Carmela Mackenna facts for kids
Carmela Mackenna Subercaseaux (born in 1879, died in 1962) was a talented Chilean musician. She was famous for playing the piano and writing her own music. Carmela was born in Santiago, the capital city of Chile.
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Early Life and Musical Training
Carmela came from an important family. Her great-grandfather was Juan Mackenna, a Chilean hero. Her nephew, Alfonso Leng, also became a well-known composer. Carmela loved music from a young age. She started learning music theory with Bindo Paoli in Santiago.
To become even better, Carmela traveled to Berlin, Germany. There, she continued her studies in piano and composition. She learned from famous teachers like Conrad Ansorge and Hans Mersmann. This helped her develop her unique musical style.
A Successful Composer and Pianist
In 1934, Carmela showed her skills as a composer. She performed her Concerto for Piano and Orchestra for the first time in Berlin. A concerto is a large piece of music for a solo instrument (like a piano) playing with a whole orchestra.
Carmela was very successful as both a pianist and a composer in Europe. Her music is often described as having an expressionist style. This means it expresses strong emotions and feelings.
In 1936, Carmela won an important award. She received it for her Mass for Mixed Chorus a Cappella. This award was given at the International Competition of Church Music in Frankfurt, Germany. Her mass was later performed by the choir of the Munich Frauenkirche Cathedral in Munich.
Selected Musical Works
Here are some of the musical pieces Carmela Mackenna composed:
- Concerto for piano and orchestra (1934) - A big piece for piano and a full orchestra.
- Cello and Piano Duo - Music for two instruments: a cello and a piano.
- Serenade for Flute, Violin, and Piano - A calm and pleasant piece for three instruments.
- Two Little Pieces for Orchestra - Shorter musical works for an orchestra.
- Suite Chilena (Chilean Suite) for Piano - A collection of pieces for piano, inspired by Chile.
- Two Poems for Voice and Piano - Songs where a singer's voice is accompanied by a piano.
- Trio for Violin, Viola, and Cello - Music for three string instruments.
- Variations and Prelude for solo piano - A piece for one piano, with a main theme that changes.
- Mass for mixed chorus a cappella - A religious musical work for a choir, sung without instruments.
- Violin Sonata (includes a piano accompaniment) - A piece for violin, played with a piano.
See also
In Spanish: Carmela Mackenna para niños
