Contemporary Mexican Classical Guitar Music at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century: Selected Compositions 1988-2003

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to discover if Arturo Fuentes’ Primer Interludio incorporates a number of stylistic features typical of guitar music written by Mexican contemporaries from 1988 to 2003. These features include the use of complex musical notation, highly disjunct melodic contour, extended techniques, innovative timbres, rhythmic complexity, rapidly changing dynamics, atonality, percussive effects and repetitive rhythmic and/or melodic cells. As a point of departure a list of guitar works by representative Mexican composers was compiled. From this list the following works were chosen since they exemplify the stylistic trends I wish to highlight: Tres Instantáneas (1988) by Manuel Enríquez, Sonata (1992) and Elegía 2 (2000) by Hebert Vázquez, Haikus (2000) by Ana Lara, Sydolira (2000) by Gabriela Ortíz, and Impello (2003) by Francisco Javier González Compeán. By comparative analysis, I have associated certain stylistic features between these contemporary Mexican composers. I have been able to get a glimpse of some of the underlying stylistic unities found in these guitar compositions that seem rather separate. There are a number of stylistic features common to all of the composers discussed herein as well as few characteristics where only some of them converge. However, this research shows that Arturo Fuentes’ Primer Interludio is representative of several stylistic features commonly found in guitar music written by contemporary Mexican composers. There is a vast variety of Mexican guitar works created in recent years that remain unknown to today’s classical music world, academic community and general public. Mexico possesses a large repertoire of guitar works, music for solo guitar and guitar with a wide array of ensemble combinations from duets to large ensembles and guitar concertos. Many of these works would undoubtedly challenge a performer of the highest caliber. One of the purposes of this project is to promote contemporary Mexican classical guitar music. I hope to awake interest in this contemporary music style and encourage other musicians to include Mexican works in their concert repertoire.