Summer 2013 - The American Viola Society

y Jorge Barrón Corvera
Manuel M. Ponce’s Trio for
Ponce (1882–1948) is internationally recognized
as one of Mexico’s foremost composers and has
been widely acknowledged as a pioneer of
musical nationalism in his country. His prolific
catalogue contains more than three hundred
compositions. A man of vast culture, he wrote
over two hundred articles about musical topics
and was the founding editor of three influential
music journals: Revista Musical de México
(Mexico, 1919–20), Gaceta Musical (Paris,
1928–29), and Cultura Musical (Mexico, 1936–
37). Polyglot and multifaceted, he undertook a
career with an array of occupations including
teacher, music critic, editor, researcher, lecturer,
administrator, conductor, pianist, and composer.
He studied music in the cities of Mexico (1901),
Bologna (1905), Berlin (1906), and in Paris
Violin, Viola, and Cello
VOLUME 29 SUMMER 2013 ONLINE ISSUE
(1925–32) at the École Normale de Musique
with Paul Dukas. His eclectic musical style
ranges through Baroque, Classical, Romantic,
Impressionistic, Neoclassic, and Neoromantic.
In addition, many of his works are influenced by
the music of Cuba, Spain, and especially by that
of Mexico.
Ponce was first known as the composer of
Estrellita (Little Star, 1912), an enchanting song
that quickly captivated audiences around the
world. Beginning in 1923, Ponce wrote for the
William Primrose Portrait celebrated Unveiling Spanish guitarist Andrés Segovia a
large body of guitar compositions, crowned by
his Concierto del Sur (1941). His many pieces
for guitar constitute one of the single most
important contributions to the literature of that
instrument. On a larger scale, a number of his
orchestral works became well-known during his
lifetime. Interest in exploring his complete
Manuel M. Ponce
catalogue is growing among musicians and
researchers.
To Carlos Prieto Jacqué
26
Composed in 1943, the Trio is Ponce’s last
chamber music work. 1 It emerged between two
of his most ambitious creations: the Concierto
del Sur, for guitar and orchestra (1941) and the
Violin Concerto (1943). The performance time
of its four movements is approximately eighteen
minutes. 2 Each instrument plays an active role
through a dense contrapuntal writing resulting in
rich, ample sound. The harmonic language is
somewhat conservative yet belongs to this
epoch. The melodic material is fluid and
attractive. Musical depth and a variety of moods
are displayed within typical forms. The last
movement, Allegro giocoso, builds up to a
brilliant ending. A discrete Spanish flavor
permeates the piece. 3