Gustavo Becerra-Schmidt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gustavo Becerra-Schmidt
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| Born | August 26, 1925 Temuco, Chile
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| Died | January 3, 2010 (aged 84) Oldenburg, Germany
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| Nationality | Chilean |
| Occupation | Composer |
Gustavo Becerra-Schmidt (born August 26, 1925 – died January 3, 2010) was a famous Chilean composer. He wrote many different kinds of music, from traditional songs to very modern pieces.
Life and Music Journey
Gustavo Becerra-Schmidt was born in Temuco, Chile. He studied music at The Chilean National Conservatory. There, he learned from a great teacher named Pedro Humberto Allende.
From 1953 to 1956, Gustavo traveled to Europe. He learned about avant-garde music there. This was a new and experimental type of music. He brought these exciting new ideas back to Chile.
Later, from 1959 to 1962, Gustavo became the director of the Instituto de Extension Musical (IEM). This organization was created to help manage and support Chilean music. It also helped Chilean music groups.
During this time, and for many years after, Gustavo was a teacher. He taught at the Chilean National Conservatory. He taught there until 1971.
After that, he became a Cultural attaché. This means he was like a special ambassador for culture. He worked between Chile and the city of Bonn (in Germany).
In 1973, there was a big political change in Chile. Because of this, Gustavo moved to Germany. He started teaching at the University of Oldenburg in 1974.
Gustavo was also a very important music teacher. Some of his students became famous composers in Chile. These include Luis Advis, Sergio Ortega, Fernando García, and Cirilo Vila.
Gustavo Becerra-Schmidt passed away on January 3, 2010. He died at his home in Oldenburg, Germany.
Amazing Musical Works
Gustavo Becerra-Schmidt wrote a huge amount of music. He created hundreds of pieces! His music ranged from traditional styles to very modern sounds. Some of his pieces even used aleatoric music. This means some parts of the music were left up to chance.
He wrote everything from popular songs to very large musical works. These included cantatas (pieces for singers and orchestra), symphonies (large pieces for orchestra), and oratorios (large pieces like operas, but without costumes or acting).
Many of his musical works had political themes. For example, some of his cantatas used words about the Pre-Columbian era (before Europeans came to America). They also talked about the Spanish colonization. These themes were often used to tell dramatic stories.
Some of his most famous works include:
- The cantatas La Araucana and Lord Cochrane de Chile.
- The Macchu Picchu oratorio, which used poems by Pablo Neruda.
- A Concerto for Flute and Strings.
- A Harp Concerto, which he wrote in 2006.
He also created important electroacoustic music. This is music made using electronic sounds and technology.
A Few of His Works
- La Araucana (a cantata)
- Lord Cochrane de Chile (a cantata)
- Macchu Picchu (an oratorio)
- 3 Symphonies
- 2 Piano Concertos
- Violin concerto
- Flute concerto
- 7 string quartets
- Saxophone quartet
- Parsifae (an opera)
- La muerte de Don Rodrigo (an opera)
- Llanto por el hermano solo (for choir)
- Responso para José Miguel Carrera (for voice, wind instruments, piano, and percussion)
- Trio for violin, flute and piano
- 3 Sonatas for violin
- Provocacion (a short drama)
- Oda al mar (Ode to the Sea)
- Nocturno (Night piece)
See also
In Spanish: Gustavo Becerra-Schmidt para niños
