JoaquÍn and Cecilia rodrigo

Taken from http://www.joaquin-rodrigo.com

Text Box: JOAQUIN RODRIGO VIDRE Marqués de los Jardines de Aranjuez 1901-1999 Joaquín Rodrigo nace en Sagunto el 22 de noviembre de 1901, día de Santa Cecilia, patrona de la Música. A los tres años de edad, pierde la vista como consecuencia de una epidemia de difteria. A los ocho años inicia, en Valencia, los estudios musicales de solfeo, violín y piano. Después, armonía y composición con los maestros Francisco Antich, Enrique Gomá y Eduardo Chavarri. Sus primeras composiciones datan de 1923. En 1927, se traslada a París e ingresa en la Escuela Normal de Música para estudiar composición con Paul Dukas, quien demuestra una especial predilección hacia su discípulo. Pronto se da a conocer como pianista y compositor en los ambientes musicales parisinos y entabla amistad con Ravel, Milhaud, Honneger, Stravinski y Manuel de Falla. En 1933 contrae matrimonio con la pianista turca Victoria Kamhi, quien es desde entonces hasta su fallecimiento en julio de 1997, compañera inseparable y su más asidua colaboradora. En 1940 tiene lugar en Barcelona el estreno mundial del Concierto de Aranjuez para guitarra y orquesta, primera de sus obras que le daría fama universal y claro ejemplo de su personalidad. Rodrigo se mantiene fiel a una estética que él mismo gustaba denominar "neocasticismo", practicando la tradición tonal, el gusto por las formas clásicas e incorporando elementos cultos como forma de unión entre la tradición española y el presente, creando ese estilo reconocible de inmediato. Conoce las más modernas estéticas europeas, pero afirma su propia personalidad. La música de Joaquín Rodrigo representa un homenaje a las distintas culturas de España ya que se vale, como fuente de inspiración, de las más variadas manifestaciones del alma de su país, desde la historia de la España romana hasta los textos de los poetas contemporáneos. Ha enriquecido todos los géneros, pero quizás sea el compositor de nuestro siglo a quien más debe la estética del concierto. Ha cultivado especialmente la canción, a la que ha dado un lenguaje nuevo y universal, creando obras maestras como Cántico de la esposa o los Cuatro madrigales amatorios. Sus obras para piano solo bastarían para situarlo en primera línea, pero además su creación instrumental abarca importantes composiciones para violín, cello, y flauta. Hay que destacar además la aportación de Joaquín Rodrigo al repertorio para guitarra, que ha sido definitiva, pues ha logrado su dignificación e internacionalización como instrumento de concierto. Desde el año 1940 las distinciones, honores, homenajes y Festivales se han venido sucediendo ininterrumpidamente. Miembro numerario de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando (1950) y de otras academias, así como Doctor Honoris Causa por diversas universidades de España y del Extranjero, recibió, entre otros galardones, la Gran Cruz de la Orden de Alfonso X el Sabio (1953), la Legión de Honor concedida por el Gobierno francés (1963), la Gran Cruz del Mérito Civil (1966) el Premio de la Fundación Guerrero (1990), y el Premio Príncipe de Asturias de las Artes (1996). En 1991 el Rey Juan Carlos I le otorgó el título nobiliario de Marqués de los Jardines de Aranjuez "por su extraordinaria contribución a la música española a la que ha aportado nuevos impulsos para una proyección universal". Joaquín Rodrigo falleció en Madrid el 6 de julio de 1999 rodeado de su familia.

PERCEPTIONS OF CECILIA RODRIGO (0ct. 2007)

My trip began with a one day/night stay in Madrid, where I arranged to visit the last home of Joaquín Rodrigo.  This large European flat has been preserved to look as it did in his final days, while the family bought the adjoining flat, turning it into an archive museum and office space.  Cecilia Rodrigo, the only child of the esteemed composer and wife Victoria Kamhi Rodrigo, runs two operations from this space.  The Fundacion Victoria y Joaquín Rodrigo is a philanthropic entity which offers outreach in numerous ways – all to keep the memory of the Rodrigos alive and well in the world of music.   The second is a business.  Editorial Joaquín Rodrigo is a publishing house that sells Rodrigo’s music.  I met Cecilia in 2001 and we have remained in contact.  She was happy to hear that I would be visiting and arranged for me to come to the home.  After my sleepless flight, finding the hotel, a quick shower and taxi ride, I found myself in front of the apartment.  There was a doorman and soon enough, I was ringing the doorbell of the Rodrigo household.  Can you imagine my excitement?

 

A woman by the name of Katherine answered the door.  Cecilia was in a meeting, would I mind waiting in the office?  I sat and conversed with Katherine, an American who had married a Spaniard in the 60s and lived in Madrid ever since.  She and Cecilia have been best friends for many years, and she now assists Cecilia in all matters of Rodrigo business.  She told me of their upcoming events and gave me some pamphlets.  Soon enough, Cecilia burst into the room.  It was as if she had not aged at all.  Full of boundless energy, she spoke both in English and Spanish and ushered me right away into her parents’ house.  If I have ever been in a place before, I had been there.  All of the photos I have in my books on Rodrigo were there in that space.  Statues, photos, paintings, awards – even the sofa on which I sat I had seen in pictures.  Katherine, Cecilia, Cecilia’s daughter (also named Cecilia!) and I all sat and ate tapas, talking about Rodrigo and what it was like to be a mother.  After our flan and coffee, I meandered, absorbed…playing his piano (a Bechstein Baby Grand), sitting behind his Braille machine, reading the awards hanging on the walls, examining the art…From there, we went to the archive side of the flat.  It was amazing.

 

Joaquín Rodrigo has written approximately 250 works for many classical genres.  It is an outstanding feat, considering the challenges which faced him.  In these archives, each piece has been filed in folders containing at least three portions: 1) the original manuscript on Braille paper 2) the original transcription to written notation and 3) the first publication printing.   All letters written to Rodrigo (and he has many from the top composers, artists, governmental figures and others from all around the world) have been archived, as well as any program the Fundación has received in which a performance of Rodrigo has been offered.  And yes, my work is there also.

 

Cecilia brought out a newly released DVD from an interview taken in the 1970s.  Her father was sitting behind a piano, being interviewed in a show somewhat similar to our “Sixty Minutes.”  It was emotional for Cecilia, who teared-up a few times.  I can see that she misses her parents very much.  Her mother died in 1997 and her father, in 1999.  I started my work on Rodrigo in 2000 and always said that I wish I could have had the chance to meet him.  This day was probably as close as I could ever get to that.  I stayed with Cecilia, speaking about her father, his music, Spain and Madrid, as well as my own future endeavors for five hours that day.  I asked her that should I be able to get the funding to bring her to El Paso to speak about her father, would she come?  She didn’t hesitate for a second and replied, “Pero, claro que sí, Dena,” (But of course, yes, Dena).