Daniel Ayala Pérez facts for kids

Daniel Ayala Pérez (born July 21, 1906 – died June 20, 1975) was a talented Mexican violin player, conductor (someone who leads an orchestra), and composer (someone who writes music).

About Daniel Ayala

Daniel Ayala was born in Abalá, a town in Yucatán, Mexico. He studied music in Mexico City from 1927 to 1932. He learned to play the violin from Silvestre Revueltas and how to compose music from famous teachers like Carlos Chávez and Julián Carrillo.

For a while, Daniel played his violin in a night club called Salón México to earn money. This place later became famous in a piece of music by Aaron Copland.

In 1934, Daniel Ayala and three other composers – Salvador Contreras, Blas Galindo, and José Pablo Moncayo – formed a special group. They called themselves the "Group of Four" (or "Grupo de los cuatro").

From 1931, he played second violin in the Orquesta Sinfónica de México, which was led by Carlos Chávez. He also directed a choir in Morelia for two years. In 1940, Daniel went back to his home state of Yucatán. There, he became the conductor of the Police Band in Mérida.

In 1942, he started the Orquesta Típica Yukalpetén. This orchestra plays music by composers from Yucatán, both old and new.

In 1944, Daniel Ayala became the conductor of the Mérida Symphony Orchestra. He also became the director of the Yucatán Conservatory, which is a music school. Later, in 1955, he moved to Veracruz. He became the director of the music school there and worked for the Veracruz Institute of Fine Arts.

Daniel Ayala passed away in 1975 in Xalapa, Veracruz.

His Music

As a composer, Daniel Ayala had his first big success with a piece called Uchben X'coholte in 1933. This was a "symphonic poem," which is a piece of orchestral music that tells a story or describes a scene. The title means "In an Ancient Cemetery" in the Mayan language.

His biggest work was a ballet (a story told through dance and music) called El Hombre Maya (The Mayan Man). But his symphonic poem Tribu (meaning "Tribe") from 1934 is probably his most famous work. Many people know it because it was recorded in 1956 by the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional.

After 1944, Daniel Ayala spent more and more time conducting orchestras and managing music schools. Because of this, he didn't compose as much new music.

Selected Works

Here are some of the musical pieces Daniel Ayala created:

Ballets

• El hombre maya (The Mayan Man) (1939)
• La gruta diabólica (The Diabolical Grotto), for a small orchestra (1940)

Orchestra Music

• Cinco piezas infantiles (Five Children's Pieces), for string orchestra (1933)
• Tribu (Tribe), a symphonic poem (1934)
  • En la llanura (On the Prairie)
  • La serpiente negra (The Black Serpent)
  • La danza del fuego (The Fire Dance)
• Paisaje (Landscape), a suite (a collection of short pieces) (1935)
• Panoramas de México, a suite (1936)
  • Sonora
  • Veracruz
  • Yucatán
• Mi viaje a Norte América (My North-American Journey), a suite (1947)
• Acuarela nocturna (en San Salvador) (Night Watercolor in San Salvador), op. 20 (1949)
• Suite veracruzana (Veracruz Suite) (1957)
• Concertino for Piano and Orchestra (1974)

Vocal Music

• Uchben X'coholte (In an Ancient Cemetery), for a female singer (soprano) and small orchestra (1931)
• Cuatro canciones (Four Songs), for soprano and piano (1932)
• El grillo (The Cricket, with words by Daniel Castañeda), for soprano, clarinet, violin, piano, and rattle (1933)
• U kayil chaac (Mayan rain song), for soprano and small orchestra with special instruments from the region (1934)
• Suite infantil (Children's Suite), for soprano and small orchestra (1936)
  • Duerme. Moderato cantabile (Sleep. Moderately and singing)
  • El aire. Allegro (The Air. Fast)
  • El caimán. Andantino (The Alligator. Moderately slow)
  • El violín. Andante (The Violin. Moderately slow)
  • El indigena. Allegretto (The Indigenous Person. Fairly fast)
  • El gallo. Allegro (The Rooster. Fast)
• Los pescadores Seris (The Seri Fishermen), for voice and small orchestra with special instruments from the region (1938)
• Los danzantes Yaquis (The Yaqui Dancers), for voice and small orchestra with special instruments from the region (1938)

Piano Music

• Radiogramma (1931)

Chamber Music

• String Quartet (a piece for four string instruments) (1933)
• Vidrios rotos (Broken Windows), for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, and piano (1938)

See also

In Spanish: Daniel Ayala Pérez para niños