PROGRAM NOTES

STRING QUARTET # 1, OPUS 20
By Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983)

Considered Argentina’s foremost 20th century composer, Alberto Ginastera was born in Buenos Aires and began a very successful musical career at a young age. He achieved international recognition with a performance of his Second String Quartet by the Juilliard Quartet in 1958, in Washington, D.C. Ginastera described his career in composition as consisting of three distinct periods. The first, what he called Objective Nationalism, lasted from 1937 to 1948; and in it, he relied extensively on and quoted directly from Argentine folk music, especially the music of the Pampas, or Argentine cowboy music. In the second period, Subjective Nationalism (1948-1956), Ginastera was inspired by folk rhythms and melodies but does not actually quote them.

In his third, or Neo-Expressionism period (1957-1983), Ginastera embrac...
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Intro, Outro, and all introductions to pieces are self-contained. Timing sheet is available for download below.