by Samuel Barber
(1910-1981) with his six-movement Souvenirs, Op.28, for amateur level; George Crumb
14
(b. 1929) with Celestial Mechanics; Vincent Persichetti (1915-1987), with Serenade No.
8, Op. 2, Seven Appalachian Christmas Carols and the Piano Concerto for four hands,
Op. 56; and Andrew Imbrie (1921-2007) with Little Concerto for piano duet and
orchestra. In Latin America there has not been a cultivation of this medium and its
output, similar to North America, consists of sporadic compositions by different
composers. Chilean composer Pedro Humberto Allende wrote Seis Piezas, a suite of old
form dances (Minuetto, Gavotta, etc.). In Argentina, Horacio López de La Rosa wrote
three pieces that are also available in piano solo style. They are named Divertimento,
Sonata, and Tempi. Astor Piazzola and Alberto Ginastera, two of the most representative
figures of the Argentine music world did not write piano duets. In Brazil, Heitor
Villalobos (1887-1959) composed A folia de un blóco infantil, as part of the the Carnaval
das Criancas (Children's Carnival).
In the twentieth century, composing music for piano duets gradually declined
among composers as a consequence of the shifting of audience interests towards newer
media, such as electronic and chance music. Also, because of the invention of the radio
and the gramophone and its subsequent evolution into other electrical audio devices that
facilitated the reproduction of symphonic and chamber works, the piano duet lost its
significance as a home device to access this kind of literature.

15
CHAPTER TWO: THE PROCESS
Access to primary sources of Colombian music is difficult. The lack of an
established publication and distribution industry led to a shortage of music scores,
crippling the exposure that numerous pieces would have deserved. Also, there has been a
great amount of quasi-hidden talent in Colombia. Various cultural and financial realities
made it difficult for these composers to gain the reputation that they deserved. It also kept
them from being able to interact with the rest of the world in a way that they could
become influenced from the outside and vice versa, except the few that obtained their
music degrees abroad. The musical environment in Colombia was somehow contained
and confined. Nowadays, the evolution of communication has dramatically changed that.
Composers are in constant contact with their colleagues from other countries, and the
public has almost unlimited access to music scores over the internet around the globe.
However, there is a significant amount of valuable music scores that still are unavailable
to the public.
Initially, when deciding to research Colombian piano duets, I was not sure
whether or not all of my sources would be accessible either through purchase, interlibrary
loan or visiting internet sites, which would potentially translate into having to plan a
research trip to Colombia. To make that decision I first contacted Colombian
musicologist Luis Carlos Rodriguez, asking him for suggestions regarding what steps to
follow.
Mr. Rodriguez advised me to contact Mr. Jaime Quevedo, the Director of the
Centro de Documentación Musical (Center of Musical Documentation) at the National

16
Library of Colombia, as well as the pianists of the Duo Numen, Bibiana Carvajal and
Rubén Pardo, who had recently recorded several piano duets of Colombian composers.20
After contacting him and explaining the purpose of my inquiry, Mr. Quevedo at
the CDM21 (for its initials in Spanish) provided me with a list of contact information of
all the Centers of Music Documentation in Colombia, located in Bogotá, Medellín, Cali,
Bucaramanga, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Ginebra, Quibdó, Armenia, Zipaquirá and
Ibagué, which are overseen by the National Library of Colombia. Establishing a remote
communication with them was crucial for me to decide whether or not I would have to
travel to Colombia and if so, which cities I would visit.
Also during my initial research stage, I began contacting some composers in
Medellín to obtain information on how many living composers would have piano duets in
their catalogues that were not necessarily published. After several weeks of back-and-
forth e-mails to composers, librarians, musicologists and pianists, I determined that it
would be essential for me to travel to Colombia to gather the scores of as many pieces
available. This decision was made mainly for two reasons: The first one is that several of
the pieces were composed in times in which the music editing industry in Colombia was
weak or non-existent. Such pieces rest in libraries as original manuscripts or copies made
by copyists and some of them still have their valid copyrights, but unfortunately there are
20 Ministerio de Cultura República de Colombia. Musica Colombiana para Piano a

Cuatro Manos. Dúo Numen, Bibiana Carvajal and Rubén Pardo, piano. Bogotá, 2012, compact
disc.
21 The name of this institution is Centro de Documentacion Musical, located at the
Biblioteca Nacional de Colombia. I will refer to it as CDM throughout this essay for practical
reasons.
17
no legal conduits to obtain their release and they cannot be put in online libraries' portals
for the public to view. In other words, the only way to access this music is to visit the
libraries in person that have them in their collections. The other reason is that the piano
duets that in fact have been edited and published only exist inside Colombia because of
the limited resources to publicize them internationally.
Once in Colombia, I narrowed down the following cities to visit: Bogotá,
Medellín and Zipaquirá. Many of the Centers of Music Documentation in different cities
had no piano duets and others held the same sources already existent in those three cities.
In Bogotá the places that possess the greatest number of scores of piano duets are the
CDM at the National Library of Colombia, and the Biblioteca Luis Angel Arango. The
nature of the scores found at these places, as Mr. Quevedo assured me in prior
conversations, is limited to manuscripts, very old printed editions, and scores made by the
composer's personal copyist. Mr. Quevedo and his staff at the CDM of the National
Library were extremely helpful and supportive of my project, and getting a hold of the
material was smooth and enjoyable. The Luis Angel Arango Library, where I spent
several days, has in its rare books room the manuscript of Ya Ves by Pedro Morales Pino.
Books and scores in this room are only accessible by special privileges and permissions.
One of the staff members at this library was able to obtain photographs of such
manuscript for my study. The manuscript of the Tocatta in A minor by living composer
Jesús Pinzón Urrea rests in this library's music room. Although it is only available for in-
library use, its accessibility is considerably easier.

18
In the city of Zipaquirá is a house-museum named Museo Quevedo22, which has
the majority of the music of composers Nicolás Quevedo Rachadell (not included in this
essay because he is known in Latin American culture as a Venezuelan composer), his son
Julio Quevedo Arvelo and his grand nephew Guillermo Quevedo Zornoza. Some of the
scores in this museum also exist in the CDM of the National Library.
I also had the opportunity to gather some compositions from living composers in
Bogotá. I contacted composer Luis Torres Zuleta who provided me with his manuscript
score and a live recording of the piece Motivos Colombianos. Also, composer Amparo
Angel, the wife of deceased composer Luis Antonio Escobar, provided me with the
revised draft of a book of piano pieces by him, which is scheduled to be published by the
Universidad National of Colombia Press. This includes the Bambuquerías a cuatro
manos. This university, whose school of music is previously known as the National
Conservatory of Music, was also on my list of institutions to visit. Unfortunately, when I
finished making the arrangements to obtain permission to visit its music library, the
university went on strike and all academic activities were suspended. The strike
continued the entire time that I was in Bogotá. I had knowledge of the existence of a
dissertation on Colombian piano duets resting in their music library, which I was
unfortunately not able to access.23
22 This building used to be the residence of three generations of musicians of the

Quevedo family in Zipaquirá, Cundinamarca. As it preserved a substantial amount of their
furniture and house objects, it became a public museum. It also possesses a very complete archive
with the original music manuscripts by this family's composers.
23 I intend on accessing this document at the earliest possible time in order to complete
my research.
19
The Xavieran Pontifical University Press in Bogotá has published a volume of
pieces by various alumni composers of that institution24, which include the Ocho Piezas
para Piano a Cuatro Manos by living composer Juan Antonio Cuéllar and, although the
book is not available in many libraries, I was able to buy it at that school's bookstore.
Unlike with the National University, the process to obtain permission for a visit to the
Xaverian Pontifical University was simple and quick, where Mrs. Silvia Prada Forero, the
director of the main library, expressed her absolute support and enthusiasm regarding my
visit.
In Medellín I had the opportunity to interview composers Natalia Valencia and
Andrés Posada. The Eafit University press published Posada’s piece, Figuras a cuatro
manos, and I was able to obtain a copy. This score is also available at various libraries in
Colombia for normal circulation. However there are no more copies available for sale, as
only a few hundred were printed. Valencia's piece has not been published yet, though she
provided me with her personal copy. Also, it is important to mention that Eafit University
Library has one of the most organized archives of Colombian music named the Sala
Patrimonial (Heritage Room), in an effort to rescue, preserve and improve accessibility
to Colombian music that is largely unknown to the public. Entire music collections of
manuscripts from important Colombian authors such as Luis Miguel de Zulategui and
Jaime León are available in this library.
24 The name of this volume is "Compositores Javerianos. Musica Para Piano" (Xavierian
Composers, Music for Piano). It also includes music by Julio Reyes Copello, Juan Carlos
Marulanda Lopez, Alba Fernanda Triana Orozco and Diego David Vega Riveros. Pianist
Radostina Ivanova Petkova was the director of such project.
20
The Institución Universitaria de Bellas Artes de Cali25 sent me the photograph of
the manuscript of the Pasillo written by Mario Gomez Vignes. I also contacted the
composer himself and after having exchanged several e-mails, he sent me his revised
personal copy of the piece.
In the process of collecting and analyzing the pieces, I had the opportunity to
speak with composers about their music. When discussing their pieces in the next
chapter, I will share their thoughts with the reader. They also discussed with me their
opinions concerning the exposure (or lack thereof) of Colombian music in the past and
current days. Through these conversations I learned that a combination of self-promotion
and support of universities and some public sectors such as the Colombian Ministry of
Education are essential for the dissemination of their music. Every composer, composer's
relative, and musician that I had the opportunity to contact expressed his or her
excitement and support towards my project and promised to cooperate with all the formal
proceedings in providing me with an authorization to use their music in this essay. By the
time this chapter was completed I was still in the process of obtaining formal written
authorizations from them.
25 in English: University Institution of Fine Arts of Cali

21
CHAPTER THREE: THE COMPOSERS AND THEIR PIECES
Manuel María Rueda and Francisco Boada26
There is very limited documentation about the life and work of these two
composers. Manuel Rueda is known to be a Chapel Master of the Bogotá Cathedral
between 1860 and 1880. He is believed to have passed away circa 1881.
Among his traceable compositions there is a villancico27 Los Negritos written in
bambuco28 style, which can be found in a handwritten anthology of religious songs
accompanied by guitar compiled around 1875 (at the Luis Angel Arango Library in
Bogotá) and a different piece called Lamentación in a waltz pattern. Also, he was the
author of a method, Manual de Organistas y Cantores, published in 1870. Rueda, besides
being an organist, was an accomplished singer as there is knowledge that in 1850 he took
26 The biographical information discussed in this article is derived from the following
sources:
José Ignacio Perdomo Escobar, Historia de la Música en Colombia (Bogotá: ABC,

1963), 105-107.
Egberto Bermudez and Ellie Anne Duque, Historia de la Música en Santafé de Bogotá
1638-1938. (Bogotá: Fundación de música Alcaldía Mayor de Bogotá), 2000) 35-36, 170.
Egberto Bermúdez, “From Colombian «National» Song to «Colombian Song»: 1860-

1960.” Lied und populäre Kulture, 53(2008): 167-261, accessed April 2013
http://www.jstort.org/stable/20685606.
27 In the 16th century this was the most representative model of the secular song in
Spain, derived from strophic responsorial forms such as the virelai and the cantigas. It later
arrived in South America- Colombia, in this particular case- where it adopted religious themes
and was used for various liturgical celebrations.
Carlos Villanueva "Villancico" in Diccionario de la musica española e
Hispanoamericana, V. 10, pp. 920-925 Edited by Emilio Casares Rodicio. Madrid: Sociedad
General de Autores y Editores, 1999.
28 Bambuco is the national dance of Colombia. It is believed to have African and Spanish
origins as well as indigenous elements. Musically, its most remarkable feature is the juxtaposition
of 3/4 and 6/8 rhythms between the accompaniment and the melody. The traditional bambuco is
sung and accompanied by strummed instruments such as the guitar, the tiple and the bandola. It
uses descending melodies, minor keys and sudden modulations.
22
part in one of the concerts in honor of Simón Bolívar, collaborating with Venezuelan
singer Fernando Hernández.
Francisco Boada's importance in Colombian music history is portrayed in his
essay about music theory published in 1854 Teoría de Música puesta al alcance de los
educandos29 which is believed to be the first one of that nature written in the nation. He
was a music professor in the vocal and instrumental areas in the Escuela del Sagrado
Corazón de María, a prestigious institution for women in Bogotá. He was one of the
musicians in the capital of Colombia interested in promoting the popular bambuco as the
most representative national music style in order to cultivate an identity for the recently
formed republic of Colombia.
Bambuco Aire Nacional Neo-Granadino
Date of composition: c. 1852
Published by Litografía Gómez i Boultrone. The score studied for this essay
belongs to the Alex Tobar Archive of the Colombian Centre de Musical Documentation
and the National Library of Colombia and was donated to this institution by Blanca de
Tobar (Fig 1). Duration: 2 minutes and 37 seconds30. Suggested level: early
intermediate31.
29 In English "Music Theory Accessible to Apprentices". It was published by the Torres

Amaya editorial house in Bogotá, and a hard copy is currently available at the Luis Angel Arango
Library. It is also available as a PDF file online at
http://www.banrepcultural.org/sites/default/files/brblaa969695.pdf
30 Manuel Rueda and Francisco Boada, Bambuco Aire Nacional Neo-Granadino, from
Música Colombiana para Piano a Cuatro Manos. Dúo Numen (piano), MinCultura, 2012,
compact disc.
31 The leveling used in this document is based on the standard leveling system of the
U.S. pedagogical publishing companies: early elementary, elementary, late elementary, early
intermediate, intermediate, late intermediate, early advanced, advanced and late advanced.
23
Figure 1. Cover page of the original edition of Bambuco Aire Nacional Neo-Granadino
located at the CDM of the National Library of Colombia
The importance of this piece written by Rueda and Boada results from being the
earliest existing published composition that attempts to place the bambuco –commonly
known for being a song or a dance, or both, from popular origins– into the spectrum of
erudite concert music, providing a written reference for its harmonic structure and
rhythm. Influenced by this development, virtuoso pianist and composer Manuel María
Párraga,
"composed the first stylization of the bambuco in a piano [solo]

work El Bambuco: Aires Nacionales Neo-granadinos, [Op.14]
becoming the forerunner of a long line of composers of
nationalistic art music."32
32 William J. Gradante, "Colombia. Musical Contexts and Genres," in The Garland

Encyclopedia of World Music, V.2, ed. Dale A. Olsen and Daniel E. Sheehy. (NYC and London:
Garland Publising, Inc, 1998), 387.
24
as William Gradante says. It was published around 1859.
Overview
This bambuco in E minor consists of a short eight-measure introduction followed
by a theme and one variation. At the end of the variation there is the annotation
continuará (to be continued), which suggests that this piece was intended to be longer,
most likely including additional variations.
For the entirety of the piece the harmony stays between the tonic and dominant
areas, established mostly by the secondo, which serves solely as the accompaniment
exponent. On the contrary, the primo part presents all the melodic material, doubling at
the octave, at times indicated by a "U" letter (Fig. 4) in the left hand (L.H.) staff that
indicates unísono (unison33).
The first and only variation switches the meter from a 3/8 to a 2/4 bar, which
transitions from the scherzando character of the theme to a slightly more relaxed one. In
addition, the accompaniment becomes less syncopated but keeps the emphasis in the
downbeat, portrayed in the theme by the bass line.
Execution details
Despite the repetitiveness and simplicity of the accompanying patterns of the
secondo part, the player needs to be able to reach an octave with both hands to play the
four-note chords of the right hand (R.H.) and the octave-doubled bass of the L.H.
33 Musically speaking the word "unison" refers to two or more sounds executing the
same pitch. For practical matters I will use the word unison throughout to indicate that either the
primo or the secondo are playing the same line in both hands at the same time, most of the times
an 8va and sometimes a 15a apart.
25
There are two basic technical challenges for the secondo part: The first one, in the
theme, occurs at the end of each measure where there are two repeated chords: one on the
last 16th note of the bar and the following on the downbeat of the next measure (Fig. 2).
Figure 2. Theme (Tema) section, mm. 9-10 (Secondo).
This quick repetition of chords might cause tension and stiffness in young
students and, subsequently, unwanted accented sound. The second challenge, in the
variation, occurs in the second eighth note of the downbeat, where the R.H. has to play
quick 32nd notes in a light yet articulated manner (Fig. 3).
Figure 3. Beginning of the first variation (Secondo).

26
The primo part also has two basic challenges. The first one is the special
coordination required to control the evenness in the attack of parallel thirds in both hands.
In addition, the student must be able to adjust the hand’s weight to emphasize the sound
of the top note of the R.H., which carries the main melody. This occurs mostly during the
theme (Fig. 4).
Figure 4. Harmonization of the melody in parallel thirds. The letter "U" indicates unison
(Primo).
The second challenge occurs in the triplet figure in the variation, which creates an
eight against three between secondo and primo parts. In addition, such triplet only
articulates the first two out of its three notes (eighth note –quarter note). This awkward
figuration might make the student contract the rhythm into two sixteenth notes instead of
the prescribed rhythm (Fig. 5).
Figure 5. Primo part (top) combining sixteenth-note with triplet figurations. Also, the
rhythmical figuration in the secondo (bottom) produces an eight against three
between both players.
27
In a general way this piece serves as a good example for younger students to get
familiar with basic elements of the bambuco. For instance, the hemiolic effect caused by
the duality between the ternary and binary meters can be seen in the theme section
between the rhythmical structure of the melody (binary) in the primo and the
accompaniment (ternary) in the secondo. Also, the secondo part has a figuration that
emulates the accompaniment by the tiple and the guitar, typical instruments that
accompanied the bambuco in the Andean region of Colombia34. Other typical aspects
also illustrated in this piece are the minor key, the melodically descending outline of the
phrases and the doubling of the melody by parallel thirds.
Julio Quevedo Arvelo35 (1829 - 1896)

Julio Quevedo Arvelo is the son of Venezuelan composer Nicolás Quevedo
Rachadell, who in early nineteenth century migrated to Colombia to become Simón
Bolivar's aide in Bogotá. Quevedo Arvelo received instruction from his father in music
theory, composition and violin. He was also taught piano by Teresa Tanco de Herrera.
34 There are several variations of the Bambuco categorized by instrumentation, and regional
location of Colombia. The Andean Bambuco, also known as bambuco Santafereño, characterisitic of
central Colombia, was the one stylized by composers such as Rueda, Boada and Párraga as concert pieces.
35 The biographical information discussed in this article is derived from the following sources:
Perdomo Escobar, Historia de la Música en Colombia, 133-143.
Instituto Colombiano de Cultura, C.d.d.m, Compositores Colombianos Vida y Obra No. 1

(Bogotá: 1992), 15-19.
Ana María Romano. "Tres Momentos en la creación musical colombiana: Julio Quevedo Arvelo,
Fabio González Zuleta, Luis Torres Zuleta." Revista A Contratiempo 13(2009), accessed in February 2013
http://acontratiempo.bibliotecanacional.gov.co/.
Walter Guido, "Quevedo" in Diccionario de la Música Española e Hispaoamericana, ed. Emilio

Casares Rodicio et al (Madrid: Sociedad General de Autores y Editores, 2001), 1040.
28
Quevedo Arvelo started his pedagogic career in the Colombian capital while he
still was a high school student. He was appointed music instructor at La Concordia
School and in the Colegio de Señoritas under the direction of Sixta Pontón de
Santander36, at the age of 15. Afflicted by a malformation in his feet that permanently
affected his walking, Quevedo Arvelo gradually and increasingly isolated himself from
social activities in Bogotá to the point that he cloistered himself in the Santo Domingo
monastery for a few years. There, he composed numerous religious works.
After his monastic years, around the middle of the century he moved temporarily
to Venezuela with a Hispanic-Italian opera company directed by Venezuelan composer
Maestro Ruiz, where he was a co-director and cellist. He returned to Colombia a decade
later to establish the Sexteto de Armonía37 with pianist Daniel Figueroa. Between 1886
and 1889 he worked as a music professor and a board member at the Academia Nacional
de Música38 founded in 1882 in Bogotá by Jorge Wilson Price39.
Quevedo Arvelo wrote numerous religious pieces for large ensembles (orchestra
and chorus) as well as chamber works. Among the most remarkable there are three
Masses including his Requiem Misa Negra in F minor for symphony orchestra and
chorus, one mass for string orchestra and chorus, and five masses for chamber orchestra
36 Sixta Pontón de Santander (1815-1862) was the wife of Colombian political and
military leader Francisco de Paula Santander (1792-1840). After his death, she became a nun and
devoted the rest of her life to educating girls in the Colegio de Señoritas.
37 Martha Barriga, “La Educación musical informal grupal en Bogotá 1880-1920,”
Academia.edu: Share Research accessed in May 2013.
http://www.academia.edu/297295/Informal_music_group_education_BOGOTA_1880-1920
38 In English, National Academy of Music (1882-1910) later became the National
Conservatory of Music, directed by composer Guillermo Uribe Holguín (1880-1971), where
several of the composers mentioned in this essay completed their musical studies.
39 J. W. Price (1853-1953): Colombian music educator and founder of the National
Academy of Music in 1882 in Bogotá, Colombia (see footnote 36).
29
and chorus. He also wrote some vernacular music for symphony orchestra, a few pieces
for symphony band, one piece for piano and chamber orchestra Pastorella, and four
pieces for piano solo of dance character.
Recuerdos de Ubaque: Introducción, Valses y Final
Date of composition: ca. 1854.
The score found at the National Library of Colombia is an original print from the
editorial house Litografía Jerónimo Martínez (Fig. 6). Duration: 8 minutes 24 seconds40.
Suggested level: Primo, intermediate. Secondo, early intermediate.
Figure 6. Cover page of the original edition of Recuerdos de Ubaque located at the CDM
of the National Library of Colombia, Bogotá.
40 Julio Quecedo Arvelo, Recuerdos de Ubaque, from Música Colombiana para Piano a
Cuatro Manos. Dúo Numen (piano), MinCultura, 2012, compact disc.
30
Overview
This piece consists of five short waltzes preceded by an introduction, and a finale.
The finale section is basically the recapitulation of the introduction theme in E-flat major
(the introduction is in G major). It also includes fragments of the themes of waltzes No. 1
and No. 3 in their original keys. Although every little waltz has a different theme, the
composer creates certain sense of harmonic cohesion making the key of every movement
the dominant of its subsequent one:
Waltz No. 1 –– G major
Waltz No. 2 –– C major
Waltz No. 3 –– F major
Waltz No. 4 –– B-flat major
Waltz No. 5 –– E-flat major.
This piece makes use of functional harmony that reminds the listener of
compositions from the European romantic era. Scale degrees I, IV and V constitute the
harmonic skeleton of the piece, though there are a few instances where the composer
turns to chromatic inflections to modulate, add more drama to its content and simply
insert a different color to the melody. Some of these strategies are harmonic pedals (Figs.
7 & 8):
Figure 7. Pedal bass on G in the Introduction, mm. 1-30 (Secondo).

31
Figure 8. Pedal bass on E-flat. Final, mm. 1-18 (Secondo).
modulation to unrelated harmonies by stepwise motion:
Figure 9. Modulation by descending stepwise motion of the bass between mm. 8 and 9 of
Waltz No. 2 (Secondo).
and chords substitution by using the circle of fifths and/or chromatic bass lines:
32
Figure 10. Waltz No. 1, mm. 17-32. Chromatic line of the bass and chord substitutions
(Secondo).
Figure 11. Waltz No. 4, mm. 19-29. Chromatic line of the bass and chord substitutions
(Secondo)
The secondo part presents a rather homophonic texture since it carries the bass
and the harmonies of the piece, and it could get thicker at times when the composer
writes full 4-note chords in the R.H. accompanied by broken octaves in the bass line. The
primo part, mostly, expounds the melody written in unison, which makes its texture
substantially thinner. However, there are sporadic moments in which the R.H. has double
notes (mostly blocked and broken octaves) against simple two-note and three-note triadic
chords in the L.H. (Fig. 12).
Execution details
Although the secondo part has a thicker texture and produces more amount of
sound throughout the whole piece, it does not necessarily mean that it is more difficult.
The few demands that it requires are a hand large enough to play octaves and broken-
33
octaves in the bass line without becoming tense and strong fingers in the R.H. capable of
playing full 4-note chords. The rest of the difficulty for the secondo consists of playing
the part in a way that it will not overpower the primo.
The primo part can become a little more challenging due to the articulation of
some of its passages. In mm. 3 and 7 of the introduction there are two brief descending
runs in octaves in the R.H. in staccato articulation, accompanied by a single line, a third
down, in the L.H., also staccato. This passage requires fast hand release and light touch,
yet clarity of sound, which might be difficult to achieve by a beginner and an early
intermediate student:
Figure 12. Waltz No. 1, mm. 3-7 (Primo).
At the beginning of Waltz no.3 there is a passage that has consecutive eighth
notes in both hands, grouped in two-note slurs at a relatively fast tempo:
Figure 13. Waltz No. 3, mm. 17-32 (Primo).

34
This kind of articulation might produce a stiff forearm, which often results in
incorrect accenting, interfering with the flow and the tempo of the melody. The same
kind of articulation appears in Waltz No. 5, which is entirely built in broken octaves but
only in the R.H. (Fig. 14).
Figure 14. Waltz No. 5, mm. 1-16. Broken octaves (Primo).
Pedro Morales Pino (1863-1926)41

Since his early years this Colombian composer born in Cartago, Valle42,
demonstrated extraordinary talents in music and painting. He learned how to play tiple43
sources:
Alfonso De La Espriella, Historia de la música en Colombia a través de nuestro Bolero,

(Bogotá: Norma, 1997), 129-134.
Perdomo Escobar, Historia de la Música en Colombia, 292.
"Morales Pino, Pedro," Biblioteca Virtual Luis Angel Arango, accessed in February
2013. http://www.banrepcultural.org/blaavirtual/biografias/morapedr.htm.
"Músicos en Latinoamérica. Pedro Morales Pino." Biblioteca Digital Universidad Eafit,

accessed in February 2013.
http://www.bdmusica.eafit.edu.co/biografias/biofor?id=BDM%20O00037.
"Compositores Colombianos. Pedro Pascacio de Jesús Morales Pino," Universidad

Nacional de Colombia, accessed February 2013.
http://www.facartes.unal.edu.co/compositores/html/0006_1.html.
35
and banduria44 when he was a child, alternating with drawing and painting. At age 14 he
moved to Bogotá and attended the Painting Academy of Alberto Urdaneta45 and later in
1881 he put together his first exhibition at the National Exhibition of Bellas Artes with
unprecedented critical success.
In 1882 he attended the National Academy of Music under the instruction of
Quevedo Arvelo in harmony and theory. After his studies, Morales Pino dedicated his life
to cultivate typical Colombian music bringing it to a higher level of artistry and technical
finesse. Being an extraordinary guitar and bandola46 player, he wrote several methods
for them and he even worked in the improvement of the latter by adding a sixth string.
Between the years of 1886 and 1898 he alternated his artistic life between playing with
string duos and trios -of tiples, guitars and bandurias-, teaching private lessons, and
composing. He founded "La Lira Colombiana", a group of seven Colombian musicians
who played guitars, bandolas, tiples and bandurias, that toured around Central America
and the United States and became known for their exhilarating interpretation of the
pasillo genre, which was a folkloric derivation of the European waltz that arrived in
Colombia in the early nineteenth century.
42 This location format makes reference to the designation of "City, Department." The
only exception in this essay will be when referring to Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, because it
is an independent district.
43 Strummed instrument, similar to the guitar. It has a total of twelve strings grouped in
four courses (E, G, B, D) of triple strings; each with their middle string tuned an octave lower.
44 Although in Europe, especially Spain, a banduria is known as a hybrid between the
guitar and the cittern, in the Colombian Andean region this term applies for the strummed
instruments that have five or six courses of double and triple strings such as the bandola and the
andean bandolín. They are characteristically melodic instruments.
45 Alberto Urdaneta (1845-1887): Colombian painter and journalist who played an
important role in the promotion of cultural life in Bogotá during the nineteenth century.
46 Strummed instrument, also known as lira. It has four courses (G, D, A, E) of triple
strings, and two pairs (B, F#) of copper-wound strings. It is a melodic instruments and it is
typically played with a plectrum.
36
Morales Pino traveled back and forth between Colombia and Guatemala. There,
he met his wife, raised a family, and taught music privately. In addition, between the
years of 1905 and 1918 he gave numerous performances of his compositions. After the
death of his wife, and unsuccessfully trying to rebuild his life in Guatemala, he returned
to Colombia to form a new instrumental "Lira Colombiana" including singers such as
Alejandro Wills and Alberto Escobar. They went on a tour around the south of Colombia,
Ecuador and Perú, where they arrived in 1923. Because of health problems he had to
return to Bogotá where he died alone and in a precarious financial situation. He was
buried in the Central Cemetery of the same city, but in 1940, his remains where moved to
his native city, Cartago. There he received a posthumous homage.
Among the most renown pieces by Morales Pino, we can find numerous
compositions for his instrumental group such as the Pasillos Una Vez, Intimo,
Confidencias, Pierot, Lejanías, Reflejos and Joyelles: Bambucos Cuatro Preguntas and
El Fusagasugueño; and the waltzes Los Lunares, Mar y Cielo, Voces de la Selva and Ana
Elisa. Numerous instrumental pieces were originally conceived for piano solo and later
arranged for different instrumentation. Some examples of it are the pasillos El Calavera,
Ausencia and Mar y Cielo; Lejos de Ti (Bambuco) and Mensajero. His most known
symphonic pieces are a Fantasia on Two Colombian Themes, Suite Patria and the
intermezzo Brisas de los Andes.
Ya Ves
Unknown date of composition.

37
Unpublished. The original manuscript is located in the collection of special/rare
books of the Luis Angel Arango Library in Bogotá. Duration: 1 minute and 54 seconds47.
Suggested level: Primo, late elementary. Secondo, early intermediate.
Overview
This is a short bambuco with an ABA song structure preceded by a short
introduction. The piece is in D minor and its harmonic area stays among the i, iv and V
boundaries, with a few inter-dominant chords. The B section, as it is fashionable in the
bambuco genre, modulates to the relative major using the VI degree (B flat major) as a
pivot harmony.
Figure 15. Original manuscript of the primo part of Ya Ves located at the Luis Angel
Arango Library, Bogotá, Colombia.
Two different versions of this piece were found at the Luis Angel Arango Library:
the piano duet, discussed in this article, and a song for two singers and piano, which
47 Pedro Morales Pino, Ya ves, from Música Colombiana para Piano a Cuatro Manos.
Dúo Numen (piano), MinCultura, 2012, compact disc.
38
suggest that this piece was later arranged for piano duet. The song version has a chorus,
which corresponds to the A section in D minor, and three strophes which constitute the B
section in B flat major. The chorus is sung again every time a strophe is completed,
however the same performance fashion is not suggested for the piano duet version.
Execution details
The level of difficulty of this piece differs between the two parts, the secondo
being slightly more complicated than the primo. Thus, this piece is ideal for the
teacher/pupil scenario. However, there are two elements that could become tricky for the
student playing the primo part. First, the melody in the R.H. is harmonized in parallel
thirds and can represent a coordination challenge for the less advanced pupil. It is,
however, a good opportunity to practice the technique of playing double thirds. Secondly,
the rhythmical structure of the melody of this piece might be difficult to synthesize for
some students because of the repeated appearance of the eighth-note rest on the
downbeat, a figure that is typical of the bambuco melody.

39
Gonzalo Vidal Pacheco (1863 - 1946)48
Although Gonzalo Vidal was born in Popayán, Cauca, a city in southern
Colombia, he is usually considered as one of the most prolific composers from Medellín,
Antioquia, as he moved there with his parents in 1876 when he was only 13. His father,
Pedro J. Vidal, an accomplished violinist and composer, taught him his first music
lessons, and pianist Maria Luisa Uribe and double-bassist Francisco Javier Vidal
introduced him to their respective instruments. He also received harmony and theory
classes with Augusto Azzali49.
After finishing his studies, Gonzalo Vidal had a vital impact on his city as a
pedagogue, a director and a composer. He taught in the Santa Cecilia School of Music of
Medellin, where he also was its director in 1890. From 1888 to 1899 he taught piano and
violin in the Escuela Normal de Varones. At the same time he assumed important
leadership positions such as Chapel Master of the Metropolitan Cathedral in 1889, the
direction of the Band of Medellin between 1904 and 1921 and the direction of the Band
sources:
"Gonzalo Vidal: Compositor Colombiano," Biblioteca Virtual Luis Angel Arango,

http://www.banrepcultural.org/blaavirtual/musica/blaaaudio2/compo/vidalfin/indice.htm.
"Músicos en Latinoamérica. Gonzalo Vidal Pacheco," Biblioteca Digital Universidad

Eafit, accessed in February 2013.
Zapata Cuéncar, Heriberto. Gonzalo Vidal, Medellin: Universidad de Antioquia, 1963.
"Gonzalo Vidal" Accessed in February 2013.

http://www.oocities.org/funmusica/vidal.html.
Instituto Colombiano de Cultura, C.d.d.m, Compositores Colombianos Vida y Obra No.1

(Bogotá: 1992), 23-29.
49 Augusto Azzali (1863-1907): Italian composer, conductor and opera director. He
developed his career mostly in Central America and the Caribbean.
40
of the Department of Antioquia in between 1921 and 1927. He also received numerous
distinctions during his life. In 1893 he was awarded Honorary Member of the National
Academy of Music of Bogotá; in 1920 he was awarded the Honorary Associate of the
Circle of Fine Arts of Bogotá; and in 1943 the Band of the Department of Antioquia
made him Honorable Maestro of that same institution.
Despite the fact that Vidal did not have a formal conservatory training, he was
particularly interested in fostering the knowledge of the art music. Taking advantage of
his lithographical knowledge, in 1900 he started Revista Musical, a magazine with the
purpose of publishing articles and essays about music, as well as local and national
composers and their new works. This publication went out of business in 1901.
Aesthetically, Vidal is an exponent of Colombian nationalism with some
influence of European composers such as Ludwig Van Beethoven and Frédéric Chopin,
of whom he was a fervent admirer. Such influence can be appreciated in his numerous
dance-inspired character pieces for piano such as polkas, mazurkas, galopas, waltzes, etc.
He also composed religious music including two requiems, chamber music including one
string quartet and various piano and violin pieces, two piano sonatas, various vocal pieces
with piano, and one of his most known pieces, the Himno Antioqueño (The anthem of the
department of Antioquia) whose lyrics belong to Epifanio Mejía.
Ensayos Musicales (Selection of works)
Not published. The score obtained is a copy of a manuscript.
"Ensayos Musicales" (Musical Essays) is a compilation of 32 short pieces for
piano, among which there are six pieces for four-hand piano duet. This compilation is
part of the Price-Cifuentes archive located at the Center for Musical Documentation of
41
the National Library of Colombia in Bogotá. The book is a heliographic copy50. The
names of the six duets are Valse, Polka, Recreación, Polka a cuatro manos, Capricho and
El Obsequio. The order of pieces within the book does not represent any performance
suggestion or difficulty leveling. Duration: 9 minutes 14 seconds51. Suggested Level:
Primo, late intermediate. Secondo, early intermediate.
Overview
These pieces are one-page in length, some of them in binary form (Valse, Polka
and Polka a cuatro manos) and the other in ternary form (Recreación, Capricho, El
Obsequio) where each section ends with a double bar. Although a da capo indication is
not present at the bottom of the page, they have the word Fin at the end of either section
A or B, suggesting that kind of performance fashion. The secondo part is in charge
mainly of accompanying and laying out the harmony of the pieces, which move between
the tonic, dominant and subdominant areas with a few appearances of inter-dominant
harmonies. The primo part has the melody for most of the length of the pieces, and
mostly with both hands in unison, with some exceptions that will be described below.
Execution details
Valse a cuatro manos presents a simple and charming melody in unison in the
primo part and a waltz accompaniment in the secondo, which suggest that it is written for
a late elementary player that could be accompanied by his/her teacher or someone else
50 Before xerography (photocopies) was available in Colombia, the most common way
to duplicate documents was through heliographic copies, which uses a chemical procedure and is
characterized by a purple-blue ink color.
51 Gonzalo Vidal, Valse, Polka, Recreación Polka a cuatro manos, capricho, El
Obsequio, from Música Colombiana para Piano a Cuatro Manos. Dúo Numen (piano),
MinCultura, 2012, compact disc.
42
with a slightly higher level of skills (parent, intermediate level classmate, etc.). Despite
its simplicity, the composer notated the fingering for both hands in the primo part, as well
as some articulation indications. The secondo part, consisting of a bass line in the L.H.
and chords in the R.H., has no fingering, pedal or articulation markings.
Polka a cuatro manos preserves the teacher/pupil setting. It introduces a key
signature change (to G major) in the B section, some grace notes in the R.H. of the primo
and different length values between the R.H. and L.H. of the unison notes of the melody,
which increase a little bit the level of coordination required for execution making this
piece slightly more difficult than the prior. In addition, this piece represents a good
opportunity to illustrate the 8-bar phrase groupings and the concept of question/answer
phrasing due to its clear layout: the A section has two 8-bar phrases in the tonic tonal area
and section B has two 8-bar phrases in the dominant. The second phrases of both sections
function as an answer to the first phrase.
Recreación a cuatro manos, marked moderato, has a waltz accompaniment in the
secondo part, with slight variations in its R.H. that make it slightly more difficult. The B
section switches from the typical bass/chord/chord to an eighth-note broken-chord style
and in the C section the R.H. attempts to echo the melody of the primo part. The primo
part introduces the sporadic use of chords and double notes in the R.H. to add color to the
melody and the use of the triplet as a variation of the dotted rhythms of the beginning.
Polka a cuatro manos, a las señoritas Ana J. y Leonor Vásquez demands more
skill than the pieces discussed above. The primo part, although it keeps the style of
presenting the melody in unison between the two hands, has faster-moving notes and the
melody has a more disjunctive design (more leaps), which requires a more flexible and
agile hand. The composer did not write suggestions for fingerings, which implies that
Mrs. Ana J. and Mrs. Leonor (the dedicatees) were of higher skills than beginners. With
the exception of two measures (23 and 24, to be precise) the secondo part's
43
accompaniment style consists of a bass line in the L.H. and chords in the R.H., and is
very similar in level of difficulty to the pieces discussed above.
The difficulty of Capricho a cuatro manos is represented basically by two main
features not seen in the prior pieces: one is the hand-crossing between the secondo and
the primo part when the secondo takes over the melody in the B section (Figs 16 & 17).
The other one is the use of thirty second-note and sixteenth-note triplet runs in the primo
part, which require light and agile fingers (Fig. 16).
Figure 16. Capricho a cuatro manos, mm. 9-16 (Primo). The L.H. crosses over to the
bass register.
Figure 17. Capricho a cuatro manos, mm. 9-16 (Secondo). The R.H. crosses over to the
treble register.
44
El Obsequio introduces virtuosic passages in both parts, which makes this short
piece the most difficult out of this group hence more appropriate for intermediate and late
intermediate students. The primo part has a fast moving etude-like passage in the middle
section that includes double notes, an accompanying tenor line and still carries the main
melody in the top finger of the R.H. (Fig. 18).
Figure 18. El Obsequio, mm. 13-20 (Primo).
Immediately afterwards, it moves on to a sweeping descending and ascending
chromatic scale marked brillante that requires fast and strong fingers, which serves as a
background for the melody carried by the secondo part during the C section. At this time,
the secondo part offers a combination of accompaniment and melody in a sixteenth-note
perpetual motion passage in the R.H., while carrying the bass line in the L.H.:
45
Figure 19. El Obsequio, mm. 17-24 (Secondo). Figuration that combines both melody (on
the 5th finger) and harmony in the R. H.
El Valse de los Novios
Unpublished. The score found at the National Library of Colombia is an original
manuscript version. It was donated anonymously to this library. The score has a
superscription that reads "composed and arranged for piano duet by Gonzalo Vidal"
which suggests that the piece was written originally for a different instrumentation,
presumably a chamber orchestra commonly used in ballroom dances. Duration: 6 minutes
23 seconds52. Suggested level: Early Intermediate.
Overview
This piece is a compilation of miniature waltzes to be performed together in an
attaca manner so they form a piece whose length and variety is apt for dancing. It
consists of seven different waltzes, each of them of sixteen bars in length, a nineteen-bar
52Gonzalo Vidal, El Valse de los Novios, from Música Colombiana para Piano a Cuatro
Manos. Dúo Numen (piano), MinCultura, 2012, compact disc.
46
introduction and a thirty four-bar coda, which is attached to the last waltz. The entire set
is organized in such a way that it creates an overarching binary form. The A section
formed by the nineteen-bar introduction, an F major waltz, a C major waltz and then the
initial F major waltz again. The B section consists of five consecutive waltzes, each with
different thematic material and in different keys: B-flat for the first two, E-flat, A-flat and
the last one starts in F minor and modulates to A-flat. After the middle section, there is a
recapitulation of the introduction and the two first waltzes in the same keys, to which the
thirty four-bar coda is attached.
In terms of harmony, this piece evokes the language of the Romantic era by
creating a duality between major and minor parallel keys. An example of this can be seen
between the introduction –a harmonic build-up that suggest a resolution in F minor– and
the first waltz, which is in F major. In addition, to escape from the sometimes-
monotonous overuse of the tonic, subdominant and dominant chords, the composer uses
harmonic progressions based upon chromatic lines in the bass (Fig. 20 & 21), which
allows the use of rich-sounding chord substitutes.
Figure 20. Valse de los Novios, mm. 42-52 (Secondo)

47
Figure 21. Valse de los Novios, mm. 85-93 (Secondo).
The texture of the primo part is for the majority of the piece thinner than that of
the secondo, since it carries the melody in unison, with only a few spots where it uses
double notes. The secondo is in charge of providing the harmonic support throughout the
whole piece, and for most of the time the L.H. carries the bass line on the downbeat and
the R.H. has the chords on beats two and three, except for a few occasions where there
are attempts to expound a secondary melodic line as shown below in figure 22:
48
Figure 22. Valse de los Novios, mm. 117-149 (Secondo).
Execution details
As mentioned above, the primo part is mostly written in unison and has a thin
texture, which makes generally easier to learn. However, there are two aspects that might
be slightly challenging for the young student. One is that some of the fast moving
passages in the L.H. might prove difficult to coordinate and play together with the R.H. if
the student has an under-developed L.H. The other one is the hemiola passage in mm.
101-117 (Fig. 23), which might present some rhythmical awkwardness due to the nature
of this figure.
49
Figure 23. Valse de los Novios, mm. 101-117 (Primo)
The secondo part mainly asks for a hand that can reach an octave comfortably in
order to play the bass without tension. It also, although not marked, provides an
opportunity for using the pedal for which demands attentive ears from the student playing
this part. In general terms, since the secondo part has a thicker texture, in addition to
access to using the pedal, it can potentially cover up the sound of the primo. This piece is
also ideal for a teacher/pupil setting.
Guillermo Quevedo Zornoza53 (1886 - 1964)

Born in Zipaquirá, a little village outside Bogotá, Quevedo Zornoza had his first
contact with music thanks to his uncle Julio Quevedo Arvelo and his aunt Carolina
sources:
C.d.d.m, Compositores Colombianos Vida y Obra No.1, 51-60.
De La Espriella, Historia de la música en Colombia a través de nuestro Bolero, 178-181.
Perdomo Escobar. Historia de la Música en Colombia, 247-248.
"Músicos en Latinoamérica. Guillermo Quevedo Zornoza." Biblioteca Digital

Universidad Eafit, accessed in February 2013.
50
Quevedo. Then he attended the San Luis Gonzaga high school, under the direction of
José Joaquín Casas54, where he obtained further music instruction. After finishing his
youth musical training, he became successfully self-taught in composition and
conducting disciplines and became an accomplished teacher and performer.
Quevedo Zornoza's leadership had an important impact in the development of
music institutions in different locations around the Colombian territory. In 1904 he
became the music director of the Band of the Bárbula Battalion in Zipaquirá, and in 1906
he was appointed conductor of the Military Club Orchestra of Bogotá. Between 1908 and
1922 he was the Director of the Conservatory of Music of Tolima in the city of Ibagué. In
1931, back in Zipaquirá, he founded and was in charge of the musical direction of the
Municipal Band of that city up until 1937.
As a composer Quevedo Zornoza received numerous distinctions and awards. In
1908 he won first prize of the Reuter House of North America International Competition
with Pizzicato for String Quartet. In 1910 he was a silver medalist winner in an
international composition contest organized by the Argentine Presidency with Hymn of
Glory. In the same year he obtained the golden medal for Hymn to the Tolima
Conservatory, granted by that institution and in 1919 he was awarded First Prize by the
Ministry of National Education of Colombia for the piece Triumphal March, composed
to commemorate the Centenary of the Boyacá Battle. In 1945 he won the first prize in the
Coltejer Composition Contest with the piece Alma Campesina and in 1948 he won the
Music of Colombia Competition sponsored by Fabricato with a piece named Canaima.
Quevedo Zornoza is known to have written more than a dozen hymns for choir
with piano accompaniment and choir with orchestra. He also wrote numerous pieces for
54 José Joaquín Casas Castañeda (1866-1951): Colombian educator, writer and

politician.
51
concert band but most of these scores were not published and they remain in their
manuscript form at the Museum Quevedo, in Zipaquirá. Other important pieces are
Sinfonía Sobre Aires Populares Colombianos, Promesa a la Virgen for Symphony
Orchestra; a Gloria and a Requiem Mass for orchestra and choir; and more than twenty
little piano pieces including tangos, pasillos, torbellinos, and valses.
He also wrote some articles such as the "Biography of Julio Quevedo Arvelo"
(1929) for the magazine Mundo al Día, and the treatise "Manual del Organista Cantor"
(Valencia, España: Editorial Mundial Música 1930).
Danza Sin Nombre
Unpublished. This piece was found in one of the composer's notebooks at the
House-museum Quevedo of the city of Zipaquirá, which holds most of the collection of
original scores by Guillermo Quevedo Zornoza. Despite the fact that the composer did
not write a name for it, The Numen piano duet recorded this piece and baptized it Danza
Sin Nombre (Dance with no name), which I will continue to use for practical reasons. The
copy of the score utilized for this study is a transcription made in a music copying
software for their recording process. Duration: 5 minutes and 8 seconds55. Suggested
level: intermediate.
Overview
This piece evokes the habanera dance style, which is uncommon for the typical
Colombian ternary dances. It consists of five different sixteen-bar sections with new
55Guillermo Quevedo Zornoza. Danza Sin Nombre, from Música Colombiana para
Piano a Cuatro Manos. Dúo Numen (piano), MinCultura, 2012, compact disc.
52
thematic material and sometimes tonicizing different keys, always keeping the underlying
dance-like character. The sections are organized as this:
A in C major
B in C major
C in A-flat major, it paraphrases the theme of A
B in C major
D in F major, where the secondo takes over the melody
E in F major
The harmonic structure of the piece is very tonal; it uses functional progressions
and cadences with a predominance of tonic, subdominant and dominant harmonies, and
chromatic passing harmonies to occasionally embellish.
In terms of texture this piece offers a fairly homophonic disposition, with a few
interventions of contrapuntal activity but only in short transitional passages usually at the
end of sections and before a cadence. The primo part, despite being in charge of the
melody, also portrays secondary melodic lines with chords that harmonize them. The
secondo has a fairly thick texture consisting of the bass line in octaves in the L.H. and
chords in the R.H. of three and four notes.
Execution details
The secondo part plays a vital role in the composition because it determines the
change of moods between each one of the sections, but still keeps the same habanera
style. To achieve this effect, the secondo player must have a certain level of control over
the different kinds of articulation when playing full chords, without compromising
accuracy and balance with the primo player. Also, several sections must carry the
melodic line with the top fingers of the R.H. while harmonizing with chords, which
demands control over the weight on the 4th and 5th fingers and could be challenging for
pupils with small hands and weak fingers:

53
Figure 24. Danza sin Nombre, mm. 1-6, (Primo and Secondo)
The primo part presents similar difficulties of balance because it demands
switching its voicing back and forth. Sometimes it is necessary to bring the top note out
while harmonizing the melody, and in other cases to bring the melody out when it is in
the middle lines (Fig. 25).
Figure 25. Danza sin Nombre, mm. 18-28 (Primo). The melody voicing switches from
middle line (m.18) to the top (m.22).
Also, since the piece has such a homophonic structure with repeated rhythmic
patterns, there is a high tendency for the young pupil to stall and lose the sense of
horizontality of the phrases.

54
Meditando, Op.30
Unpublished. The score found is a photocopy of an original manuscript located at
the National Library of Colombia. The original score is located in the House-Museum
Quevedo in the city of Zipaquirá, Cundinamarca. The score has a dedicatory that reads A
la señora Matilde Quevedo de A. dedica este pasillo su primo -el compositor (The
composer dedicates this pasillo to Mrs. Matilde Quevedo de A.). Duration: 2 minutes and
45 seconds56. Sugested level: between late elementary and early intermediate.
Overview
Meditando, as noted in the superscription, is written in a pasillo rhythm, but in an
atypical slower tempo, which suggests that the piece was rather intended for the stage
instead of a dancing tune. It consists of two clearly defined sections that repeat have
contrasting characters. The A section is written in E-flat major and has a relaxed mood
that presents a melodic dialogue between the secondo and the primo parts. The secondo
starts the phrases with an interrogative gesture that pauses on a fermata, and the primo
finishes the phrases. The B section in A-flat major has a more forward-driven character
resulting from the sixteenth-note arpeggios in the primo part, and instead of a dialoguing
style, both primo and secondo expound the melody simultaneously. Contrary to common
performance practice of pasillos, Meditando is not to be played Da Capo, since the word
fin is written at the end of the B Section.
In terms of harmony, this piece moves primarily between the tonic and dominant
areas using functional harmonic progressions commonly seen in the Classical and
Romantic era. Although the primo part has more horizontal moving passages and a
56Guillermo Quevedo Zornoza, Meditando, Op. 30, from Música Colombiana para
Piano a Cuatro Manos. Dúo Numen (piano), MinCultura, 2012, compact disc.
55
generally thinner texture, both parts move along within a rather homophonic frame
primarily dictated by the harmonic changes in the secondo.
Execution details
Despite its harmonic simplicity and reduced size (only 32 measures in length),
this piece might present some technical challenges for late beginners or even early
intermediate pupils. The secondo part harmonizes its melodic passages in parallel thirds
(Fig. 26), which might present the tendency to sound choppy and lose the horizontal
nature of the melody whereas the primo part present rapid gestures in octaves which will
require a bigger hand, and the ability to release quickly to avoid tension and preserve
accuracy.
Figure 26. Meditando, Op 30, mm. 13-16 (Secondo).
Also, the primo part, which is the harder part in the piece, has arpeggiated chords
that extend up to a 10th :

56
Figure 27. Meditando, Op. 30, mm. 1-12 (primo). Extended rolled chords (Primo).
and sixteenth-note arpeggios that carry the melody on the thumb:
Figure 28. Meditando, Op. 30, mm. 18-22 (primo). Arpeggios carrying the melody on the
thumb (Primo)
The combination of playing these arpeggios and switching to extended chords
might become awkward for younger students with smaller, underdeveloped hands.
Marcha Andina
Unknown date of composition and unpublished. For this essay two scores of this
piece were studied. One is the original of a manuscript version at the House-Museum
Quevedo in Zipaquirá, and the other one is a copy edited in a music software in 2005 by
57
Miguel Angel Arias and available online at the National Library of Colombia website.
Duration: 3 minutes 46 seconds57. Suggested level: late intermediate.
Overview
As its name specifies, this piece is written in a marching rhythm, evoking those
performed by the marching bands of the rural towns from central Colombia. Marcha
Andina consists of two clearly different sections: the A section, has the main melodic
material expounded in the primo. In the B section the secondo takes over this task, with
some sporadic comments from the primo. These sections are organized following the
structure A–B–A'–B. The A' section portrays the same motivic material as the A section
but in E-flat major and with slight figuration differences in the primo part.
Unlike the two other pieces by this composer discussed in this essay, this
composition attempts to produce a more symphonic sound of the piano by thickening the
texture in both parts. The secondo part, which carries the rhythmic pattern of the march,
doubles the bass line with octaves almost all the time even in passages where it expounds
the melody. The primo part presents a greater variety of textural strategies. Among them
we can find double octaves, double thirds, 3- and 4-note chords simultaneously in both
hands and, for contrast, the single melodic line in unison.
This piece is very tonal and it tends to frequently use the tonic and the dominant
harmonies. However, the composer makes an effort to ornament the harmonies through
the use of some chromaticism in transitional sections between phrases (Figs. 29 & 30).
57 Guillermo Quevedo Zornoza, Marcha Andina, from Música Colombiana para Piano a
Cuatro Manos. Dúo Numen (piano), MinCultura, 2012, compact disc.
58
(Secondo)
(Secondo)
Execution details
As mentioned above, this piece makes an attempt to produce a more orchestral
sound, which is the result of a thicker texture. In the secondo, there are passages with
consecutive changing chords that might create some stiffness in the hands as well as an
unwanted harsh sound. Also, when the secondo takes over the melodic line in the B
section, it presents a difficult figuration that requires not only playing the melody and a
counter melody in the R.H. alone, but also playing an accompaniment that consists of a
bass line in octaves in the low register and the chords in the middle register with the L.H.
(Fig. 31).
59
Figure 31. Marcha Andina, mm. 39-44 (Secondo).
In this same passage, the primo part plays an ornamenting role that consists of
repeated octaves in the R.H. that require light touch and a quick release since the
articulation indicated is staccato in a pp dynamic level. These octaves not only could
produce a lot of tension and potential injury, but also if played too heavily will ruin the
musical effect by covering the melody in the tenor register (Fig. 32).
Figure 32. Marcha Andina, mm. 39-44 (Primo).
In the A section, where the primo portrays all the melodic material, there are two
types of complicated figurations for the player: the first one is the sixteenth-note
descending arpeggios marked staccato and leggiero, whose first accented note of every
group of four makes up the melody of the passage; and the second one is the reappearing
figure of double notes (sometimes parallel thirds) also fundamental motive of the melody
(Fig. 33).
60
Figure 33. Marcha Andina, mm. 4-10 (Primo)
Luis Antonio Escobar58 (1925 - 1993)
Luis Antonio Escobar was born in Villapinzón, Cundinamarca, in 1925, a small
village to the north of Bogotá. He was sent to a seminary school in Cali, because his
father wanted him to follow the religious vocation. During choir practice at the seminary
he came in contact with choral masterpieces by 16th and 17th century composers such as
58 In addition to an interview with Colombian composer and pianist Amparo Angel, wife
of Luis Antonio Escobar, the biographical information discussed in this article is derived from the
following sources:
Perdomo Escobar, Historia de la música en Colombia, 261
"Musicos en Latinoamerica. Luis Antonio Escobar," Biblioteca Digital Universidad Eafit,

accessed February 2013,
http://www.bdmusica.eafit.edu.co/biografias/biofor?id=BDM%20O00126
"Luis Antonio Escobar: Compositor Colombiano" Biblioteca Virtual Luis Angel Arango,
http://www.banrepcultural.org/blaavirtual/musica/blaaaudio/compo/escobar/indice.htm
William Atheortúa, "Biografías. Escobar, Luis Antonio" Biblioteca Virtual Luis Angel
Arango, accessed February 2013,
http://www.banrepcultural.org/blaavirtual/biografias/escoluis.htm
"Compositores Colombianos. Luis Antonio Escobar," Clarinetes de Colombia, accessed

March 2013, http://www.clarinetesdecolombia.org/Compositores.html
"Compositores, Luis Antonio Escobar," Asociación Sinfónica de Colombia, accessed

February 2013, http://asociacion-sinfonica.org/conciertos/2007/05-17.html
Alvaro Tirado Mejía, "Luis Antonio Escobar," in Nueva Historia de Colombia, ed.
Alvaro Tirado Mejía et al. (Madison: Planeta, 1989), 283.
61
Giovanni Perluigi da Palestrina and Tomás Luis de Victoria, which opened his eyes to
what became his true vocation: music.
He moved to Bogotá and attended the National Conservatory of Music at the
National University of Colombia in 1945. Two years later he was awarded a scholarship
from there, which enabled him to attend Peabody Conservatory under the tutelage of
composer Nikolai Nabokov. He also spent several summers at Columbia University and
other institutions in Canada and Mexico. After Nabokov's suggestion, Escobar traveled to
the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin to continue composition studies under Boris Blacher.
In 1954 he returned to his native Colombia and immediately became involved in
the musical environment of Bogotá. The National Symphony welcomed his
compositions, which were programed frequently. He also started a pedagogical musical
program on television and radio, as well as writing for the main newspapers of Bogotá
and giving music lectures at the main universities. He taught music classes in harmony,
counterpoint, theory, composition, orchestration, and history of music at the Xavierian
Pontifical University, University of Andes and the National Conservatory in Bogotá.

In 1957 he returned to the United States by way of the Guggenheim Scholarship
where he composed and premiered some of his major works, such as his ballet Preludes
for Percussion. He returned to Colombia in the early 1960's where he continued his role
of cultivator and promoter of a musical culture. He was appointed to several important
positions, among them the Board Director of the National Symphony and President of the
Union of Colombian Composers. During these years he was one of the co-founders of the
Bogota Philharmonic Orchestra.
Escobar's passion for choral music brought him to create the 'Clubs of Student
Singers' in more than twenty universities around the nation and the 'Choirs of Official
Employees' in different governmental institutions. He also was the first to bring a group
of choral conductors and music teachers from various countries to Colombia. They
specialized in vocal techniques and worked with local choir directors. Around the same
62
time, he edited the book 'Colombian Polyphonic Music' with works by Colombian
composers from colonial times until the 20th century.
In addition to his work as a composer and musical culture promoter, Escobar also
contributed to the musicological spectrum with various articles about Pre-Columbian and
Colonial music. The result of his research is the publication of books such as Pre-
Columbian Music, Music in Santafé de Bogotá, Music in Cartagena de Indias, Music in
the National Cathedral of Bogotá, The First Colombian Composer José Cascante, The
Quetzal's Inheritance, Villapinzón, and the Music in Virreinal America. This last one
remained unpublished.
Among his most representative pieces we can find the ballet Avirama, two operas,
La Princesa y la Arveja and Los Hampones, one symphonic poem, Juramento a Bolívar
for tenor choir and orchestra, twenty nine Cánticas, which are miniature choral pieces for
a capella chorus, fourty Bambuquerías, which are miniature instrumental pieces for
piano solo and piano duet, three piano concerti and two symphonies.
Luis Antonio Escobar, in addition to all his work as a composer and educator, also
served as a diplomat in Bonn between 1967 and 1970 and subsequently in Florida in
1993, where he was an artistic attaché to the Colombian consulate.
Bambuquerías
Date: Composed between 1973 and 1993
Unpublished. Currently both Bambuquerías for piano solo and Bambuquerías for
piano duet are in the process of being published by the National University Press in
Bogotá, Colombia. Duration: No.1, ca. 3 minutes. No.2, ca. 2 minutes 40 seconds. No.3,
ca. 1 minute. No.4, ca. 2 minutes. No.5, ca 1 minute 20 seconds. No.6, ca.1 minute 30
seconds. No.7, ca. 1 minute 25 seconds. No.8, 1 minute 15 seconds. Suggested level:
advanced.
63
Overview
Around 1973 Luis Antonio Escobar started composing little preludes with the
idea of encouraging his piano students to become closer to some melodic and rhythmic
elements typical of the Colombian spirit. He continued to compose them until a little
before his death in 1993, as a self-distraction to "rest the spirit"59 while composing larger
works. He named these pieces Bambuquerías, which is a word invented by the composer
himself with the intention of making reference to the bambuco. In addition to the piano
solo Bambuquerías, Escobar wrote Bambuquerías for oboe and piano and Bambuquerías
for piano duet, which is the subject of discussion in this essay
This set of Bambuquerías consists of eight pieces that reflect an early 20th
century language in terms of meter structure, harmony and melody. They use some
themes from the folk music of the central part of the country, specifically the Boyacá and
Cundinamarca departments, and rhythms from their typical dances such as torbellinos60,
bambucos and pasillos, which the composer heard throughout his childhood in the
country side of these regions. Although the set is tonal throughout, it avoids traditional
uses of cadences and phrase structures.
Execution details
These pieces portray a similar style and level of difficulty among one another.
There are, however, some slight differences that make them unique within the group of
59 Quotation marks indicate that these words were used by Amparo Angel, wife and
music editor of Luis A. Escobar, during an interview with the author in March 2013.
60 Definition: 'Whirlwind' in English. Musical genre typical from the department of
Boyacá used to accompany popular dances. Musically is characterized by the hemiolic effect
caused by the intertwining of triple and duple meters. Typically string trios of strummed
instruments perform it, although there are some manifestations of it with wind (cane flutes) and
percussion (Armadillo shell, reed shakers) instruments as well. George List. "Colombia, Republic
of. II. Traditional Music. 3. The Andean Region." Grove Music Online, accessed March 2013,
Oxford Music Online.
64
eight, such as length, tempo marking and the predominant key and mode (major, minor,
etcetera), to name a few. In general, the metrical structure can present some difficulties to
the players because it constantly changes. Sometimes the pieces combine ternary, binary
and irregular measures within a phrase and the time signature is not always written (Fig.
34), which can create some ensemble obstacles in the early stages of learning the pieces.
Figure 34. Bambuqueria No.4. Frequent changes in the time signature are not always
written.
The melodic structure is not symmetrical and portrays an improvisatory style. It
has a tendency to be disjunctive and to switch tonal centers unpredictably, following their
rapid harmonic rhythm, all of which make the phrasing more complicated.
65
The texture of the pieces tends to be polyphonic: the main melodic passages
alternate between the primo and the secondo. Due to the amount of contrapuntal activity,
it could sometimes be difficult to hear all the voices with clarity. In addition, the L.H of
the primo and the R.H of the secondo parts interact in a rather close range, sometimes
overlapping, which might constitute a coordination challenge between both players.
Jesús Pinzón Urrea61 (b. 1928)
Jesús Pinzón was born in Bucaramanga, Santander, but in 1929 his family moved
to Bogotá, which enabled him to enroll in the National Conservatory, where he graduated
in 1965 in composition and conducting. Throughout most of his professional life he has
taught at the main schools of music of Bogotá. He directed the School of Music at the
University of America (today non-existent) between 1968 and 1971 and the same
department at the National Pedagogical University between 1972 and 1982. At the same
sources:
Perdomo Escobar, Historia de la música en Colombia (Bogota: ABC, 5/1980), 178.
Alvaro Tirado Mejía, "Jesús Pinzón Urrea" in Nueva Historia de Colombia, ed. Alvaro
Tirado Mejía et al. (Madison: Planeta, 1989), 285-286.
Carlos Barreiro Ortiz, "Celebrando la Música de Jesús Pinzón Urrea" El Tiempo.

September 2, 1998, accessed February 2013,
http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-791956
"Jesús Pinzón Urrea, Compositor Colombiano" Biblioteca Virtual Luis Angel Arango,
http://www.banrepcultural.org/blaavirtual/musica/blaaaudio/compo/pinzon/indice.htm
Ellie Anne Duque, "Jesús Pinzón Urrea, Músico," Revista Escala 12(1986): 2-16.
Ellie Anne Duque, "La cultura musical en Colombia Siglos XIX y XX" in Gran
Enciclopedia de Colombia, ed. Jorge H. Melo et al, vol. 6 (Bogotá: Círculo de Lectores, 1993),
232-233.
66
time he taught composition at the School of Music of the National University between
1967 and 1991 in Bogotá.
His interest for indigenous and ethnic music brought him to be a Colombian
delegate to the First Inter-American Conference of Ethnomusicology in Cartagena in
1963, and again in the same event celebrated in Washington, D.C. in 1971. A year later
he participated in the International Conference on the Issues of the Current Music
Notation, in Rome.
Pinzón Urrea's importance in the Colombian musical environment consists of his
ability to portray a unique language that has been built upon his own original traits. He
often combines timbre exploration, 'endogenous' music and folk tunes and rhythms
resulting in pieces of keen authenticity. 'Endogenous' music is what he calls "the music
composed for players who know nothing about music theory"62. For such, Pinzón ideated
himself a system of music notation that consists of charts of graphic instructions for the
players, similar to those of John Cage and George Crumb. An example of this system can
be seen in Three Endogenous Creations, where he uses written instructions; Etude for
Orchestra, where he uses a system of numbers; Psychological Test where he uses real
world symbols; and a combination of artistic symbols for his 'sonoptics' system63 (Fig.
35).
62 Susana Friedmann, "Pinzón (Urrea) Jesús," Grove Music Online, accessed February
2013, Oxford Music Online.
63 Definition: "music to be seen and heard as an extension of conventional notational and
improvisatory practices." Friedman. Pinzón (Urrea) Jesús. Grove Music online, accessed on
February 2013. Oxford Music Online.
67
Figure 35. Sonoptic chart for the piece Ajedrez (Chess) consisting of 64 different musical
signs distributed on a chessboard. The music is interpreted according to each
move from a famous chess match played in 1972 for the world championship.
Besides being a composer with national and international fame, Pinzón Urrea has
also contributed to the musicology realm with his articles Indigenous Colombian Music
for the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians; Música Vernácula del Altiplano de
Bogotá, a musical study on traditional music of Colombia with concrete rhythmic and
melodic exemplifications for the Boletín Interamericano de Música; Rítmica y melódica
del folklore chocoano for the Center of Folkloric and Musical Studies of the National
University; and La Heterofonía en la Música de los Indios Cunas del Darién, presented
in the First Inter-American Conference of Ethnomusicology in Cartagena.
Pinzon's works could be divided in three subgroups: Westerm notated, non-
traditionally notated and Colombian tradition oriented. In the first group the most
important compositions are Etude and Structures for Orchestra, a Fantasia for piano, and
Micro-Movements for oboe. In the second group we can find pieces such as El Gráfico I
for symphony orchestra, Explorations for clarinet and five string quintets, Psychological
Test and Ajedrez (Fig. 34, above) for non-defined chamber group. And for the third
group, there are pieces such as Strucutures for orchestra, whose third movement is a
68
toccata on currulao, bambuco and cumbia rhythms; Rítmica I and Rítmica II for flute,
piano and double bass and the Four Syntheses upon Colombian Folklore for brass
quintet. He also used some religious themes in works such as The Passion and
Resurrection of Christ for choir, orchestra and soloist, and some political commentary in
La Revolución de los Comuneros for soprano, six actors and orchestra and Cantata por la
Paz for soprano, choir and orchestra.
Toccata en La Menor
Date: 1967
Unpublished: The score found is a manuscript located at the Luis Angel Arango
Library, probably made by a copyist or the composer himself. It is autographed and has a
dedication that reads "dedicada a la ciudad de Bucaramanga" (dedicated to the city of
Bucaramanga), where the composer was born. Duration: ca. 4 minutes 20 seconds.
Suggested level: early advanced.
Overview
The Toccata in A minor has two major sections, a toccata section and a fugue.
Before the dance-like character of the toccata starts, there is a shocking introduction in
which Pinzón uses extreme dynamic contrasts (fff and pp) and tremolos, to prepare the
excitement of what is coming. The main thematic idea is also introduced this early (Fig.
36).
69
Figure 36. Tocatta en La menor. Manuscript located at the Luis Angel Arango Library in
Bogotá, Colombia
70
Once the toccata section begins, the secondo part is in charge of setting the
driving motion of the piece with a perpetual motion figure in the bass. The primo part has
sporadic melodic interventions with repetitions of the main theme that gradually get more
frequent and thicker in texture. A climatic ending of the toccata section marks the
beginning of the fugue, starting the subject with the bass part and followed by the tenor,
alto and lastly, the soprano.
Figure 37. Tocatta en La menor. Beginning of the fugue section.
Pinzón uses the traditional form of exposition, episode and stretto to gradually
increase the excitement and drive the piece to its final climax, in addition to migrating
from a thin contrapuntal to a thicker, more homophonic texture. Such change of texture
serves to transition to a coda that resembles the sonority of the introduction of the piece.
71
Execution details
Toccata en La menor will sound more complicated than it actually is due to the
orchestral sound that it demands, which makes it a great piece for early advanced pupils.
This piece has many elements that younger piano students enjoy: loud dynamics, fast
tempi with a repeated-note bass, sudden dynamic contrasts, and a sense of excitement and
anticipation marked by two long climaxes and the gradual increase of tempo markings
throughout.
In terms of rhythm this piece does not represent a major challenge. It is written in
a 4/4 measure with no meter changes and the syncopation figures are created by the
articulation rather than complex rhythmical structures or meter changes. Harmonically it
may represent certain level of difficulty with students that have not been acquainted with
a more chromatic language, such as the one used by neoclassical compositions at the
beginning of the 20th century. However, for the most part the piece preserves its sense of
tonality.
Another element that makes this piece accessible to younger pupils is that Pinzón
keeps the texture thin in the fugue (one line in each hand) so it is easier for the student to
focus into listening to the voices played by him or her and the partner at the same time.
The thickening of the texture occurs in easier passages so it is more accessible and
effective.
72
Mario Gómez-Vignes64 (b. 1934)
Born in Santiago, Chile, in 1934, this Chilean-Colombian composer began his
musical training in 1945 with his aunt Ana Gómez Francke. He continued his music
studies at the Conservatory of the University of Chile, where he stayed between 1950 and
1954.
Gómez-Vignes has lived in Colombia since 1960 where he has played an
important role as a composer, conductor, educator, critic and musicologist. He has taught
at a number of the country’s major institutions including the University of Antioquia
(1963-1973 and 1975-1981), University of Valle (1981-1996), Cali Conservatory of the
Fine Arts (1981-1985), University of Cauca (1986-2006), and Eafit University (2001).
His catalog of works include symphonic, choral, chamber, as well as solo pieces
in which the piano seems to be the predominant medium. Among his most significant
works we can find Fantasy and Fugue for piano, Sonata for Violin and Piano, Concerto
Grosso for String Orchestra, Sonatine for Clarinet and Piano, Symphonic Metamorphosis
of a Minor Second, Cantata Episodio y Elegia for mixed choir, Cuatro Bocetos de
Meghnon for two string orchestras, Cantata Trenodia de Cautiverio for choir, narrator
and symphony orchestra, Seis por Uno en Seis for guitar, Danzas Concertantes for
sources:
Ana María Romano, "Mario Gomez Vignes, Compositor Colombiano," Biblioteca

Virtual Luis Angel Arango, accessed February 2013,
http://www.banrepcultural.org/blaavirtual/musica/blaaaudio2/compo/gvignes/indice.htm.
Susana Friedmann, "Gomez Vignes, Mario," in Oxford Music Online, accessed on

February 2013, Grove Online.
"Musicos en Latinoamerica. Luis Antonio Escobar" Universidad EAFIT, accessed

February 2013, http://www.bdmusica.eafit.edu.co/biografias/biofor?id=BDM%20O00089
"Musica y Escena. Mario Gomes Vignes", Centro Virtual Cervantes accesed February
2013, http://cvc.cervantes.es/el_rinconete/anteriores/octubre_03/29102003_02.htm
73
orchestra, Concerto for Harpsichord, Guitar and String Orchestra, and Opus Quinientos,
Ensayo para Orquesta, which was a piece commissioned by Colcultura (today's Ministry
of Culture of Colombia) and premiered by the Colombian National Symphony in 1992. In
addition to concert music, he also created various incidental compositions and the film
score for Carlos Mayolo's movie Carne de tu Carne in 1983.
Gómez-Vignes considers himself a cultivator of clear structure, form and coherent
melodies rather than an exponent of avant-garde experiments, and also demonstrates in
his work the importance of innovation. "Music is a combination of sensuality and
intelligence. I do not believe in the [existence of a] musical effect for the sake of the
effect itself. It has to have a constructive function within the context in which it dwells,”
says the composer about his own style65. His compositions do not exactly utilize folk
music as major stylistic influence either; however, there is an unquestionable presence of
Latin-American spice in his pieces.
One of his most remarkable musicological works is the book Imagen y Obra de
Antonio María Valencia, published in 1991. This book is a biographical study and an
analytical essay of the music of Colombian composer Antonio María Valencia, which
received an honorable mention in Washington D.C. in 1993 for the Robert Stevenson
Prize of musicology. He has also written numerous articles and reviews for some of the
major newspapers and journals of Chile and Colombia, including El Mercurio (Chile), El
Mundo, El Colombiano, Vanguardia Liberal, and El Liberal (Colombia).
Currently Mario Gómez-Vignes alternates teaching theory and composition at
Eafit University in Medellín, the University of Valle and the "Antonio Maria Valencia"
65 Romano,"Mario Gómez Vignes: Compositor Colombiano,"Biblioteca Virtual Banco

de la República. "La música es un juego combinado de sensualidad e inteligencia. No creo en el
efecto por el efecto mismo si no tiene una razón de ser constructiva en el contexto en el cual se
encuentre."
74
Conservatory of Fine Arts in Cali, with an active compositional output. Among his most
recent pieces is the piano concerto Concierto para Delly Inkir, premiered in 2011 by
pianist Oscar Mora with the Cali Philharmonic; Diferenencias for cello and piano on a
theme by Franz Schubert; and Habanera de Katanga for S.A.T.B. choir a capella. At the
time this chapter was finished, Gómez-Vignes was working on an art song cycle titled
Cancionegro, which has dark humor as its main theme, with texts by different authors
such as León de Greiff, Günther Eich, Germán Henao, François Rabelais, Charles
Baudelaire, Olga Helena Mathei, Francisco Quevedo, and Helcías Martan Góngora.
Pasillo
Date of composition: 1964, and revised in 1978.
Unpublished: The copy found is a manuscript score located in the National
Library of Colombia. Also, the composer provided me with the revised 1978 version,
transcribed on music writing software. Duration: ca. 3 minutes 20 seconds. Suggested
level: late intermediate.
Overview
Marked allegro (60 bpm for the dotted half note), this pasillo preserves the quick
waltz tempo characteristic of this typical Colombian dance. It has an ABA structure and a
little coda that gives a triumphal ending, commonly seen in concert pieces from the
romantic era. The A section is in B flat major and projects a feeling of flow and
forwardness due to the consistent motion of the arpeggios in the secondo in opposition to
the syncopated pattern of the melody in the primo part. The B section has a calmer and
more nostalgic character created by the change of key to F sharp minor and the meno
mosso marking. This contrast is one of the hallmarks of the pasillo form, captured well in
Gomez-Vignes' piece.
75
Execution details
One of the main features of this piece is the prolonged hemiola of the A section.
Although the secondo part is built almost entirely of a perpetual motion of eight notes,
they are harmonically grouped in 4-note arpeggios, which could easily be heard as a 2/4
measure. In addition, the primo part also portrays a rhythmical pattern consisting of a
dotted quarter and an eighth-note (Fig 38).
Figure 38. Pasillo. Opening page.
The students must therefore have in mind that the sense of a 3/4 bar must be
heard, which can be achieved by means of emphasizing every other downbeat, thus
76
preserving the sense of a dancing waltz, and still having the hemiola effect laid out by the
composer.
In terms of technical difficulties, the secondo part does not represent a major
challenge for the player. However the primo might lead some students to fall into a
choppy sound since the melody is completely harmonized with double notes in both
hands, at the same time. The primo player must pay special care to voicing and
articulation in order to favor the horizontality of the melody despite its vertical
construction.
Another interesting aspect to focus on with students is the creation of a
contrasting mood between sections A and B, by changing the voicing, touch and
pedaling. Whereas the A section can carry a more legato sound, with more pedaling and a
bright voicing of the melody emphasizing almost always the top line of the R.H. of the
primo part, the B section could be drier in the pedal, and explore a darker voicing by
bringing out the melodic lines in the middle register of the piano. The B section gives
more melodic participation to the secondo part, which provides with a good opportunity
to try this effect.
77
Figure 39. Pasillo. B section in the key of F-sharp minor.
Luis Torres Zuleta66 (b. 1941)
Luis Torres Zuleta was born in Bogotá in 1941. He double-majored in philosophy
and composition at the National University and the National Conservatory respectively.
There, he studied with Antonio Benavides, José Rozo Contreras, Fabio González Zuleta
and Olav Roots. He obtained his bachelor's degree in composition with honors in 1968
from the National Conservatory of Bogotá.
66 In addition to the composer's own biographical and program notes provided to the
author, the information discussed in this article is also derived from the following sources:
Romano. "Tres Momentos en la creación musical colombiana"
Duque, "La cultura musical en Colombia Siglos XIX y XX." 231.
Alvaro Tirado Mejía, "Luis TorresZuleta" in Nueva Historia de Colombia, ed. Alvaro
Tirado Mejía et al. (Madison: Planeta, 1989), 287-288.
78
Torres Zuleta has a varied catalog of music on which he started working around
the mid 1960's for about thirty years. He has remained inactive as a composer since the
last part of the 20th century. Some of his outstanding works include symphonic works
such as Triptico Sinfónico composed in 1989. This was also selected by the Ministry of
Culture to be part of a massive recording project of various Colombian composers to
commemorate the 500 years of Columbus's voyage to the Americas. Other works include
Concertante for cello and orchestra, Concertante for horn and orchestra, La Trova
Paralela, a symphonic poem; chamber works such as Interventions for wind quintet with
piano, Variations for flute and organ, Sinonimias for piano, winds and percussion and
The Death of a Tree, for S.A.T.B. choir.
Zuleta's pedagogical contribution has been developed through his private teaching
in which he became mentor of important Colombian composers such as Sergio Mesa
(Medellín, b. 1943), German Toro (Bogotá, b. 1964) and Juan A. Cuéllar (Bogotá, b.
1966) among others; and through some didactic writings such as Sistema
Ritmoprosódico, a text intended to teach rhythm in elementary school children; The

Exposition in the Fugue, Musical Toy for Instrumental Groups, Orchestra and Children
Choir; and Rhythm of the Gregorian Chant written specifically for the Choral Society
"Canticum Novum Schola Cantorum Bogotensis," in 2002 and 2003

Little is known about Zuleta's life and works due to his very shy personality and
secluded lifestyle.
Motivos Colombianos
Date: 1988
The composer provided me with a manuscript copy. The piece has not been
published yet, although pianists Angela Rodríguez and Rosario López premiered it that
same year at the Gimnasio Moderno Auditorium in Bogotá. Duration: 11 minutes and 12
seconds. Suggested level: late advanced.

79
Overview
When I spoke with composer Torres Zuleta about obtaining the score of "Motivos
Colombianos," he also provided me with his own commentary of the composition:
"Motivos Colombianos consists of three sections whose nationalistic character
responds to the fact that they were written to commemorate the 450th birthday of the city
of Bogotá. The term "motivos" (motives) used in the title makes reference to the
rhythmic elements upon which the piece lays its structure, which are common in some
forms of traditional music in central Colombia. The three movements fit the formal
intention of going from a relaxed tempo to a more agitated one."
I. Gracioso (gracefully) is based upon the guabina67 rhythm (Fig. 40), which is
clearly introduced by the secondo part in the measures that follow a brief introduction.
The harmonic ideas of the movements are highly chromatic, without a tonal center and
are built upon a combination of minor and major seconds throughout the movement. The
tune introduced at the beginning reappears in both the primo and the secondo part, in
different pitches and sometimes in fragmented portions, giving the movement an
improvisatory dance character.
Figure 40. Motivos Colombianos. I. Gracioso, mm. 8-12. Guabina rhythm mm. 11-12
(Secondo).
67 Definition: Colombian musical genre typical of the departments of Santander and

Tolima. It is in triple meter, has a moderate tempo, and it is typically used to accompany copleros
(troubadours)
80
II. Entusiástico (with enthusiasm) is written in bambuco rhythm once again
introduced first in the accompaniment pattern of the secondo part and later joined by the
tune of the primo. This movement uses a similar strategy as the first one to expound its
contents, by fragmenting the melody of the main theme of the opening, and making slight
variations of it in both the primo and the secondo parts. Thus, such fragments occur
increasingly more often developing a sense of a stretto that builds up towards the end,
whose climax is balanced by a small coda.
Figure 41. Motivos Colombianos. II Entusiástico, mm. 1-8. Bambuco accompaniment

pattern (Secondo).
III. Muy Vivaz (very fast) is the fastest of the three movements. It is written using
the joropo rhythm, a typical dance from the great planes of southeastern Colombia.
Again, the composer makes use of an introduction in the secondo part that expounds the
rhythmical pattern of the accompaniment and gradually becomes faster. The tune that is
highly chromatic appears in the primo part as the secondo emulates the harp (typical
instrument for popular joropo performances) accompaniment. At times, the secondo
hands off the harp-like pattern to the primo, and plays with the main tune material. In
general, like in the first movement, the harmonic color is determined by the use of major
and minor seconds and sevenths.

81
Execution details
This piece was composed for performance and intended for advanced level
players. Its difficulty can be seen in several elements: First, the range that, without being
too wide, can compromise the clarity of the lines because of how close the R.H. of the
secondo is to the L.H. of the primo player. Secondly, it has a highly contrapuntal texture
in many passages, which are already complex due to their chromatic nature (Fig 42).
Figure 42. Motivos Colombianos. I. Gracioso, mm. 12-19. Chromatic character of the
melody (Primo).
And thirdly, the voicing of the numerous minor and major seconds can become
complicated: the closer the notes of a chord are, the more difficult it is for the ear to
compartmentalize which one of the notes should be more sonorous. In other words, it will
be require an extra effort to voice passages that are harmonized in major and minor
seconds (Fig 43), which are predominant in all three movements.

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Figure 43. Major and minor seconds make up the harmonization of multiple passages
throughout Motivos Colombianos.
Javier Fajardo Chaves68 (1950 - 2011)
Javier Fajardo was born in Pasto, Nariño, a city located in the southwestern corner
of the Colombian territory. At age seven, Fajardo received his first piano lessons from his
mother and then later, at the Liceo Maridíaz. This had an effect in his production of
works later in life, since piano music represents the largest portion within his catalog,
followed by chamber and symphonic pieces that include active piano parts.
The biographical information discussed in this article is derived from the following
sources:
68 Jose Menandro Bastidas España. "Javier Fajardo Chaves. Síntesis Musical de su
Tiempo." El Artista, revista de investigaciones en música y artes plásticas, 9(2012): 215-238
accessed on February 2013. http://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/4100133.pdf
"Músicos en Latinoamérica. Javier Fajardo." Biblioteca Digital Universidad Eafit.

Accessed in February 2013.
"Fajardo Chaves, Javier," The Living Composers Project, accessed in February 2013
http://www.composers21.com/compdocs/fajardoj.htm
83
Another musical activity that influenced his compositions was singing. He was an
active singer since his early formation as a musician and throughout his university
studies, where he sang as a soloist, in vocal quartets and in choral ensembles. In 1969 he
became a member of the Society of Artists of Nariño (ASONAR), a choir where he was
exposed to traditional vocal repertoire from Colombia. In 1971 he attended University of
Medellín were he began a civil engineering degree, but quickly abandoned for music.
In 1974 he attended the University of Antioquia where he received his Music
Education and Piano Performance degree in 1980, under the direction of various teachers
such as Mario Gomez-Vignes, Harold Martina and Horacio Escobar. He received training
that included not only piano performance and composition, but also voice, conducting,
choral direction and violin.
Fajardo Chaves is one of the most influential personalities in the pedagogical
world of Colombia due to his devoted work to foment music as a fundamental part of
higher education. It was because of him that the school of music at the University of
Nariño, which had been closed indefinitely since 1965, was reinstated 1981 and today is
one of the most respected schools of music in the country and offers a bachelor's degree
and a master's in music.
Fajardo Chaves wrote intensively during the 1990's for orchestra, choir and
chamber music. His most remarkable works for larger ensmables include Divertimento
con Aire Sureño Nariñense for two clarinets, xylophone, chamber orchestra; Morasurco
al Amanecer for chamber orchestra; Tres Estructuras for symphony orchestra; Alegorías
sobre un Paisaje, una Historia y una Raza for chamber orchestra, choir and soloists; El
Carnaval for mixed choir. He also composed the opera El Duende, based upon a
traditional mythical story of the southwestern region of Colombia, with texts of Manuel
Cortés Ortiz, and the inclusion of typical instruments of indigenous origins of the Andean
region of Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia, within the orchestra.

84
He composed around fourty piano pieces among which there are several groups of
miniatures such as Cinco Preludios, Tres Meditaciones, Dos Burlescas; bigger forms
such as Sonata No. 1, Suite Andino-Nariñense, Prelude and Fugue, and Cuadros,
inspired by Modest Musorgsky's masterpiece Pictures at an Exhibition; and pieces based
on traditional rhythms such as Pasillo Jacumbina, Bambuco Sureño el Tambo, Vals
Tatiana.
Among his most popular chamber music pieces we can find Preludio for flute and
Guitar; Bagatelas for alto sax, double bass, clarinet and piano; Nocturno y tríptico
Colombiano for clarinet and piano; and Mi Nariño, Seis Estampas Paisajistas for string
quintet.
Siete Aforismos Concertantes
The date of composition is unknown. Unpublished. The score found is a music
software copy of the music, located at the National Library of Colombia. Duration: ca. 9
minutes. Suggested level: early intermediate.
Overview:
Siete Aforismos Concertantes is a group of seven miniatures written in a tonal
language, where the composer uses elements from functional and non-functional
harmonic progressions and popular tunes without necessarily directly citing them. Every
piece, despite its simplicity, attempts to portray a unique musical photograph among the
group of seven.
Aforismo I (Moderato) written in E major, has the melodic material in the primo
part throughout while the secondo lays out the harmonic changes. The primo part
expounds the melody by doubling at the octave for the most part, with a few exceptions
in which there is some kind of harmonizing intervals (sixths and tenths), which consist of
one note at a time per hand. The secondo preserves such textural nature by utilizing only
one note per hand, with a few exceptions where the bass is double to the octave. The
85
accompaniment style in this piece, despite its brevity, is rather varied, starting with a
horizontal counter-melodic style through descending scales and ascending arpeggios and
then migrating to a more homophonic style.
Aforismo II (Andante) consists of two sections marked by a double bar. The first
section, written in A minor, presents an eight-bar tune and immediately constructs a
variation upon its harmony, in the following eight bars, using a fast-moving figure in the
primo part. The second section modulates to A major and tries to emulate the same
harmonic progression seen at the beginning, but in the major mode. The melodic material
in this section is completely new.
Aforismo III (Adagio) is pentatonic, using only the five black keys of the
keyboard. The piece is one page long and it is divided in two little sections (or musical
sentences) that repeat. The first one is nine measures long and the second one only four,
serving more as a codetta.
Aforismo IV (Tempo de vals) is a charming dance written in binary form. The A
section has a miniature introduction and an eight-bar melody in unison in D minor,

expounded by the primo part. After it repeats, there is a miniature B section in D major
that hints a come back to the D minor original key through the repeated use of the minor
subdominant, G minor. The recapitulation of the A section is carried out by the secondo
part accompanied by descending arpeggios in the primo part, which takes over the
melody for the last thirtheen bars of the piece, including a small coda.
Aforismo V (Allegretto) is a twenty-bar long piece with a song-like nature that
seems to serve as an intermezzo among the other movements due to its brevity. Written
in A-flat major, it only moves around the tonic, subdominant and dominant areas. The
melody is an emulation of a duet singing a lullaby, colored by smooth succession of
chords that make up the accompaniment in the secondo part. The accompaniment
presents a secondary melody carried by the top note of the chords, which dies away in the
last 6 measures of the piece, while the primo holds long A-flat major chords.
86
Aforismo VI (Commodo) has a very similar form and harmonic structure to
Aforismo II. Although it is written in a 6/8 meter and it has a more dancing character, this
movement is also in A minor and has a middle section that migrates to its parallel major.
The melody is expounded in its entirety by the primo part in unison, whereas the secondo
has a rather vertical nature consisting of octaves in the L.H. and chords in the R.H. both
played with the rhythmic pattern quarter note/eighth-note for the entirety of the piece.
Aforismo VII (Andantino deciso) starts in C minor with a seven-bar tune in the
primo part that repeats. The rest of the piece develops in the key of C major, including a
middle section of sixteen bars that plays with the initial tune but with a different
figuration. The last section is a recapitulation of the initial tune with the original rhythm
structure but as mentioned above, in C major.
Execution details:
The primo part of Aforismo I presents only one measure (Fig. 44) that could
become a little difficult to play due to its layout. It is a sixteenth-note E major arpeggio
pattern in parallel motion marked legato. The difficulty consists of the quick alternation
of ascending and descending motions, while accurately and smoothly achieving the leaps
within the same pattern, at a relatively fast tempo. The secondo part exhibits on more
than one occasion this kind of compound arpeggios and might be considered a little more
difficult than the primo, which might suggest a chance for this miniature to be a
teacher/pupil kind of setting.

87
Figure 44. Aforismo I, mm. 38-39
In Aforismo II, the primo part is written almost entirely in unison, which can be
easier for the slow, cantabile passages but might become tricky for the fast moving ones.
The figuration shown in figure 45 might produce some difficulties in finding a fingering
that fits the size of the hand of the student and is optimal to achieve the unaccented, non-
legato and pianissimo nature of this passage.
Figure 45. Aforismo II, mm. 9-14 (Primo)
Something similar happens in m.29 (Fig. 46) where the design of the arpeggio
requires the shifting of hand positions. The secondo part carries the accompaniment
pattern, which consists in octaves on the downbeat in the L.H. and arpeggios in eighth-
note triplets in the R.H. for the majority of the piece. Near the end, the L.H. has a few
88
arpeggiated patterns that vary the accompaniment style but do not represent a major
technical challenge.
Figure 46. Aforismo II, m.29 (Primo)
Technically, Aforismo III is simple and should not represent major challenges for
the early intermediate student. However, there are two main musical aspects to bear in
mind: one is the transition of dynamics in a slow movement through slow moving value
notes without producing unwanted accents, in the primo part; the other one is to be able
to preserve the velvety effect of the accompaniment pattern in the R.H. without sounding
like a mumble, in light of the clarity of the harmonies.

89
Figure 47. Aforismo III.
The difference in texture between the parts in Aforismo IV, (which is a waltz)
being the accompanying thicker and more sonorous, demands special control at the
moment of playing the triads and the bass. The same care is demanded when the primo
part plays the descending arpeggios, which are not in unison, when accompanying the
melody carried by the secondo part.

90
Figure 48. Aforismo IV, mm. 28-35
The main challenge of Aforismo V (Fig. 49) is the balance of the sound between
parts, which can get heavier in the secondo part due to its thicker texture. Also, the
pedaling changes are not marked, and this piece does not have a harmonic rhythm that
fits a pedaling pattern, which will demand a careful pedaling discussion with the student
playing the secondo.

91
Figure 49. Aforismo V. Pedal markings are not written.
Aforismo VI requires some control of the weight to keep the chords and the
octaves in the secondo part flowing to preserve the dance-like character. The rhythmical
structure of the primo (Fig. 50) presents a pattern of several long notes followed by short
notes. This gesture could fall in the unconscious habit of accentuating the short note after
the long one by the younger pupil, which would disrupt the dance flow of the phrases.
92
Figure 50. Aforismo VI, mm. 8-12. Rhythmical structure of the melody.
The main technical aspect of Aforismo VII is the two-note slur used for the
accompaniment pattern and for the middle section of the melody, which being used
perpetually might lead to some stiffness and consequently unevenness of the eighth-notes
(with the tendency of making the first one slightly shorter than the second one)
Figure 51. Aforismo VII, mm. 9-16. 2-note slur articulation.

93
Andrés Posada Saldarriaga69 (b. 1954)
Born in Medellin, Antioquia, in 1954, Andrés Posada began his music studies at
the University of Antioquia and at the Superior School of Music of the same city. He
moved to New York City where he attended Mannes College of Music and later received
his bachelor and master's degrees in composition under Leo Edwards and Peter Stearns
and conducting with Jacob Kreisberg.
His compositions have been performed in Colombia as well as in various cities
around the Americas and Europe, and he has been awarded several national and
international recognitions such as the 1989 International Composition Competition
Valentino Bucchi in Rome, Italy. Internationally renowned ensembles such as the New
York Chamber Winds, the Aglaia Contemporary Dance Company of NYC, the Art of the
Music Foundation, the Colombian Commission for the Fifth Centenary, Danza
Concierto, Medellín Philharmonic and the Eafit Symphony Orchestra, have frequently
commissioned and performed his music. He was also selected by competition to
participate in the Words and Music: An Inter American Composition Workshop held at
Indiana University in Bloomington in 1994.
69 In addition to an interview with the author and the composer's personal biographic and
program notes, the biographical information discussed in this article is derived from the following
sources:
"Músicos en Latinoamérica. Andrés Posada," Biblioteca Digital Universidad Eafit,

"Andrés Posdada: Compositor Colombiano," Biblioteca Virtual Luis Angel Arango,

http://www.banrepcultural.org/blaavirtual/musica/blaaaudio/compo/aposada/indice.htm
"Andrés Posada," Clarinetes de Colombia, accessed in February 2013

http://www.clarinetesdecolombia.org/Compositores.html
94
Since the late 1980's until today he has been an active member of numerous
symposiums, conferences and competitions taking place in the Americas and Europe,
including the Un Puente entre dos Milenios Conference by the College of Latin-
American Composers of Music of Art, in Mexico D.F. in 2001, 2002 and 2003.
Moreover, Posada organized the 12th Forum of Composers of the Caribbean that took
place at EAFIT University. He was also invited to take part of the jury at the 4th Ibero-
American Composition Price Tomas Luis de Victoria sponsored by the Kings of Spain
and the General Society of Authors and Composers (SGAE in Spanish) in 2002, and in
2006 he was called to participate in the Latin American Music Festival organized by
Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.
Posada has also played an important role in music education and the consolidation
of the composition atmosphere in Colombia, especially in cities other than its capital,
Bogotá. He was a co-founder of the Jaqueline Nova Electronic Music Laboratory at the
Autonomous University of Manizales in 1989, which he also directed until 1992. He
taught composition classes at the School of Music of the University of Antioquia and the
Adventist University Corporation, as well as music theory and harmony at the Diego
Echavarría Musical Institute, for younger generations of musicians. Later in 1998 he co-
founded the School of Music of the Eafit University and was appointed director in 2008.
His most remarkable compositions include Sonata Estival for cello, trumpet,
percussion and double wind quintet premiered in 1985 by The New York Chamber
Winds in Carneggie Hall; 6 para 6 for wind quintet and percussion, premiered at the 18th
Festival of Habana, Cuba, in 2003; Los Colores, for orchestra, premiered in Panama City
also in 2003 in the 13th Forum of Composers from the Caribbean; Elegía Primera for
mixed choir and piano; Misa de los Cantares for soprano, tenor Children's choir, mixed
chorus and orchestra, commissioned and premiered in 2006 by the Eafit symphony
orchestra in Medellín; and Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra premiered in Caracas in
2010.
95
Figuras a Cuatro Manos
This piece was finished in 2000 and was composed for the Audabe piano duet
formed by pianists Lise Frank and Paulina Zamora in Medellín. It was published by the
Eafit University Press in the same year, as part of the series “Compositores
Colombianos.70” Duration: 9 minutes and 54 seconds. Suggested level: late advanced.
Overview:
This is what he commented about his own composition during a private interview:
" Figuras a cuatro manos, is the first of a series of compositions based on images
and elements from the visual arts (…). This piece has two figures, or movements:
Diagonales entre planos (Diagonals among Planes) and Bloques y líneas (Blocks and
Lines). The first figure, as its name suggests, consists on a series of melodic lines that
ascend and descend creating diagonals (Fig. 52). These melodic diagonals are combined
with planes of chords, as geometrical segments in different registers (colors) and
contrasting dynamics (variations in the intensity of light). In this movement I use a scale
derived from the overtone series, from the 8th to the 16th overtone.
70 Andrés Posada. Figuras a Cuatro Manos (Medellin: Fondo Editorial Universidad

Eafit, 2000)
96
Figure 52. Diagonales entre Planos. Contrast between the planes (chords) and the
diagonals (sixteenth-note ascending and descending lines).
The second movement also develops the idea of contrasts, though vertically
instead of horizontally: The simultaneity of two “visual abstractions”, the first one, again
in the form of melodic lines, and the second, shaping and extending blocks of chords. It is
a fast movement, almost like a toccata, very syncopated, with subtle allusions to our
tropical music in the middle section".
In addition to Posada's commentary, it is pertinent to state that this piece is written
in a highly chromatic language with no key signature, so all the accidentals are written
out. In terms of meter, both movements of this piece consistently present time signature
as well as tempo changes through specific metronome markings. The harmony, which is
non-functional and atonal, is dictated by chords formed for the most part by juxtaposed
perfect fourths, augmented fourths/diminished fifths and perfect fifths.

97
Execution details:
One of the most difficult aspects of Diagonales entre planos is the rhythmic
structure, which in addition to changing meter frequently, has a substantial amount of
syncopated gestures that could eventually represent an ensemble challenge. Dynamically
this movement demands a higher level of control of the instrument by the players, to
achieve the recurrent contrasts. There are passages in which every chord in a phrase
demands a different dynamic marking (Fig. 53). In addition, the section that depicts the
diagonals, which consists of a single melodic line, should be played alternating hands (as
noted by the composer in a footnote on the score), but making sure such alternation does
not interfere with the sense of musical continuity.
Figure 53. Figuras a cuatro manos. Diagonales entre planos. Example of the rapid
change of dynamics within a phrase.
Bloques y líneas presents difficulties in the same aspects, only that they are
slightly accentuated. There are two general instances in this movement: the first one is
when the one part plays the bloques, or chords, against the lineas, or ostinato pattern
played in the other part (Fig. 54):

98
Figure 54. Figuras a cuatro manos. Bloques y líneas. The secondo (ostinato) portrays the
Lines whereas the Primo does the Blocks
and the second one is when both parts play bloques or líneas at the same time:
Figure 55. Figuras a cuatro manos. Bloques y líneas. Both parts play Blocks.
The first instance requires a high level of rhythmic accuracy and steadiness by
the part playing the ostinato, for the other part to be able to carry the syncopations
successfully. The second occurrence demands a high level of unity in the articulation and
dynamic level (also marked in almost every other beat) between the two parts, especially
when they both play chords, to picture the "block" effect. At the end of the movement,
both parts play the ostinato line at the same time with the marking sin acentos (without
99
accents), which will require extra care and practice by the players, as in previous
occurrences this ostinato was accented quite a bit. (Fig 56).
Figure 56. Figuras a cuatro manos. Bloques y líneas. Both parts play Blocks
100
Juan Antonio Cuéllar71 (b. 1966)
Juan Antonio Cuéllar was born in Bogotá in 1966. Raised within a family that
valued scholarly music, he went on to form a rock band during his early teens in which he
played guitar, bass and keyboards. They also played jazz at restaurants to support their
financial expenses as an aspiring musical group. In 1984 he started piano lessons with
Colombian pianist Karol Bermúdez and in 1985 he attended the Pedagogical National
University where he studied music pedagogy for two years. At the same time, he took
harmony and counterpoint lessons with Colombian composer Luis Torres Zuleta. He also
received harpsichord lessons in 1987 from Alvaro Huertas and in 1988 entered the
composition program workshop under composer Andrés Posada at the Xavieran
Pontifical University of Bogotá.
Cuéllar was a Fulbright recipient, which allowed him to attend Indiana University
in Bloomington, Illinois where he received his Master's and Doctorate degrees in theory
and composition under the direction of David Dzubay, Eugene O'Brien and Don Freund.
He also received The Indiana University Chancellor's Fellowship.
Once back in Colombia, Cuéllar involved himself with the musical scene in
Bogotá where he was awarded several recognitions for his compositions, among them the
sources:
Juan Carlos Marulanda López, ed., Compositores Javerianos. Música Para Piano
(Bogotá: PUJ Press, 2008), 106
"Juan Antonio Cuéllar," Clarinetes de Colombia, accessed in February 2013,

Carlos Barreiro Ortiz. Compositores Jóvenes Colombianos (Bogotá: Centro Colombo

Americano, 1990), 9-24.
"Juan Antonio Cuéllar Saenz," Filarmónica Joven de Colombia, accessed in March 2013,
http://www.filarmonicajovendecolombia.org/en/portfolio-item/juan-antonio-cuellar-saenz/
101
National Prize of Composition of the District Institute of Culture and Tourism and the
Composition Award "Art of the Music." His music has been performed by various
reputable ensembles, such as the Colombian National Symphony, the Bogotá
Philharmonic Orchestra, the American Composers Orchestra, DeciBelio Ensemble, the
Kuttner Quartet and the Manolov Quartet.
In addition to his work as a composer he played an important role as an educator
at the School of Music of the Xavieran Pontifical University where he was appointed
Dean in 2002. Currently Cuéllar is the executive director of a nation-wide system of
youth orchestras in Colombia named Batuta.
Ocho Piezas para Piano a Cuatro Manos
Date: 1995
Publisher: Editorial Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, 2008. First Edition. This
composition is part of a compilation of pieces for piano named "Compositiores
Javerianos, Música Para Piano."72Duration: 12 minutes73. Suggested level: late
intermediate.
Overview
These eight pieces are a selection of what was originally a set of twenty four
composed for concert band. According to the composer's annotation in this publication,
"...they are small pieces, easy for the common public, written with the idea of helping
concert band musicians and their listeners in Colombia to get acquainted with emblematic
72 Juan Antonio Cuéllar. “Ocho piezas para piano a cuatro manos” in Compositores
Javerianos. Música Para Piano. Edited by Juan Carlos Marulanda López. (Bogotá: PUJ Press,
2008).
73 "Dúo Numen Ocho piezas para piano a cuatro manos" November 23, 2011, video clip,
accessed March 2013, YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xvoq9lYxfBI.
102
features of early twentieth-century music from Europe and North America. Therefore,
many of these pieces combine elements from Colombian folk music with techniques used
by composers such as Bartok, Stravinsky, Copland and Messiaen."
I. Preludio (Lento) is a single-paged introductory piece that has a clear-cut
miniature ABA form marked by the change of meter. A 2/4 measure marks the initial A
section, which explores the sound of the piano from a rather symphonic approach with
tremolos, layered fifths and a brief melodic motive expressed in both parts. The B
section, in 3/4, has a slow pattern resembling that of the bambuco accompaniment in the
secondo part, and the melody in unison in the primo. Although there is no key signature
and there are some chromaticisms, the piece presents a certain level of tonal centers: G in
the opening and B minor and B flat minor in the B section.
II. Canon (Marcato - Grazioso) is written in a 5/4 meter and uses a harmonic
major second in a perpetual motion throughout the whole piece as the accompanying
rhythmic skeleton. This piece is based upon the imitation of a melodic motif between
both the primo and the secondo parts, as a canonic (hence the name) question-answer
dynamic.
III. Tarantella (Allegro) has two main sections that are recapitulated at the end in
a slightly simplified manner. The opening section portrays the prominent melodic theme
in the primo part; it resembles the typically fast, dance-like character of the tarantella, and
the secondo provides a harmonic ground. In contrast, the following section switches to a
perpetual-motion accompaniment in the treble part and a relaxed chorale theme
developed by the secondo
IV. Octatónica (Sostenuto), as its name hints, uses the octatonic scale throughout
and consists of a simple melodic line stated in the first half by the primo that is answered
by the secondo during the second half of the movement, leaving the accompaniment to be
played on the treble section of the piano.

103
V. Joruco (Rápido) has two main structural features. The first one is an ostinato
bass line in the secondo part of a highly rhythmical character, joined by a rather legato
melody in the primo part. The second feature, after the exposition of those two elements,
occurs when the melody still in the primo part, becomes then more syncopated and
percussive, whereas the secondo presents a smoother nature by means of held notes in the
bass and legato perpetual-motion eighth-note figurations in the R.H. The main tune
melody reappears in the middle of the piece indicating a recapitulation, which ends with a
codetta marked muy rápido (very fast) consisting of the theme of the initial ostinato bass,
played by both the primo and the secondo parts.
VI. Juego (Scherzando) is a one-page piece that tries to portray a game scene by
mirroring the pitches between the primo and the secondo. Although there is no key
signature and the piece is highly chromatic, there is a sense of a key center on F.
VII. Interludio (Lento) is the recapitulation of the bambuco tune heard in the first
movement (Preludio), this time using a different tonal center (G) and with a little
elaboration (Codetta) at the end. This piece serves as an introduction to the last
movement of the set of pieces.
VIII. Final (Rápido) is written in a quick tempo and presents a substantially more
orchestral sound than the previous movements, which can be appreciated in prolonged
passages that use a particular register of the piano, and also by sections in which each
player has a solo, emulating a section of an orchestra or band. The Final gathers material
from the preceding seven movements by quotation, paraphrasing or simply using a
similar compositional technique, and expounds them in a rather rhapsodic manner to
create a sense of conclusion.
Execution details:
Technically the Preludio does not represent a major challenge for the late
intermediate student in either part. One of the most important aspects to bear in mind is
104
the balance between the two parts considering that several measures show ff and fff when
in the low register (secondo), which might sacrifice clarity of sound.
The primo part carries the melodic line in the top note of four-note chords at
times, representing a good opportunity to work on voicing with the student. In addition,
despite its untraditional harmonic and melodic design, the middle section containing the
bambuco passage (Figs. 57 & 58) is a good example, which might help the student
become more acquainted with the rhythmic structure of this typical Colombian rhythm.
Figure 57. Ocho Piezas para Piano. Preludio. Bambuco accompanimet pattern.
(Secondo)
Figure 58. Ocho Piezas para Piano. Preludio. Bambuco rhythmical pattern of the
melody.
The difficulty of Canon results from both parts playing accompaniment and
melodic sections in equal proportion, virtually handing off the melodic line and the
accompaniment pattern every few measures (Fig. 59 & 60).

105
Figure 59. Ocho Piezas para Piano. Canon. (Primo)
Figure 60. Ocho Piezas para Piano. Canon. The primo (Fig. 59) and the secondo (above)
alternate the accompaniment figure of the repeated major second.
This means that the intensity of elements such as staccato, accents and dynamics –
to name just a few– have to be matched between the two players in order to communicate
the canonic effect of this movement. Other than a slight tendency to develop tension due
to the speed of the repeated major second, the piece does not present other major
technical challenges. Thin texture and a part range that does not awkwardly overlap the
other player's, keep the difficulties of this piece at a manageable level.
The Tarantella presents a thicker texture at times in both parts, which is a good
opportunity to discuss the relationship between voicing, weight distribution over the
fingers, and sound quality. In addition, several passages are marked with fff and ppp in
both the primo and secondo parts. This is a good opportunity to discuss with the student
how dynamics often have to be reinterpreted in terms of context, especially when
collaborating. From a theoretical standpoint this movement shows the utilization of

106
modes (Locrian, Phrygian, Mixolydian) and scales (pentatonic, synthetic) to create
contrasting moods and atmospheres as an alternative to tonality and atonality.
Other than as an illustration for successfully using the octatonic scale, the fourth
movement possesses an interesting rhythmical component resulting in the simultaneous
combination of the accompaniment patterns of the primo and the secondo (Fig. 61). Strict
following of the marked articulation is fundamental to achieving its syncopated effect.
The shortness of this piece makes it work more as an intermezzo-like transitional piece.
Figure 61. Ocho Piezas para Piano. Octatonic.
Joruco is perhaps one of the most difficult of the eight because of its constant
change of meter at a rapid tempo. This quality makes it a tool for training students to
become more solid rhythmically. Also, because the L.H. of the secondo and the R.H of
the primo share the accompaniment in some sections (Fig. 62), special consideration must
be taken into account in order to not overpower the melodic material developing in the
treble section.
107
Figure 62. Ocho Piezas para Piano. Joruco. The R.H. of the secondo (LEFT) shares the
accompaniment with the L.H. of the primo player (RIGHT).
Although the composer does not use a row of twelve pitches, Juego is great for
introducing young students to the concept of the inversion technique used by serial and
twelve-tone composers in the 20th century. The design of this movement makes the pitch
mirroring happen between the primo and the secondo, occasionally reaching a
choreographic level (i.e. crossing hands at the same time), which could be fun especially
for younger students.
Since Interludio is relatively easy in terms of technical difficulty, it is a good
section to use for focusing on musical content to create the proper effect of an interlude
or an intermezzo. This should include discussing with the student how to create a sense of
pause and relaxation from the content played immediately before and how to transition to
a tension that hints something exciting is coming, portrayed in the codetta.
Because Final takes musical material from the previous movements, many of the
technical and musical challenges observed above can be applied to this movement as
well. One of the main challenges is to try to help the student build independence between
grouping patterns metrically and grouping by the number of notes. In several passages
this movement presents patterns of three and five notes played in a 2/4-meter, which
could be tricky at times, especially for younger students (Fig. 63). This movement
108
provides a chance to introduce the concept of grouping measures as bigger pulse units in
a hypermetrical way, which may help increase phrasing clarity and solve any possible
rhythmical inconsistencies.
Figure 63. Ocho Piezas para Piano. Final, (Primo) mm. 21-24 (LEFT) and mm. 30-34
(RIGHT).
Natalia Valencia Zuluaga74 (b. 1976)
Natalia Valencia Zuluaga began her musical studies at an early age at the
University of Antioquia and at the Diego Echavarría Musical Institute in Medellín, where
she was born in 1976. In 1987 she continued her musical studies in Cuba, where she later
obtained her clarinet performance, chamber music and music education degrees at the
National School of Arts of La Habana in 1995. In the same year she moved to Sao Paulo,
Brazil, and started composition studies at the United Metropolitan Schools.
In 1998 Valencia attended the composition program at Eafit University in her
native Medellín under the composers Andrés Posada, Moisés Bertrán and Marco Alunno.
74 In addition to an interview with the author and the composer's personal biographic and
program notes, the biographical information discussed in this article is derived from the following
sources:
"Trans-Sesiones. Artistas Invitados Nacionales," Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín,

accessed March 2013, http://transesiones.wordpress.com/2009/02/11/invitados-nacionales/
109
She also completed composition studies at Mannes School of Music in New York City in
2002 where she was also part of the private practice studio of composer Samuel Zyman.
Natalia Valencia plays an important role in Medellín as an active composer and as
an educator. She has been commissioned to create compositions for video, dance,
children's theater, and didactic workshops for a wide range of educational institutions.
Among her most remarkable works we can find 1987 and Requiem for symphony
orchestra, Cuarteto for string quartet, Solo for cello, and Hilos for piano and cello, which
was commissioned by the Spanish Embassy in Colombia and premiered by cellist Aldo
Mata and pianist Qi Chen. Her pieces have been played and premiered by the Medellín
Philharmonic Orchestra and the Eafit University Symphony orchestra.
As an educator she has taught in different institutions around Medellín such as the
Colegio de Música de Medellín, Cachito de Luna Corporation, Eafit University and
Momo Circus Corporation. Currently, she is a professor in the program of Music and
Informatics at the Metropolitan Technology Institute (ITM) in the same city.
Tres Miniaturas para Piano a Cuatro Manos
Date: 2010
These pieces are not published yet. The composer provided me with her copy of
the original score. Duration: 3 minutes and 9 seconds. Suggested level: early intermediate
Overview
These three short pieces explore sonorities in the piano by means of different
effects such as glissandi, tremolos and held muted notes (Fig. 64).
110
Figure 64. Tres Miniaturas. III. Tala, mm. 1-8.
Such effects have the unique purpose of bringing sonorities, formed by a
combination of multiple overtones, to the forefront. They do not have a sense of tonality
but since they are written in a minimalistic style, their repetitive patterns produce a sense
of tonal gravity. The other important element is the relationship between the names of
each individual piece and the descriptive sound effects of the piano through
onomatopoeic musical gestures, and also the connection between the three movements,
which create a story development similar to program music.
I. Hombres como árboles (Men like Trees) focuses on the creation of the sonorous
effect resulting from the alternation of repeated notes and repeated chords between the
secondo and the primo parts. At the same time, the primo part holds long notes that allow
the strings to vibrate due to the excitation of harmonic overtones throughout the whole
movement. Those overtones are finally clearly heard in the last measure, where all the
movement stops at a fermata.

111
II. Pájaros y lluvia (Birds and Rain) explores the 'text painting' concept in piano
writing. The R.H. of the secondo and the L.H. of the primo part share a background
accompaniment that makes allusion to the noise of rain drops hitting trees, starting in a
ppp dynamic and leggiero and gradually increasing in intensity; whereas the R.H. of the
primo introduces the bird chirps by means of small melodic gestures and trills (Fig. 67).
There are a few long-note chords in the bass register towards the end of the piece that are
held against the chirping of the birds which create an overtone effect as in the first piece.
III. Tala (Logging) bases its content on onomatopoeic effects. The secondo part
portrays the noise of the axes and chainsaws chopping the trunk of the trees with
tremolos and chords, whereas the primo part uses descending glissandi and chromatic
scales in sixteenth notes to portray the falling of the trees. At some point the chromatic
descending scale covers almost the entire range of the keyboard in this movement,
starting with the primo's R.H., and ending with the secondo's L.H.
Execution details
These pieces would be ideal for the early intermediate students because they
introduce the pupil to minimalistic language using text painting and effects that are not
common in children's method books. Also things like the use of harmonic overtones and
the juxtaposition of different note values in perpetual motion between the primo and the
secondo encourage the early intermediate student to listen more attentively to his or her
own part and also to his or her partner’s.
Despite their brevity, these three miniatures might represent some technical
challenges for students from an ensemble standpoint. For instance, as explained above,
the first movement has a figuration that demands the primo part to play repeated notes at
the offbeat while the secondo does it on the beat, which might require a special
coordination between the two players (fig. 65).

112
Figure 65. Tres Miniaturas. I. Hombres como árboles, (mm. 1-3)
In the second movement, groups of four sixteenth notes in the primo part against
groups of five sixteenth notes in the secondo should be aligned within a beat, in addition
to being cross-handed and very close to one another (Fig. 66).
Figure 66. Tres Miniaturas. II. Pájaros y lluvia. (mm. 7-8)
The third movement shares a similar degree of technical and ensemble difficulty,
in addition to portraying a wider range of the utilization of the keyboard by means of
sweeping chromatic scales and glissandi in both parts (Fig. 64, above).
113
CONCLUSION
The number of piano duets that I found in Colombia, which constitute the purpose
of study of this essay, went beyond my expectations. Despite the difficulties in the
process of acquiring the sources, I was positively surprised with the amount and variety
of the material. However, this process also confirmed the existence of what I consider to
be one of the main problems of the cultivation of art music Colombian music in the
country: the lack of access and exposure. In other words, channels to gain access to
information are as important as being able to store the information itself. The balance
between these two is fundamental to cultivate any kind of cultural practice anywhere, and
while Colombia seems to have a rich variety of the former, it lacks the latter.
The focus of these concluding paragraphs is not to delve into the past, but rather
to propose an idea of how to improve the access of musicians and historians to sources,
and to help increase the exposure of the public in general to Colombian music.
After speaking with composers and pianists in Colombia, I found that the majority
of the publications and recordings made there are sponsored by the public sector, namely
the Ministry of Culture and a number of public university presses. While it is a good idea
that the government is involved and willing to fund these projects, they lack the
necessary marketing to reach the public, locally and abroad.

For instance, the Numen Colombian piano duet was able to record a number of
pieces that are included in this essay in a CD project sponsored by the Ministry of Culture
in Colombia. It is in reality the only existing performance reference of some of these
pieces, which makes this CD a very valuable source for piano teachers, students and the
public in general. I had access to this recording because I visited the National Library of
Colombia, where they have a substantial quantity of copies, and I was given one free of
charge after I filled out a form. However, when I visited other libraries in Bogotá,
114
Medellín and the house-museum "Museo Quevedo" in Zipaquirá, they were unaware of
the existence of such a valuable recording.
In addition to this, some of the pieces recorded in that project lack the legal
conduits to obtain copyright waivers in order for them to be edited, published and
recorded. However, the Ministry of Culture of Colombia found a way to make the
recording possible. When I asked the National Library to help me obtain permission to
show the entirety of the pieces within this document, they claimed they lacked the legal
power to help me.
When speaking with composers Andrés Posada and Amparo Angel they both told
me that the best way to publish their pieces was through self-promoting and also
university presses, because they have a portion of their press run allocated for music
publications, regardless of profit. In fact, composers all around the world are more and
more self-publishing because the means to do it have become cheaper and more
accessible: music writing software, affordable high quality printing equipment and the
internet, to name a few. Very few living composers actually earn money when publishing
companies publish their compositions, whereas it is music by deceased composers that
seems to encompass a major portion of what is being printed, especially through the
release of newer revised and critical editions. However, music of deceased Colombian
composers lacks this kind of sponsorship and many great pieces are 'buried' in public and
private libraries.
In Colombia additionally, the private sector is not really interested in printing
music because Colombia has lacked a 'market' that demands that kind of material, which
is only partially true. Colombia cannot compare with North America or Europe in terms
of the amount of people interested in buying classical music scores or recordings from
dead or living composers. This is because music education has been relegated to a
115
secondary level through the years75, which has negatively affected the promotion of a
generalized appreciation for this kind of music. But things are changing today and a
widespread enthusiasm among composers, performers and music historians can be
perceived when discussing the future of erudite music in the country. A system of youth
orchestras created in 1991, "Batuta," resembling those from "El Sistema" in Venezuela,
are gaining strength, quality and popularity across the nation, attracting a substantial
number of children to become the musicians of the future. A concert and marching band
network project called "La red de Bandas y Escuelas de Música" in the department of
Antioquia has provided music education for thousands of children from the lower income
classes, who otherwise would have joined violent city and rural gangs, which are
products of the drug wars in Colombia. Eafit University created a project called "The
New Choral and Orchestral Music of Colombia" which provides an opportunity for
emerging composers to have their music premiered and recorded by the Eafit Symphony
Orchestra and "Tonos Humanos" Choir. Radio broadcasting programs such as
"Compositores Colombianos" (Colombian Composers) by the Chamber of Commerce
Radio Station in Medellín, dedicates a session to discuss one Colombian composer and
his or her music every week. These are some of the various plans that the private and
public sectors of Colombia, in a collaborative effort, have been implemented to achieve a
sensitization of the public in an inclusive and egalitarian way. Hopefully, such inclusion
will help create the market necessary to complete that cycle formed by the public, the
performers, the composers, and the publishers.
Another future possibility is the marketing power of the Internet and the social
media. The National Library of Colombia and the Luis Angel Arango Library have
75 Carlos E. Betancur. Bambuco , Pasillo ,Cumbia, Vallenato, Mapalé, Joropo, And

Currulao: an Essay and an ANthology for Children for Solo Piano" (DMA Essay, University of
Iowa, 2006). 11-14.
116
transcribed to PDF files some music scores from Colombian composers, from whom they
have managed to obtain legal approvals. They have also created MP3 and MP4 files of
various pieces that can be streamed (but not downloaded). However, while this kind of
media is an improvement it needs to be promoted on a greater scale so more people know
about the existence of this material. For instance, creating an Internet portal where living
composers are able to upload their music in a PDF/MP3 file and even collect a fee for
every user download could be an effective, inexpensive way to generate a market. The
same idea could be implemented for the copyright holders of deceased composers. Also,
publicizing such portals would be easier through social media such as Facebook® and
Google+®.
This study has opened the door for a possible expansion of scope. One of the
ideas discussed with some of the living composers is to create a publication of a
compilation of piano duets pieces, with funding from public and private sectors, to
increase the access to their music in Colombia as well as abroad. There was also great
enthusiasm and support amongst composers, musicologists and pianists when proposing a
possible recording of the material portrayed in this essay. In addition I could imagine
organizing a symposium where composers, performers, musicologists and critics would
get together to propagate this music.

This essay will encourage the study, practice and performance of piano duet
Colombian music from various aesthetic tendencies. The composers included in this
project will also benefit from the exposure of their work. There might be, of course, many
more composers whose pieces are deserving of inclusion in this project, which I did not
have the opportunity to find. Also, it is my hope that this document awakens the
scholastic curiosity of fellow Colombian musicians to continue bringing music from
other genres and disciplines to the visible surface of the public.

117
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Colombian Piano Music For Four

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Colombian Piano Music For Four

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COLOMBIAN PIANO MUSIC FOR FOUR HANDS: A HISTORICAL CONTEXT

AND PERFORMANCE CATALOG

An essay submitted in partial fulfillment

Essay Supervisor: Associate Professor Alan Huckleberry

All rights reserved

INFORMATION TO ALL USERS

This is to certify that the D.M.A. essay of

has been approved by the Examining Committee

Essay Committee: __________________________________

LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... IV

CHAPTER ONE: EVOLUTION OF FOUR-HAND PIANO LITERATURE BY

CHAPTER TWO: THE PROCESS .................................................................................. 15

CHAPTER THREE: THE COMPOSERS AND THEIR PIECES ................................... 21

Manuel María Rueda and Francisco Boada ................................................... 21

CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................... 113

BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 117

Figure 2. Theme (Tema) section, mm. 9-10 (Secondo). .................................................... 25

Figure 3. Beginning of the first variation (Secondo).......................................................... 25

Figure 12. Waltz No. 1, mm. 3-7 (Primo). ......................................................................... 33

Figure 18. El Obsequio, mm. 13-20 (Primo). ..................................................................... 44

Figure 26. Meditando, Op 30, mm. 13-16 (Secondo). ....................................................... 55

Figure 31. Marcha Andina, mm. 39-44 (Secondo)............................................................. 59

Figure 32. Marcha Andina, mm. 39-44 (Primo)................................................................. 59

Figure 33. Marcha Andina, mm. 4-10 (Primo)................................................................... 60

Figure 38. Pasillo. Opening page. ...................................................................................... 75

Figure 42. Motivos Colombianos. I. Gracioso, mm. 12-19. Chromatic character of

Figure 44. Aforismo I, mm. 38-39 ..................................................................................... 87

Figure 45. Aforismo II, mm. 9-14 (Primo)......................................................................... 87

Figure 46. Aforismo II, m.29 (Primo) ................................................................................ 88

Figure 47. Aforismo III. ..................................................................................................... 89

Figure 61. Ocho Piezas para Piano. Octatonic. ................................................................ 106

Figure 64. Tres Miniaturas. III. Tala, mm. 1-8................................................................. 110

Colombian composers. The purpose of this study is to create an annotated catalog of

increased practice and performance of Colombian piano music.

beginning of a complete cataloguing process in an effort to bring Colombian music to the

eyes and ears of today's pianists.

Through my research, I found fourteen Colombian composers whose work

consideration and are included in this essay.

be a deterrent to most performers, students and teachers.

composer, a musical description of their piece(s) and a brief commentary on potential

date of composition (if available), location (if in a public library or museum),

CHAPTER ONE: EVOLUTION OF FOUR-HAND PIANO

LITERATURE BY MAJOR COMPOSERS

four-hand keyboard repertory.

number of instruments and instrument builders multiplied and a generalized interest in

keyboard instrument ownership.

1 Cameron McGraw, Preface to Piano Duet Repertoire (Bloomingon: Indiana University

4 Ferguson, Keyboard Duets, 2

of this particular medium. He pointed out in the article “Ravalement” in Rees

attributed by Johannes Brahms as an original composition by his father, J. S. Bach.

entire Op. 14 to the piano duets in C, F and E-flat major.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) is considered one of the greatest

autographs are both lost.

9 Hugh M. Miller. "The Earliest Keyboard Duets," 438.

works, but considered to be also of unprecedented un-pianistic nature because of its

awkwardness when it comes to its layout.

...there is an extensive body of piano four-hand literature, well

always maintaining high standards of taste. There is knowledge of some four-hand

when they were multi-movement works, four-hand arrangements of movements alone

were sold as independent pieces.

13 McGraw, Piano Duet Repertoire, xiii.

14 Weekley and Arganbright, Schubert's Music, 3.

15 Weekley and Arganbright, Schubert's Music, 20-30.