Basque Music - Composers

Composers

The Basque Country has been home to various notable composers, writing mainly in the 20th century. Much in step with the artistic trends of the first half of the century (painting,...), some of them developed a liking for Basque customs, manners and subjects.

• Juan de Anchieta (1462–1523): Composer of the Renaissance hailing from the area of Azpeitia.
• Santiago de Herdoiza (Durango, c. 1700)
• Juan Crisostomo Arriaga (Bilbao, 1806 - Paris, 1826)
• Jose Maria Usandizaga (Donostia/San Sebastian, 1887–1915): He is considered along with J. Guridi the father of Basque opera. He drew up orchestral and chamber pieces, like the celebrated Cuarteto de cuerda en Sol, Op. 31, shifting to elaborate zarzuela as well as opera works at the end of his life (Mendi-Mendiyan, 1910: Las Golondrinas, 1914). He had his increasingly successful career cut short by an early death.
• Jesus Guridi (Vitoria-Gasteiz, 1881 - Madrid, 1961): Himself a friend of Usandizaga, whom he met in Paris while attending the Schola Cantorum, he was appointed manager of Bilbao's Sociedad Coral choir in 1912. Influenced by Wagner and musicians of the Late Romanticism, he found inspiration and phrases for his compositions in Basque folklore. His rich musical education enabled him to deal with different types of music, e.g. zarzuela, opera, compositions for choir as well as religious pieces for organ. Some acclaimed works include El caserío (1926), Diez melodías vascas (1940), La meiga (1929), Seis canciones castellanas (1939) and Sinfonía pirenaica (1945).
• Nemesio Otaño (Azkoitia, 1880 - San Sebastian, 1956 ): Composer, organist and musicologist. One of the most important figures in 20th century Spanish music history. Director of the Royal Conservatory of Madrid between 1939 and 1956. Among his most known works is 'Saint Ignatius March' ('Marcha de San Ignacio'), the saint patron of Biscay and Guipuscoa. In 1894 studied in the Colegio Preceptoría de Baliarrain, in which he composed two of his first Letanías and a Zortziko for piano; he was then only fourteen years old, but already played the organ in the school Parish. In 1896 he joined the Society of Jesus and began his ecclesiastical studies along with the music classes. In 1911 he founded the Schola Cantorum at Comillas: His performances in plainsong and polyphony were highly influential. His works range from popular sacred songs (e.g. Estrella hermosa, Anima Christi, Baldako) to large-scale choral pieces.
• Pablo Sorozabal (Donostia/San Sebastian, 1897 - Madrid, 1988)
• Maurice Ravel (Ziburu, 1875 - Paris, 1937): Basque born French composer and arranger.
• Carmelo Bernaola (Otxandio, 1929 - Madrid, 2002)
• Francisco Escudero (Donostia/San Sebastian, 1912–2002), composer of Zigor and Gernika), operas with Basque librettos
• Sebastian Iradier (Lanciego, 1809 - Vitoria-Gasteiz, 1865)