Joaquín Rodrigo: Spanish Composer

• Joaquín Rodrigo was a 20th-century Spanish composer
• He composed hundreds of musical pieces for orchestra, piano, and voice
• Rodrigo is best known for his guitar music, despite not playing the instrument himself
• Rodrigo became blind at the age of three due to diphtheria
• All of his musical works are composed in braille

Early Life

• Born in Valencia, Spain in 1901
• He was the youngest of 10 children
• At age three he became ill with diphtheria and lost his sight

Education

• In 1927 Rodrigo moved to Paris
• Studied at the École Normale de Musique under French Composer Paul Dukas
• While in Paris he met other composers, including Manuel de Falla

Musical Career

• Published Rodrigo's first orchestral work in 1924 at age 23
• The orchestral work named Juglares was performed in Valencia
• In 1935 Rodrigo wrote Sonada de adiós for piano
• It was in memory of his teacher, Paul Dukas, who died that year
• World premiere of the Concierto de Aranjuez took place in Barcelona, Spain in 1940
• Rodrigo gained worldwide fame as a result

Personal Life

• In 1933, Rodrigo married Turkish Pianist Victoria Kambi
• They later moved back to Spain and settled in Madrid in 1939
• In 1941 Daughter Cecilia was born
• Cecilia is Rodrigo's only surviving child
• Rodrigo was awarded the Légion d'Honneur by the French government in 1963 at age 62
• Rodrigo died in Madrid in 1999 at the age of 98
• Rodrigo is buried in the family vault in the cemetery of Aranjuez

Musical Influences

• Igor Stravinsky created new ways to look at rhythm and melody in 20th-century music
• Spanish history, poetry, and music is echoed in Rodrigo's melodies

Concierto de Aranjuez

• Rodrigo is best known for his haunting guitar-orchestra piece
• The work is inspired by the gardens at the Palace of Aranjuez and also the tragic death at birth of his first born
• Victoria, Rodrigo's wife, was unwell at the time
• The piece has been rearranged by musicians from various styles such as Miles Davis

Writing Music

• Rodrigo used a piano and braille machine
• He wrote his compositions in braille, then dictated them note by note, to a copyist, usually Victoria
• Victoria then wrote each musician's part on sheet music
• Together reviewed the music before sending it to the printers

Segovia Influence

• Rodrigo wrote his 2nd most popular work at the request of classical guitarist Andrés Segovia
• This was Fantasia para un Gentilhombre (Fantasy for a Gentleman) Segovia held the title
• Segovia was also the first to perform the piece in 1958

Recorded Sound

• Thomas Edison recorded the first human voice on his newly invented cylinder phonograph in 1877
• Radio became a springboard for musicians
• Later the availability of digital downloads and online streaming

John McCormack

• Irish Tenor known for singing Classical and Popular Music

Nora Bayes

• American Singer performed Morale-boosting songs for Allied troops during WW1

Benny Goodman

• American Clarinet player with a band played a style of Jazz that made people dance
• Goodman began recording in the 1920's and went on to take a regular slot in the radio program "Lets Dance."

Bing Crosby

• American singer who made the best selling record ever (White Christmas)

Smokey Robinson

• In 1960, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles recorded their hit single "Shop Around"
• Their record label was Motown Records, founded by Berry Gordy
• Set up to promote Black American artists and the soul-pop sound known as Motown

The internet and records

• Many people prefer to buy and download digital copies of their favorite songs with the increase in the internet
• Adele's 2005 single Hello broke records with 1.1 million downloads in the US in just one week

BTS

• Benefited from the trend of streaming music
• The 2021 song Dynamite was streamed on Spotify 7.7 million times on its first day of release

This lesson explores the life and work of Joaquín Rodrigo, a 20th-century Spanish composer. Despite being blind from a young age, Rodrigo composed hundreds of musical pieces, and is best known for his guitar compositions. We will explore his early and professional life.