Venezuelan waltz
Encyclopedia
History
Between the hall dances that arrived to VenezuelaVenezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
during the 19th century, waltz has been the one of greater root and dispersion. Waltz
Waltz
The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
consists of a musical expression derived from an Austrian popular dance, the ländler
Ländler
The ländler is a folk dance in 3/4 time which was popular in Austria, south Germany and German Switzerland at the end of the 18th century.It is a dance for couples which strongly features hopping and stamping...
. Although an exact date cannot be defined about the arrival of the waltz to Venezuela, can be assured that for half-full of the 20th century it became present in the Venezuelan musical writing, registering scores in the New method for guitar and harp,
Venezuelan waltz
According to Luis Felipe Ramón y RiveraLuis Felipe Ramón y Rivera
Luis Felipe Ramón y Rivera, composer, teacher, musician, folklorist and writer, was born in San Cristóbal, Táchira, August 23, 1913. He lived his first years in the Venezuelan city of San Cristóbal. Between 1919 and 1921 he lived, with his parents and siblings, successively in Cúcuta, San Luis and...
two currents in waltz exist, the hall and the popular waltz. At the hall waltz the favorite instrument for its execution is the piano. They emphasize names of Manuel Azpúrua, Manuel Guadalajara, Rafael Isaza, Rogelio Caraballo and Ramon Delgado Palacios at the beginning of this genre in Venezuela, that were dedicated to the composition of two parts waltzes. From this, composer ntooksm suhiash
The waltz of oral tradition (popular waltz) uses for its execution the own traditional instruments of each region, being cultivated fundamentally at the Andes and the center west of Venezuela. At the andean region, the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and the bandola
Bandola
This article refers to various South American instruments. Bandola is also Portuguese for Mandola.The Bandola is one oif many varieties of small pear-shape chordophones found in Venezuela and Colombia...
are the solo instruments, accompanied by guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, triple and cuatro. Also in Lara is executed with: violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, cuatro
Cuatro (instrument)
The cuatro is any of several Latin American instruments of the guitar or lute family. The cuatro is smaller than a guitar. Cuatro means four in Spanish, although current instruments may have more than four strings....
and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
.
The musical structure characteristic of popular waltzes is of three parts. Even though some popular musicians have composed songs with their name, the majority has left their compositions in the anonymity. In the popular tradition we can find the waltz in many dances and folklorical manifestations, among others we have: joropo
Joropo
The Joropo is a musical style resembling the waltz, and an accompanying dance, having African and European influences originated in Venezuela and performed in Colombia and Venezuela. It's a fundamental genre belonging to its typical music or música criolla...
and Tamunangue.
Famous Venezuelan waltzes
- Dama antañona (Francisco de Paula AguirreFrancisco de Paula AguirreFrancisco de Paula Aguirre was a Venezuelan composer.Aguirre was born in Caracas, dedicates part of his life at the composition of waltzes, his works became popular pieces of the Venezuelan culture, also was a precursory of the player piano rolls manufacture in the country.Between his works,...
) - El Diablo SueltoEl Diablo SueltoEl Diablo Suelto , published in 1888, is one of the most important Venezuelan songs. Created by Heraclio Fernández, this waltz from the Venezuelan state of Zulia is played as a joropo...
(Heraclio FernándezHeraclio FernándezHeraclio Fernández Noya , was a Venezuelan musician, best known for the composition El Diablo Suelto.From a very young age resided in La Guaira with his father Manuel Maria Fernández, from whom received his first piano lessons. In Caracas founded the newspaper El Zancudo, a weekly magazine whose...
) - Visión porteña (Pedro Pablo Caldera)
- Adios a Ocumare (Angel María Landaeta)
- Conticinio (Laudelino MejíasLaudelino MejíasLaudelino Mejías, b. , d. , was a Venezuelan composer, best known for the waltz Conticinio.- Early life :...
) - Que bellas son las flores (Francisco de Paula AguirreFrancisco de Paula AguirreFrancisco de Paula Aguirre was a Venezuelan composer.Aguirre was born in Caracas, dedicates part of his life at the composition of waltzes, his works became popular pieces of the Venezuelan culture, also was a precursory of the player piano rolls manufacture in the country.Between his works,...
) - Sombras en los médanos (Rafael Sánchez López)
- Quejas del alma (Dr. Delgado Briceño)
- Flor de loto (Francisco J. Marciales)
- Pluma y lira (anonymous)
- Brisas del Zulia (Amable Espina)
- Morir es nacer (Rafael Andrade)
- María Luisa (Antonio LauroAntonio LauroAntonio Lauro was a Venezuelan musician, considered to be one of the foremost South American composers for the Guitar in the 20th century.- Biography :Antonio Lauro was born in Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela...
) - El campo está florido (Telésforo Jaimes)
- Las bellas noches de Maiquetía (Pedro Areila Aponte)
- La Ruperta (anonymous)
- Pabera (Juan Ramón Barrios)
- Vals Nº 3 -Natalia- (Antonio LauroAntonio LauroAntonio Lauro was a Venezuelan musician, considered to be one of the foremost South American composers for the Guitar in the 20th century.- Biography :Antonio Lauro was born in Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela...
) - Primavera (Teresa CarreñoTeresa CarreñoMaría Teresa Carreño García de Sena was a Venezuelan pianist, singer, composer, and conductor.Born into a musical family, she was at first taught by her father, then by Mathias, Louis Moreau Gottschalk and Anton Rubinstein and her talent was recognized at an early age...
) - Geranio (Pedro Elías GutiérrezPedro Elías GutiérrezPedro Elías Gutiérrez was a Venezuelan musician who is mainly remembered by the joropo song Alma Llanera, whose music he composed.-Life and valoration:...
)
Source
- Atlas de Tradiciones de Venezuela, Fundación BigottFundación BigottFundación Bigott is a private institution in Venezuela; it is dedicated to "preserving and making known making known the values of traditional culture".- History :...
, 1998.