Juan Bautista Plaza and Musical Nationalism in Venezuela

Juan Bautista Plaza (1898-1965) was one of the most important musicians in the history of Venezuela. In addition to composing in a variety of genres and styles, he was the leading figure in Venezuelan music education and musicology at a time when his compatriots were seeking to solidify their cultural identity. Plaza's compositions in the emerging nationalist style and his efforts to improve musical institutions in his home country parallel the work of contemporaneous Latin American musicians including Carlos Chávez of Mexico, Amadeo Roldán of Cuba, and Camargo Guarnieri of Brazil. Plaza's life and music are little studied, and Labonville's ambitious book is the first in English to be based on his extensive writings and compositions. As these and other documents show, Plaza filled numerous roles in Venezuela's musical infrastructure including researcher, performer, teacher, composer, promoter, critic, chapel master, and director of national culture. Labonville examines Plaza's many roles in an attempt to assess how the nationalist spirit affected art music culture in Venezuela, and what changes it brought to Venezuela's musical landscape. "A path-breaking work that will be of great use to American scholarshipin mapping out what remains, to our shame, largely terra incognita to musical scholarship." -- Alejandro Enrique Planchart, Emeritus Professor of Music, UCSB Juan Bautista Plaza (1898-1965) Was The Central Composer In Venezuela For Much Of The Twentieth Century. In Addition To Writing Numerous Masses And Several Large Orchestral Works, Plaza Was The Leading Figure In Venezuelan Music Education And Musicology. His Efforts To Improve Musical Institutions In His Home Country Parallel Those Of Other Contemporary Latin American Composers, Induding Guarnieri In Brazil. Plaza's Life And Music Are Little Studied; There Is Only One Book, In Spanish, About The Composer. Labonville's Ambitious Work Is The First To Use Plaza's Extensive Collection Of Writings And Compositions In An English-language Study. Parts Of The Book Look Exhaustively At Plaza's Music Criticism, His Relations With The Venezuelan Press, And His Activities As A Choral Director. As Evidenced By These Artifacts, Plaza Filled Numerous Roles In Venezuela's Musical Infrastructure Including Researcher, Performer, Teacher, Composer, Promoter, And Critic. Labonville Examines Plaza In These Roles In An Attempt To Assess How The Nationalist Spirit Affected Art Music Culture In Venezuela And What Changes It Brought To Venezuela's Musical Landscape.--jacket. Background. Introduction : Early Twentieth-century Art Music Culture In Caracas; The Significance Of Plaza And His Colleagues ; A Portrait Of Plaza : The Man, The Musician ; The Composer -- Plaza's Life And Works. Beginnings; First Compositions; Vocational Indecision; First Writings On Music (1898-1920) ; Rome; Plans For Musical Renewal In Venezuela (1920-1923) ; Paid To Compose : The Chapel Mastership (1923-1948) ; The Educator, Part 1 (1923-1928) ; The Early Secular And Nationalist Compositions (1924-1929) ; The Nascent Journalist (1925-1928) ; The Founding Of The Orfeón Lamas, And Plaza's Creative Response (1927-1963) ; Plaza And The Orquesta Sinfónica Venezuela (1930-1957) ; The Mature Journalist; Writings On Nationalism In Music (1929-1948) ; The Principal Nationalist Compositions With Instruments (1930-1956) ; The Educator, Part 2 (1930-1941) ; The Musicological Pioneer (1936-1964) ; Plaza As The Subject Of Reportage ; The Later Non-nationalist Compositions (1930s-1963) ; The Educator, Part 3 (1942-1962) ; Retirement : Final Thoughts On Education And Culture (1962-1964) ; Plaza In Retrospect. Marie Elizabeth Labonville. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [297]-314) And Index. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 14 Part One. Background......Page 18 1. Introduction: Early Twentieth-Century Art Music Culturein Caracas; The Significance of Plaza and His Colleagues......Page 20 2. A Portrait of Plaza: The Man, the Musician......Page 29 3. The Composer......Page 45 Part Two. Plaza’s Life and Works......Page 56 4. Beginnings; First Compositions; Vocational Indecision;First Writings on Music (1898–1920)......Page 58 5. Rome; Plans for Musical Renewal in Venezuela(1920–1923)......Page 69 6. Paid to Compose: The Chapel Mastership(1923–1948)......Page 78 7. The Educator, Part 1 (1923–1928)......Page 91 8. The Early Secular and Nationalist Compositions(1924–1929)......Page 94 9. The Nascent Journalist (1925–1928) 88......Page 105 10. The Founding of the Orfeón Lamas, andPlaza’s Creative Response (1927–1963)......Page 111 11. Plaza and the Orquesta Sinfónica Venezuela(1930–1957)......Page 132 12. The Mature Journalist; Writings on Nationalismin Music (1929–1948)......Page 148 13. The Principal Nationalist Compositionswith Instruments (1930–1956)......Page 164 14. The Educator, Part 2 (1930–1941)......Page 190 15. The Musicological Pioneer (1936–1964)......Page 198 16. Plaza as the Subject of Reportage......Page 214 17. The Later Non-nationalist Compositions(1930s–1963)......Page 225 18. The Educator, Part 3 (1942–1962)......Page 241 19. Retirement; Final Thoughts on Educationand Culture (1962–1964)......Page 256 20. Plaza in Retrospect......Page 263 Notes......Page 268 Selected Bibliography......Page 314 Index......Page 332