RICARDO CASTILLO
Ricardo Castillo was born on October 1, 1891 in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. He was the younger brother of Jesus Castillo. Living in a rural town he was given the opportunity to study composition and take violin classes abroad in France, Paris with A. Lefort where his first works became published. His work is often inspired by Guatemalan folk music, also drawing on the literary world of the legendary Mayan past.In 1918 he married pianist Georgette Contoux and four years later returned to his native country where he became professor of music, history, harmony and counterpoint at the Conservatory of Guatemala, in Guatemala City.
Ricardo Castillo introduced about two dozen piano works with collections of pieces and a substantial amount of compositions. Xibalba, a symphonic poem of 1944, is one of Castillo’s best works. His writings were an impressionistic style and turned to national sources only later; his many works include random pieces such as Ixquic and Quiché Achí (both 1945), and the ballet Paal Kaba (1951), which won him wide recognition. (Grove Music Online) Ricardo Castillo passed away May 23, 1966.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
R.C. Cuxum Ruiz: Jesús Castillo–Ricardo Castillo (San José, 1983
E. Anleu-Díaz: Historia de la música en Guatemala (Guatemala City, 1986)
O. Barrientos: Historia de la Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional (Guatemala City, 198
D. Lehnhoff: ‘ La musica’, Historia general de Guatemala, v (Guatemala City, 1997), 491–500
J. Eduardo Tanchez: Music in Guatemala, Some Musicians and Composers, (Guatemala City, 1987)
DISCOGRAPHY
Album Title Catalogue No. Work Category
CASTILLO: Paal Kaba / Quiche Achi Marco Polo 8.223719 Orchestral
CASTILLO: Piano Works Marco Polo 8.225077 Instrumental
MARTINEZ-SOBRAL: Marco Polo 8.223710 Orchestral
Acuarelas Chapinas / CASTILLO:
Guatemala I and II
REFERENCES
Dieter Lehnhoff. "Castillo, Ricardo." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. <http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/05141>.
"Classical Musical Home: Ricardo Castillo." Naxos.Com. Naxos Digital Services Ltd, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. <http://www.naxos.com/person/Ricardo_Castillo/25937.htm>
Perez, Oscar. "Biografias De Musicos Guatemaltecos." Biografias De Musicos Guatemaltecos. Quetzal Net, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2013.
Drum, Den, and Jos Smeets. "Ricardo Castillo." Home Page. Classical-Composer, 1 July 2005. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. <http://www.classical-composers.org/comp/castillo
Ricardo Castillo was born on October 1, 1891 in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. He was the younger brother of Jesus Castillo. Living in a rural town he was given the opportunity to study composition and take violin classes abroad in France, Paris with A. Lefort where his first works became published. His work is often inspired by Guatemalan folk music, also drawing on the literary world of the legendary Mayan past.In 1918 he married pianist Georgette Contoux and four years later returned to his native country where he became professor of music, history, harmony and counterpoint at the Conservatory of Guatemala, in Guatemala City.
Ricardo Castillo introduced about two dozen piano works with collections of pieces and a substantial amount of compositions. Xibalba, a symphonic poem of 1944, is one of Castillo’s best works. His writings were an impressionistic style and turned to national sources only later; his many works include random pieces such as Ixquic and Quiché Achí (both 1945), and the ballet Paal Kaba (1951), which won him wide recognition. (Grove Music Online) Ricardo Castillo passed away May 23, 1966.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
R.C. Cuxum Ruiz: Jesús Castillo–Ricardo Castillo (San José, 1983
E. Anleu-Díaz: Historia de la música en Guatemala (Guatemala City, 1986)
O. Barrientos: Historia de la Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional (Guatemala City, 198
D. Lehnhoff: ‘ La musica’, Historia general de Guatemala, v (Guatemala City, 1997), 491–500
J. Eduardo Tanchez: Music in Guatemala, Some Musicians and Composers, (Guatemala City, 1987)
DISCOGRAPHY
Album Title Catalogue No. Work Category
CASTILLO: Paal Kaba / Quiche Achi Marco Polo 8.223719 Orchestral
CASTILLO: Piano Works Marco Polo 8.225077 Instrumental
MARTINEZ-SOBRAL: Marco Polo 8.223710 Orchestral
Acuarelas Chapinas / CASTILLO:
Guatemala I and II
REFERENCES
Dieter Lehnhoff. "Castillo, Ricardo." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. <http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/05141>.
"Classical Musical Home: Ricardo Castillo." Naxos.Com. Naxos Digital Services Ltd, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. <http://www.naxos.com/person/Ricardo_Castillo/25937.htm>
Perez, Oscar. "Biografias De Musicos Guatemaltecos." Biografias De Musicos Guatemaltecos. Quetzal Net, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2013.
Drum, Den, and Jos Smeets. "Ricardo Castillo." Home Page. Classical-Composer, 1 July 2005. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. <http://www.classical-composers.org/comp/castillo