Rafael Antonio Castellanos

Rafael Antonio Castellanos (* 1725 in Santiago de Guatemala, † 1791 in Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción ) was a Guatemalan composer and Director of Music of the late Baroque and early Classical.

Life

Rafael Antonio Castellanos was born in Santiago de Guatemala, Antigua Guatemala today. His parents were Antonio Castellanos and Marcela de Quiros. His musical career was entrusted to his uncle, the Director of Music Manuel Joseph de Quirós. As an apprentice, he practiced on the violin and the harp, and was taught and trained by his masters in composition and church music. His " Second Lamentation " on the biblical text of the prophet Jeremiah, composed of 1740 as underage apprentice of Master Quirós, already has an unusual skill and expressiveness.

As of 1745, it was annexed journeyman and as such the orchestra of the Cathedral as first violinist. From this period his first success as a composer, were listed as several of his works. After the death of his master Quirós 1765, he was appointed by the Church Council Kapellmeister. Among his duties there was the line of the music for the Mass and Vespers services, as well as the composition of new works for the individual liturgies of the church year. After the devastating earthquake of 1773 the capital was on the King Charles III command. of Spain in a nearby valley ( where it is to this day ) moved.

The Archbishop Pedro Cortés y Larraz refused to settle with, and so the members of the clergy as well as Kapellmeister Castellanos and his musicians were on the side, until they were forced to end in 1779, leaving the damaged city and to the new capital issue that was under construction. Despite the difficult circumstances Castellanos was able to maintain the high quality of church music. From 1780 to his death in August 1791, he created a number of high-quality compositions that came from there in the cathedral and various churches in Central America to the performance.

Work

Of his compositions, 176 works have survived. It is exclusively vocal music for one or several voices, as well as for double choir or choirs. The accompaniment is always for continuo (harpsichord, harp, baroque guitar plus gamba, bassoon and violone ) with two Violins, these are often in groups.

In addition there are several works in pairs of flutes, oboes, horns and trumpets, and occasionally Come also from the use of instruments such as the Psalter, Hurdy Gurdy - or viola d'amore. In addition to a number of compositions to Latin texts of the Vespers is the main part of his work from cantatas and villancicos for Matin liturgy. Stylistically, the music is attributed to the late Baroque and early Classical, with three layers consisting melody (including the Second Part), bass and harmonic accompaniment.

Cantatas

• Adalides Bizarro, 1765
• Serafines ALADOS, 1765
• Los aires con silbos, 1766
• Conformes los astros, 1767
• Todo era confusiones, 1767
• Oh qué asombro 1770?
• Fénix raro, 1770?
• Arca misteriosa 1770?
• Céfiros blandos, 1771
• Por por valles y montes, 1771

• Gozosa está la Madre, 1771
• Si eres fénix Sagrado, 1774
• Al Norte fija, 1780
• Dulces Filomena, 1780
• Albricias cuidadosas, 1780
• Bendito el Señor, 1787
• Resonad instrumentos, 1787
• Perlas suplicando, 1787
• Mil veces venturoso, 1788
• Qué it esto, 1788

• Roma there, Pedro, tu silla, 1789
• Esa ostia Soberana 1789?
• Alma dichosa
• Cambiad el triste llanto, 1789
• Your glorias se extienden
• Logre el triunfo
• Con repetidos Gozo
• Cielo abra la esfera

Compositions on Latin texts

• Aleph quomodo, 1740
• Dixit Dominus, 1770
• Invitatory, 4 Mode, 1772
• Invitatory, 1 mode, 1774

• Invitatory, Mode 8, 1774
• Incipit lamentationem, 1788?
• Subvenite sancti Dei, 1788-89

• Libera me Domine de Viis inferni, 1789
• Domine, quando veneris, 1789
• Qui Lazarus, 1789

Villancicos

• Bonetero, 1758
• Diga plimiya, 1761
• Antón este año que se halla
• Divino atlante, 1765
• Adalides Bizarro, 1765
• Pastorcitas del alma, 1765
• Serafines ALADOS, 1765
• Enfurecido el orbe, 1766
• Hoy un maestro de niños, 1766
• Ese pan del Cielo, 1767
• Entre tres estudiantes 1767
• Señores yo soy Pascual, 1767
• Gertrudis siempre hermosa, 1768
• Vuestros timbres, Señor, 1768
• Paranomasías, 1768
• Tierno llorar, 1768
• Montes de Palestina, 1768
• Al prognóstico nuevo, 1768
• Al demonio una vaya, 1769
• Unos pobres herreritos, 1769
• Navecita que al mar, 1770
• El negro maitinero 1770?
• Esta noche noche y día it, 1770
• Pues mi Dios ha nacido, 1773?
• A Sinola Plima mía, 1773
• Viuda de Onofre, 1774

• Las Pastora, 1774
• Atención que un extranjero, 1774
• La maternidad sacra, 1775
• Cómo ha llegado el Señor, 1775
• Bato con Bras, y Bartolo, 1775
• Gitanillas, 1775
• Oh pastor que Has perdido, 1776
• Ay ténganmele, señores, 1776
• Cántese de María, 1776
• Claro pastor divino, 1777
• En todos Adán pecaron, 1777
• Oigan, oigan, 1777
• Oigan un silogismo, 1778
• Pastora alegres, 1778
• Bato vamos al porch, 1778
• Un francés y un gallego, 1779
• Aquel contador divino, 1780
• De los que son prodigios, 1780
• Salvador de mi vida, 1780
• Si por la primera culpa, 1780
• En esta tropa Nochebuena, 1780
• Con Regocijo y contento, 1781
• Si perfecciona, 1782
• En esdrújulos claros, 1783
• El alcalde de Belén, 1783
• A Belén aquesta noche 1784?

• Ay de Pucha, 1784
• Hoy el Domine, 1784
• Jilguerillos acordes, 1785
• Cuatro infantes monacillos, 1785
• Jesús, María y Joseph, 1785
• Hoy sube a los cielos, 1786
• Qué tormenta, 1786
• Ya ha Venido Francisquini, 1786
• Mercaderes del Cielo, 1787
• Decidme flores, 1787
• Dejando tristes los campos, 1787
• Lo que somo neglo gente, 1787
• Antón no quiere este año 1787
• Triste de caudal lágrimas, 1788
• Afuela, afuela, 1788
• Negros de Guaranganá, 1788
• Los músicos de los reyes, 1788?
• Ocupen alegres, 1788?
• Ängeles del Cielo, 1789
• Llama a Pedro, 1789
• A de los cielos, 1790
• Ausencia tirana, 1790
• Ay, que se sube a los cielos, 1791
• La Ascension triunfante, 1791
• Llevando el compás, 1791?

Recordings

• Al Norte fija, Oigan una jacarilla, Dulces Filomena, a la tierna María, La maternidad sacra, Ay, que se sube a los cielos and Jilguerillos acordes. CD Joyas del Barroco en Guatemala. Cristina Altamira, Ensemble Millennium, Dieter Lehnhoff, Dir Guatemala: Universidad Rafael Landívar, 2006.
• Pastora alegres, Gitanillas, Negros de Guaranganá, CD Tesoros de la Antigua Guatemala. Cristina Altamira, mezzo- soprano; Ensemble Millennium, Dieter Lehnhoff, Dir Guatemala: Universidad Rafael Landívar, 2003, IM 1103.