A Study of Indianas by Carlos Guastavino

The May 2022 issue of Choral Journal is online and features an article titled “FLOWERS AMONG THORNS: A STUDY OF INDIANAS BY CARLOS GUASTAVINO AMID ARGENTINE POLITICAL UNREST” Benjamin T. Saunders. You can read it in its entirety at acda.org/choraljournal. Following is a portion from the introduction.
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Carlos Guastavino (1912-2000) is one of the most recognized and prolific Argentine composers and pianists of the twentieth century. He composed and performed his neo-romantic works amidst the political turmoil and upheaval that took place in Argentina throughout his life. He is best known for his compositions for solo piano and solo voice, but little focus has been on his original choral works and the choral arrangements of his songs. This article studies the original choral composition Indianas (1967) by Carlos Guastavino, with a focus on political and historical context, the influence of Argentine folk music and the Nuevo Cancionero, and a brief analysis of Guastavino’s musical language, including his homophonic and syllabic compositional style, direct modulations, and extended harmonies.

Carlos Guastavino composed Indianas in 1967 for SATB quartet or SATB chorus accompanied by piano. The titles of the six movements are 1. “Gala del día,” 2. “Quién fuera como el jazmín…,” 3. “Chañarcito, chañarcito…,” 4. “Viento norte,” 5. “Al tribunal de tu pecho,” and 6. “Una de dos.” Guastavino set texts in Indianas from various Argentine poets. The text of “Gala del día” is by Arturo Vazquez, “Quién fuera como el jazmín…,” “Chañarcito, chañarcito…,” and “Al tribunal de tu pecho” by León Berarós (1915-2012), “Viento norte” by Isaac Aizenberg (1918-1993), and “Una de dos” by Juan Ferreyra Basso (1910-1984). These poets penned metaphors that compare the elements of nature with love and life. Guastavino dedicated Indianas to Antonio María Russo (b. 1934), an Italian-born Argentine citizen who was a respected choral and orchestral conductor and colleagues with Guastavino at the Conservatorio Nacional de Música “Carlos López Buchardo” [The Carlos López Buchardo National Conservatory of Music].14 The following year, Guastavino composed Indianas No. 2 for TTBB chorus and piano.

Read the rest of this article in the May 2022 issue of Choral Journal.