Daniel Catán
Encyclopedia
Daniel Catán was a Mexican composer
of Russian Sephardic Jewish
descent known particularly for his opera
s and his creative friendship with the tenor Plácido Domingo
.
, he studied philosophy
at the University of Sussex
and music at the University of Southampton
. He received a Ph.D.
from Princeton University
, where he studied with Milton Babbitt
, James K. Randall, and Benjamin Boretz
.
Catán was the first Mexican composer to have an opera produced in the United States, when San Diego Opera
produced his opera Rappaccini's Daughter
in March 1994. He has also composed orchestral and chamber works
and film music. His style can be described as neo-impressionist. His music is richly lyrical, often painting evocative colours with the orchestral palette with soaring melodies atop.
In addition to composition, Catán had a fruitful career as a writer on music and the arts. He lived in South Pasadena, California
. In 1998, Catán received the Plácido Domingo Award for his contribution to opera, and he received a Guggenheim Fellowship
in 2000. His last opera, Il Postino, whose premiere featured Plácido Domingo in the role of Pablo Neruda
, is based on the 1983 novel Ardiente paciencia
by Antonio Skármeta
and the 1994 film Il Postino
by Michael Radford
; it premiered at the Los Angeles Opera
in September 2010.
Catán died aged 62 on April 8, 2011, in Austin, Texas
, a few days after he attended rehearsals for Il Postino at the Moores Opera Center
at the University of Houston
. At the time of his death, Catán was a member of the faculty at College of the Canyons
and had been commissioned by the Sarah and Ernest Butler School of Music
at the University of Texas at Austin
to write a new opera, Meet John Doe.
style that was highly lyrical. Opera News
stated that his music had "a distinctive lushness that seemed of a piece with the twentieth century's great movie music yet remained unquestionably operatic in scope." Due to his modest compositional output in his lifetime, it is difficult to pin down that he had a style similar to any previous composer, as each composition was clearly self contained due to commissioning reasons. Music critic David Patrick Stearns wrote, "Though Catán's style was often compared to that of Puccini
and Debussy
, it changed with every work, from the lush nature painting of Florencia en El Amazonas (1996) to the Cuban ethnic influences of Salsipuedes (2004), and the more integrated sonorities that portrayed the inner emotions of Il Postino (2010). Other critics noted the influences of Richard Strauss
and Heitor Villa-Lobos
with his orchestral structures.
Of his own music Catán said, "I have inherited a very rich operatic tradition. In my work, I am proud to say, one can detect the enormous debt I owe to composers from Monteverdi
to Alban Berg
. But perhaps the greatest of my debts is having learnt that the originality of an opera need not involve the rejection of our tradition — which would be like blindly embracing the condition of an orphan — but rather the profound assimilation of it, so as to achieve the closest union between a text and its music." Catán also cited in many interviews Igor Stravinsky
, Maurice Ravel
, and Erich Wolfgang Korngold
among those who had most influenced his music and compositional style.
Ballets
Orchestral
Vocal Orchestral
Chamber music
Film music
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
of Russian Sephardic Jewish
Sephardi Jews
Sephardi Jews is a general term referring to the descendants of the Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula before their expulsion in the Spanish Inquisition. It can also refer to those who use a Sephardic style of liturgy or would otherwise define themselves in terms of the Jewish customs and...
descent known particularly for his opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s and his creative friendship with the tenor Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
.
Career
Born in Mexico CityMexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, he studied philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at the University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
and music at the University of Southampton
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
. He received a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, where he studied with Milton Babbitt
Milton Babbitt
Milton Byron Babbitt was an American composer, music theorist, and teacher. He is particularly noted for his serial and electronic music.-Biography:...
, James K. Randall, and Benjamin Boretz
Benjamin Boretz
Benjamin Boretz is an American composer and music theorist.-Life and work:Boretz was born in Brooklyn, New York and graduated with a degree in music from Brooklyn College...
.
Catán was the first Mexican composer to have an opera produced in the United States, when San Diego Opera
San Diego Opera
The San Diego Opera Association is a professional opera company located in the city of San Diego, California and is a member of OPERA America. It was founded in 1950 to present productions by San Francisco Opera in the San Diego area...
produced his opera Rappaccini's Daughter
Rappaccini's Daughter (opera)
La hija de Rappaccini is an opera in two acts composed by Daniel Catán to a libretto by Juan Tovar based on the play by Octavio Paz and the short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne...
in March 1994. He has also composed orchestral and chamber works
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
and film music. His style can be described as neo-impressionist. His music is richly lyrical, often painting evocative colours with the orchestral palette with soaring melodies atop.
In addition to composition, Catán had a fruitful career as a writer on music and the arts. He lived in South Pasadena, California
South Pasadena, California
South Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 25,619, up from 24,292 at the 2000 census. It is located in in the West San Gabriel Valley...
. In 1998, Catán received the Plácido Domingo Award for his contribution to opera, and he received a Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
in 2000. His last opera, Il Postino, whose premiere featured Plácido Domingo in the role of Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda was the pen name and, later, legal name of the Chilean poet, diplomat and politician Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. He chose his pen name after Czech poet Jan Neruda....
, is based on the 1983 novel Ardiente paciencia
Ardiente paciencia
Ardiente Paciencia, or El Cartero De Neruda, is a 1983 novel by Antonio Skármeta. The novel was published in the English market under the title The Postman...
by Antonio Skármeta
Antonio Skármeta
Antonio Skármeta is a Chilean writer, born November 7, 1940 in Antofagasta, Chile. He was born to Croatian immigrants from the Adriatic island of Brač, region of Dalmatia....
and the 1994 film Il Postino
Il Postino
Il Postino is a 1994 Italian film directed by Michael Radford. The film was originally released in the U.S. as The Postman, a straight translation of the Italian title...
by Michael Radford
Michael Radford
Michael Radford is an English film director and screenwriter.-Early life and career:Radford was born on 24 February 1946, in New Delhi, India, to a British father and an Austrian Jewish mother. He was educated at Bedford School before attending Worcester College, Oxford...
; it premiered at the Los Angeles Opera
Los Angeles Opera
The Los Angeles Opera is an opera company in Los Angeles, California. It is the fourth largest opera company in the United States. The company's home base is the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, part of the Los Angeles Music Center.-Current leadership:...
in September 2010.
Catán died aged 62 on April 8, 2011, in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, a few days after he attended rehearsals for Il Postino at the Moores Opera Center
Moores School of Music
The Rebecca and John J. Moores School of Music is the music school of the University of Houston. The Moores School offers the Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Arts in Music, Master of Music, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in music performance, conducting, theory and composition, music history...
at the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
. At the time of his death, Catán was a member of the faculty at College of the Canyons
College of the Canyons
College of the Canyons is a public two-year community college that operates within the Santa Clarita Community College District. The college is located on of rolling, tree-dotted hills in the incorporated city of Santa Clarita in northern Los Angeles County, California. The college’s address is:...
and had been commissioned by the Sarah and Ernest Butler School of Music
Sarah and Ernest Butler School of Music
The Sarah and Ernest Butler School of Music is located on the eastern side of The University of Texas at Austin.With over 100 faculty members and more than 750 students, the Sarah and Ernest Butler School of Music ranks among the top 3% in the country....
at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
to write a new opera, Meet John Doe.
Compositional style
Catán composed his music in a neo-RomanticNeoromanticism (music)
Neoromanticism in music is a return to the emotional expression associated with nineteenth-century Romanticism. Since the mid-1970s the term has come to be identified with neoconservative postmodernism, especially in Germany, Austria, and the United States, with composers such as Wolfgang Rihm and...
style that was highly lyrical. Opera News
Opera News
Opera News is an American classical music magazine. It has been published since 1936 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, a non-profit organization located at Lincoln Center which was founded to support the Metropolitan Opera of New York City...
stated that his music had "a distinctive lushness that seemed of a piece with the twentieth century's great movie music yet remained unquestionably operatic in scope." Due to his modest compositional output in his lifetime, it is difficult to pin down that he had a style similar to any previous composer, as each composition was clearly self contained due to commissioning reasons. Music critic David Patrick Stearns wrote, "Though Catán's style was often compared to that of Puccini
Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...
and Debussy
Claude Debussy
Claude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
, it changed with every work, from the lush nature painting of Florencia en El Amazonas (1996) to the Cuban ethnic influences of Salsipuedes (2004), and the more integrated sonorities that portrayed the inner emotions of Il Postino (2010). Other critics noted the influences of Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
and Heitor Villa-Lobos
Heitor Villa-Lobos
Heitor Villa-Lobos was a Brazilian composer, described as "the single most significant creative figure in 20th-century Brazilian art music". Villa-Lobos has become the best-known and most significant Latin American composer to date. He wrote numerous orchestral, chamber, instrumental and vocal works...
with his orchestral structures.
Of his own music Catán said, "I have inherited a very rich operatic tradition. In my work, I am proud to say, one can detect the enormous debt I owe to composers from Monteverdi
Claudio Monteverdi
Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, gambist, and singer.Monteverdi's work, often regarded as revolutionary, marked the transition from the Renaissance style of music to that of the Baroque period. He developed two individual styles of composition – the...
to Alban Berg
Alban Berg
Alban Maria Johannes Berg was an Austrian composer. He was a member of the Second Viennese School with Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern, and produced compositions that combined Mahlerian Romanticism with a personal adaptation of Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique.-Early life:Berg was born in...
. But perhaps the greatest of my debts is having learnt that the originality of an opera need not involve the rejection of our tradition — which would be like blindly embracing the condition of an orphan — but rather the profound assimilation of it, so as to achieve the closest union between a text and its music." Catán also cited in many interviews Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
, Maurice Ravel
Maurice Ravel
Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
, and Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Erich Wolfgang Korngold was an Austro-Hungarian film and romantic music composer. While his compositional style was considered well out of vogue at the time he died, his music has more recently undergone a reevaluation and a gradual reawakening of interest...
among those who had most influenced his music and compositional style.
Works
Operas- Encuentro en el ocaso (1980)
- La hija de RappacciniRappaccini's Daughter (opera)La hija de Rappaccini is an opera in two acts composed by Daniel Catán to a libretto by Juan Tovar based on the play by Octavio Paz and the short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne...
(1991) - Florencia en el AmazonasFlorencia en el AmazonasFlorencia en el Amazonas is an opera in two acts composed by Daniel Catán. It contains elements of magical realism in the style of Gabriel García Márquez and uses a libretto by Marcela Fuentes-Berain, one of his pupils...
(Florencia in the Amazon) (1996) - Salsipuedes, a Tale of Love, War, and Anchovies (2004)
- Il Postino (2010)
Ballets
- Ausencia de Flores (Absence of Flowers)
Orchestral
- El Vuelo del Águila (The Eagle's Flight)
- El Árbol de la Vida (The Tree of Life)
- En un Doblez del Tiempo (A Fold in Time) (1982)
Vocal Orchestral
- Cantata for Soprano, Chorus, and Chamber Orchestra
- Tierra Final (Final Earth), for soprano and orchestra
- Mariposa del Obsidiana (Obsidian Butterfly), for soprano, chorus, and orchestra (1984)
Chamber music
- Encantamiento, for 2 recorderRecorderThe recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
s
Film music
- I'm Losing YouI'm Losing YouI'm Losing You is a 1996 novel by the American novelist, screenwriter and director Bruce Wagner. Wagner adapted his novel for, and directed, a 1998 film of the same title, starring Frank Langella and Daniel von Bargen. The film adaption grossed $12,688 in limited release....
(1996, directed by Bruce WagnerBruce WagnerBruce Alan Wagner is an American novelist, actor, screenwriter, producer, and director based in Los Angeles known for his acerbic view of the Hollywood entertainment industry.-Personal life:...
)