Carlos Guastavino: A Re-evaluation of His Harmonic Language

Abstract

Carlos Guastavino (1912-2000) needs no introduction within his native Argentina, as he is one of the most beloved figures in the history of Argentine art music. In North America, however, he is hardly known at all except to singers specializing in Latin American art songs, or perhaps to musicians with a particular interest in the music of Argentina. For most people in North America, the composer most commonly associated with Argentina is still Alberto Ginastera (1916-83), with Astor Piazzolla (1921-92) coming in a close second. Guastavino and Ginastera differed markedly in personality and in musical style; their relative positions in musical society within Argentina and internationally are direct reflections of these differences.3 Ginastera gained international fame through his cultivation of large-scale genresballet, opera, symphonic works-and his extrovert personality led him to participate in organizations that promoted new music in Argentina and elsewhere. Although some of his works have nationalist elements, Ginastera also wrote many works in an abstract, modernist style that endeared him to composers and critics abroad but alienated some listeners at home.