Pablo Ortiz

about

Argentinean composer Pablo Ortiz belongs to the generation of composers who were trained in 1970s and early '80s, a time when the tenets of serialism were sacrosanct in American conservatories and music schools. Ortiz, who received his doctorate at Columbia under Mario Davidovsky, would have been inculcated with the doctrine of serialism as the pinnacle (and, in fact, the only respectable expression) of "serious" music. Like the most successful composers of that generation, Ortiz abandoned serialism, but has taken from his training a rigorous attention to compositional detail, which, in the service of an original and fertile musical imagination, produces works that are both intellectually stimulating and aurally attractive. Ortiz's grounding in the popular music of Argentina, particularly its rhythmic energy, is always apparent, sometimes with subtlety and sometimes with great flair. His compositional voice is most distinct in the large works that open and close this CD. Oscuro, for mixed voices and chamber ensemble, is created around a fascinating premise. He sets two poems by Mexican poets, Francisco Alaraeon and Amado Nervo, first in Spanish and then in English translation, with brief instrumental interludes interspersed in the set. Ortiz cites Gesualdo as an influence, and it's easy to hear the choral sections, particularly the Spanish settings, as madrigals, with the eccentricity of Gesualdo's chromaticism here intensified to produce rich, dense, chocolatey sonorities.

top songs

albums

Ortiz: Gallos y Huesos & Notker

First Drop

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The Orchestra of Futurist Noise Intoners (A Performa Comission)

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Ortiz: Choral Works

Oscuro

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Música de Costa Rica

Mystery Variations on Giuseppe Colombi's Chiacona

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Music for 16 Intonarumori

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Ya No Quiero Esperar Más

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The Lost City: Lamentations Through the Ages

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Andanzas

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Amy Briggs: Tangos for Piano

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