Manuel M. Ponce Complete Works for Guital: Eladio Scharrbn, guita*

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Manuel M. Ponce
Complete Works for Guital:
Eladio Scharrbn, guita*
The Mexican Manuel M. Ponce is one of
the most important composers to have written
for the guitar during the first half of the 20th
century. His flourishing friendship with
Andr6s Segovia during the early 1920's produced some of the best works ever written for
the guitar. Many of Ponce's works, such as the
Variations, Fugue o n Folies dtEspagne and
Sonatina Meridional, are universally recognized as unquestionable masterpieces in the
repertoire for the classical guitar. The second
Volume of Manuel M. Ponce's Complete
Works for Guitar include many ambitious
works that resulted from the fruitful collaboration of nvo great artists.
Most of Ponce's works for guitar were composed during the 1920's. This period was particularly important and rich in both, the quantity and tile quality of the works composed for
this instrument. In a letter to Ponce, Segovia
mentioned that he was the third non-guitarist
composer ever to write new \vorks for the guitar. In fact, the two men had already met in
1923 i n Mexico City where Ponce did the
press review of a recital given by Segovia there
in May. About the guitarist, he wrote:
"AndrCs Segovia is a n intelligent and
invaluable collaborator to the young Spanish
musicians that are writing for the guitar. His
musical culture enables him to translate with
fidelity the ideas of the composer
into his instrument and, in that way, contin-
ues to enrich the not so large musical repertory
of the guitar (Coraz6n Otero, Manuel M.
Ponce y la Guitarra, Mexico, D.F.: Ediciones
Fonapas, 1981,31)."
After this encounter, Ponce's first work for
guitar was born: the Sonata Mexicana, written
in 1923. In a letter of the same year, Segovia
expressed his gratitude for Ponce's work:
"I want t o tell you also my happiness at seeing
that the most interesting composers in this old
world are collaborating with my eagerness to
re-vindicate the guitar. I already have a small,
beautiful work of Robert Roussel, the promise
of others o n the way by Ravel, and 'cheerful
pages' from Volmar Andreas, S u t e r ,
Schoenberg, Weles, Grovlez, Turina, Torroba,
Falla, etc., etc. Seeing this new group elevating my beautiful instn~ment,I think each time
with more gratitude of the first ones who
answered my call, that is, Torroba and yourself. (After Torroba and before you was Falla
mho wrote his Homage to Debussy). And
once again I wish to express you my sincerest
gratitude (AndrCs Segovia, T h e SegoviaPonce Letters, edited by Miguel Alcizar, trans.
By Peter Segal (Colombus, Ohio: Editions
OrphCe, 1989,3.)".
In 1925, at the age of 43, Ponce moved to
Paris where he lived until 1932. Already a
seasoned composer, he enrolled in the composirion class of Paul Dukas a t t h e Ecole
Normale de Musique. At the end of this peri-
od, Dukas stated that Ponce's great talent went
beyond mere academic considerations. He
gave the Mexican composer three times as
many high marks as usually given at the end of
the final examination. It was during his stay
in Paris that Ponce composed most of the
works included here.
The repertoire included here consists of the
surviving multi-movement solo sonatas mritten for guitar by Ponce. Ponce mrote eight
sonatas, a sonata for harpsichord and guitar,
which is a rare combination up to this day, and
seven solo guitar sonatas. The first sonata was
the Sonata Mexicana composed in Mexico in
1923 while the Sonata I1 was composed in
1925 or 1926; apparently, the manuscript was
destroyed during the Spanish Civil War. The
Sonata for Harpsichord and Guitar was composed in 1926, followed by Sonata I11 and the
Sonata Clisica, written in homage to
Fernando Sor in 1927. Sonata RomBntica,
composed in 1928, was a tribute to Schubert.
Later works included the arrangement of
Paganini's Grand Sonata in A, 1930-31, the
Sonatina Meridional composed in 1930, and
the Sonatina in Homage to TBrrega composed
in 1931.
The style of all these works is quite eclectic;
some are reminiscent of the styles and harmonic languages of composers from the past,
like Sor in the Sonata Clisica and Schubert in
the Sonata Romintica. T h e Sonatina
Meridional and the Homage to Tirrega use
elements that are Spanish in character while
the Sonata 111 has some late 19th Century
French influence. The Sonata Mexicana on
the other hand, is rich in elements derived
from Mexican folk music traditions. Ponce's
particular harmonic style, his taste for the
melody, and the use of counterpoint techniques give these works a particularly refined
flavor.
This recording represents Ponce's complete
repertoire of solo guitar sonatas, or at least
those that survived. 1 excluded Sonata VI,
which is mainly a reconstruction and atrangement of Paganini's Grand Sonata in A and
that I personally don't consider as an original
composition, at least in comparison to the
other works. The editions used are a combination of the available works as edited by
Segovia, Manuel Lopez Ramos, and Miguel
Alcazar's "Obra Completa para Guitatra de
Manuel M. Ponce", based on the original
manuscripts (Mexico: Conaculta, 2000).
In most cases I follonled Alcazar's edition;
that's the case for Sonata RomQntica,Sonata
ClQsica,Finale from Sonatina in Homage to
Tarrega, Sonata 111, and most of the Sonata
Mexicana. The Sonatina Meridional is based
in the version edited by Segovia and published
by Schott, but with a few small changes taken
from Alcazar's edition. In t h e Sonata
Mexicana I took some ideas from the version
edited by Manuel Lopez Ramos. The idea here
was not to question Segovia's editions but to
have a fresher look on these works using different choices for the articulations. The version
published by Alcazar allows that freedom since
there are very little articulations added. The
titles used follow the ones used in Segovia's
publications but the movement titles are as in
Alcazar's edition.
The order chosen is not chronological but
rather based on the contrasting styles of these
~vorks. I personally think this mill be more
interesting for the listener.
El mexicano Manuel M. Ponce es uno de los
compositores m i s importantes que hayan
escrito para la guitarra durante la primera
mitad del siglo XX. La amistad que se estableci6 a principios de los aiios 1920 con Andres
Segovia produjo algunas de las mejores obras
escritas para la guitarra. Muchas obras de
Ponce, como lo son las Variaciones y Fuga
sobre Folias d e Espaiia o la S o n a t i n a
Meridional, estin universalmente reconocidas
como incuestionables obras maestras e n el
repertorio de la guitarra clisica. El segundo
volumen de las Obras Completas para Guitarra
de Manuel M. Ponce incluye varias obras de
envergadura que fueron el resultado de la productiva colaboracidn de dos grandes artistas.
La mayor parte de las obras de Ponce fueron
compuestas durante la decada d e los 1920.
Este periodo es particularmente importante y
rico tanto en la cantidad como en la calidad de
las obras compuescas para la guitarra clisica.
En una carta dirigida a Ponce Segovia menciona qile este era el tercer compositor n o guitarrista en haber escrito nuevas obras para la
guitarra. De h e c h o , los dos hombres se
conocieron e n Ciudad de Mexico e n 1923;
Ponce hizo la critica del recital presentado por
Segovia en el mes de mayo de ese afio. Sobre
el guitarrista el escribid:
Alldres Segovia es un inteligente y valioso
colahorador de los j6venes mhsicos espafioles
que escriben para guitarra. Su cultura musical
permitele traducir con fidelidad en su instrumento el pensamiento del compositor y, de
esta manera, enriquece dfa a dia el n o muy
copioso repertorio de m6sica para guitarra
(Corazdn O t e r o , Manuel M. Ponce y la
Guitarra, mexico, D.F.:Ediciones Fonapas,
1981,31.)
Luego de este primer encuentro Ponce
escribe su primera obra para guitarra, la Sonata
Mexicana, compuesta e n 1923. En una carta
del mismo afio Segovia expresa su gratitud por
dicha obra:
Quiero tambien decirle mi alegria al ver que
10s mas interesantes compositores de este viejo
mundo, estin colaborando a mi afin reivindicativo de la guitarra. Tengo ya una obrita
preciosa de Albert Roussel, promesa en vias de
cumplirse de Ravel, y piginas felicisimas de
Volmar Andreas, Suter, Schoenberg, Weles,
...
Grovlez, Turina, Torroba, Falla, etc., etc.
Viendo todo este nuevo grupo que va enalteciendo mi bello instrumento pienso cada vez
con mas gratitud en 10s primeros que acudieron a mi llamamiento, es decir en Torroba y
en V. (Despues de Torroba y antes de V. fu6
Falla el que hizo su homenaje a Debussy). Y
nuevamente quiero darle mis mas sincerisimas
gracias (Andr6s Segovia, The Segovia-Ponce
Letters, edited by Miguel AlcBzar, trans. by
Peter Segal, Colombus, Ohio: Editions
Orphee, 1989, 1).
En 1925 Ponce, qui6n c o n t a b a e n ese
momento con 43 afios de edad, se traslada a
Paris donde reside hasta el 1932. Siendo ya un
reconocido compositor con experiencia, Ponce
ingresa en la clase de composici6n de Paul
Dukas e n la Escuela Normal de Mdsica de
Paris. A l final de este period0 Dukas declara
que el gran talent0 de Ponce iba mas allri de
meras consideraciones acad6micas; el triple de
las calificaciones nlriximas posible le fueron
adjudicadas a1 mesicano durante el fin de sus
estudios. Fu6 durante su etadfa en Paris que
Ponce compuso la mayor parte de las obras
incluidas aqui.
El repertorio incluido aqui consiste en las
sonatas para guitarra sola escritas por
Ponce. Ponce escribi6 o c h o sonatas, una
sonata para clavecin y guitarra, combinaci6n
rara alin de nuestros dias, y siete sonatas para
guitarra sola: La Sonata Mexicana, compuesta
en Mexico en el 1923; la Sonata 11, compuesta
en 1925-26, aparentemente el manuscrito fue
destruido durante la Guerra Civil Espafiola; la
Sonata para Clavecin y Guitarra fu6 compuesta en 1926; la Sonata 111 y la Sonata CIBsica,
en homenaje a Fernando Sor, fileron compuestas en 1927; la Sonata Romrintica, en homenaje a Schubert, fuC compilesta en 1928; el arreglo de la Gran Sonata en La de Paganini fue
realizado entre 1930 y 1931; la Sonatina
Meridional fu6 compuesta en 1930; finalmente, la sonatina Homenaje a Trirrega fue
compuesta en 1931.
El estilo de todas estas obras es bastante
ecl6ctico; algunas evocan 10s estilos y lenguajes arm6nicos del pasado, como el de Sor en la
Sonata ClBsica y el de Schubert en la Sonata
Romrintica. La Sonatina Meridional y el
Homenaje a TBrrega usan elementos de carBcter espaiiol, la Sonata 111 tiene influencia
Francesa de fines dei siglo diecinueve, y la
Sonata Mexicana es rica en elementos derivados de las tradiciones del folclor mexicano. El
particular estilo arm6nico de Ponce, su gusto
por la nlelodia, y el uso de tecnicas contrapuntisticas le dan un sabor particularmente refinado a estas obras.
La presente grabaci6n ppresenta la integral de
las Sonatas para guitarra sola conlpuestas por
Ponce, por lo menos, las que han sobrevivido.
Exclui la Sonata VI que es sobretodo una
reconstrucci6n y arreglo de la Gran Sonata e n
La de Paganini y que personalmente no cons i d e r ~como una obra totallnente original, a1
menos en reiaci6n a las otras obras.
Las ediciones usadas son una combinaci6n
de las obras editadas por Segovia, Manuel
Lopez Ramos, y Miguel Alcazar ("Obra completa para Guitarra de Manuel M. Ponce",
basada e n manuscritos originales, Mexico:
Conaculta, 2000). En la mayor parte de los
casos he seguido la edicidn de Alcazar. Tal es
el caso de la Sonata Romiintica, la Sonata
Cliisica, el final del Homenaje a Tiirrega, la
Sonata 111, y la mayor parte d e la Sonata
Mexicana. La Sonatina kleridional est5 basada en la versi6n editada por Segovia y publicsda por Schott, con algunos pequeiios cambios
tornados d e la edicidn de Alcazar. En la
Sonata Mexicana tom6 algunas ideas de laversi6n editada por Manuel Lopez Ramos.
La idea aqui no ha sido el cuestionar las
ediciones de Segovia sino mas bien el tratar
distintas alternativas de articulaci6n y fraseo.
La versidn publicada por Alcazar ofrece esa
libertad ya que hay muy pocas indicaciones de
articulacidn. Los titulos usados aqui son 10s
usados en las publicaciones de Segovia pero las
indicaciones de los movimientos siguen la edici6n de Alcazar.
El orden escogido n o es cronoldgico sino
mas bien basado en los estilos contrastantes de
las obras; personalmente encuentro esto mas
interesante para el oyente.
Special thanks to Yoany Beldarrain for the
edition and revision of the notes; to Dr. Lee
Eubank, Chair of the University of Central
Florida, for his support during the realization
of this project; t o my parents Pain and
Margarita for their permanent support; to
Myriam and Maria Belgodere, for t h e i r
patience, friendship, and encouragement during this period; and to Gustavo and Beatriz
Arvelo, for their friendship and for being such
good supporters of classical guitar activities in
the area of Orlando, Florida.
The guitar used for this recording \\,as made by
Dominique Field from Paris, France in 1995.
Sonatina Meridional
Allegro non troppo
Andante
Vivace
Sonata Roma'ntica (Homage to Schubert)
Allegro non troppo, semplice
Andante
Moment Musical (vivo)
Allegro non troppo e serioso
Finale from t h e Sonatina i n Homage to
Tirrega
Sonata Clisica (Homage to Fernando Sor)
Allegro
Andante
Menuet
Allegro
Sonata 111
Allegro Moderato
Chanson (Andantino molto espressivo)
Allegro non troppo
Sonata Mexicana
Allegro moderato
Andantino affettuoso
Allegretto, quasi serenata
Allegretto un poco vivace
Eladio Scharrdn is Associate Professor of
Classical Guitar at the University of Central
Florida in Orlando since 1998. He is a graduate from the University of Puerto Rico where
he studied guitar with Emesto Cordero. After
obtaining the BA in music, he went to Paris to
continue graduate studies in guitar under the
direction of Alberto Ponce. I n 1981 h e
obtaineg the prestigious Dipl6me de Concertiste
a t the Ecole Normale de Mlisiqtce de Paris.
Eladio Scharrdn has won numerous awards
and competitions, among them, the Concltrso
de Griitarra de la Cnsa de Espaiia in Puerto
Rico, the International Gttitnr Competition of
Sable Sur Snrthe in France, and the Reynofds
Mtcsical Award. He has also participated as a
soloist in prestigious international guitar festivals in France, Belgium, Italy, Peru, Ecuador,
El Salvador, Puerto
Rico, Mexico and the
United States. Eladio
Scharr6n has premiered and has had
many new works for
guitar dedicated t o
him. During his long
stay in Paris, h e won
accolades from music
critics as a concert
artist and has taught
at the Paris Mtinicz$al Conservntol-y in France.
From 1992 to 1997, Dr. Scharrdn was a professor at the University of Puerto Rico. In 1994,
b o t h t h e University of Puerto Rico a n d
Eastman School of Music awarded him scholarships to complete doctoral studies at t h e
prestigious school in Rochester. Dr. Nicholas
Goluses supervised his guitar work at Eastman.
I n 1996 h e obtained t h e prestigious
Performer's Certificate and t h e degree of
Doctor of M~tsicalArts was awarded in 1997.
Currently, Dr. Scharrdn is working on t h e
recording of Manuel M. Ponce's complete
works for guitar; the first compact disc in this
series is available under the label Centaur
(CRC 2487). Dr. Scharrdn performs regularly
as a soloist with orchestras in the State of
Florida and abroad.
For more information call 407-823-1051; email - escharro@mail.ucf.edu
Manuel M. Ponce
Complete Works for Guitar, Vol. 2
Eladio Scharrbn, guitar
Sonatina Meridional
1 I Allegronon troppo
2 I1 Andante
3 111 Vivace
(8:56)
4:14
2:29
2:13
Sonata Rom4ntica (Homage to Schubert)
(20:29)
4 1 Allegro non troppo, semplice 6:28
5 I1 Andante
4:54
6 I11 Moment Musical (vivo)
3:00
7 IV Allegro non troppo e serioso 6:05
8 Finale from the Sonatina in Homage to
Ttirrega
(2:47)
CRC 2701
Sonata 111
(14:06)
13 I Allegro Moderato
5:53
14 I1 Chanson
(Andantino molto espressivo) 2:50
5:21
15 I11 Allegro non rroppo
Sonata Mexicana
16
17
18
19
I Allegromoderato
I1 Andantino affettuoso
111 Allegretto, quasi serenata
IV Allegretto un poco vivace
Total Duration:
(12:12)
346
3:49
1:07
3:28
75:dl
Sonata Cla'sica (Homage to Fernando Sor)
(1559)
9 I Allegro
5:55
10 I1 Andante
3:28
11 111 Menuet
3:13
12 IV Allegro
3:24
Recorded August 24,2002 at the LSU Recital Hall, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, La. Produced
E. Sachse.
by Daniel Cassin. Engineeredby Victor E. Sachse and Daniel Cassin. Executive Producer:
Cover Painting: Johann Morita Rugendas: Valley of Mexico (detail), 19th century. The guitar used for this
recording was made by Dominique Field, Paris, France, 1995.
@ @ 2005
Centaur Records, Inc.
Manuel M. Ponce
Complete Works for Guitar, VoI. 2
EIadio Scharrhn, guitar
CRC 2701
Sonatina M e r i d i d
1 I Allb:grononaoppo
2 II Andante
3 111 V i m
+14
2:29
2:13
13 1 AHegroModwato
14 11 Chanson
553
(Adantino molt0 espressivo) 250
15 I11 Allem m n nappo
521
.- .
- --
4 1 Auegm rmn mpp,sempbce 6 2 8
5 I1 Andante
434
6 III Moment M u s i d (vim)
3:00
7
IVAkgmnuntroppemrioso 6:B
16 1 AUegrodram
17 I1 Aadanrinoaffem
t 8 LII AUegrem, quasi m t a
19 IV AUegwrro un poco vivace
346
349
la7
3:28
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M m m ~ : V d k y d M ~ ( L LdA ~h .m m w ~ p ~ s r l u e d h ~ r e w ~ ~ m a d e ~ D o ~ F i e l
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