Juan Pedro Esnaola facts for kids
Juan Pedro Esnaola (born August 17, 1808, in Buenos Aires – died July 8, 1878, in Buenos Aires) was an important Argentine composer. He lived in the first half of the 1800s. People mostly remember him for arranging the music of the Argentine National Anthem.
His Life Story
Esnaola was born in Buenos Aires. His father was from Spain, and his mother was born in Argentina but had a Spanish background. He started learning music as a child. His uncle, José Antonio Picasarri, taught him. His uncle was a chapel master at the Buenos Aires cathedral.
When Argentina became independent from Spain in 1810, his uncle did not want to give up his Spanish citizenship. So, he had to leave the country in 1818. Juan Pedro went with him. This allowed Juan Pedro to take piano and music lessons from teachers in Madrid and Paris. He wrote some piano pieces in Madrid, but these are now lost.
Juan Pedro and his uncle came back to Buenos Aires on June 29, 1822. This was possible because of a special law from Governor Martín Rodríguez. Soon after, they opened a "School of Music and Singing." The local government supported this school. They also took part in concerts with the Philharmonic Society.
Juan Pedro likely finished his music training with Mariano Pablo Rosquellas. Rosquellas was a Spanish musician in Buenos Aires. By the time he was 16, Esnaola wrote a three-voice Mass in D major (1824). This showed how much he had learned about music.
Around 1827, Esnaola started working as a merchant and businessman, like his father. He also had an active social life in the 1830s and later. Even though he tried to stay out of politics, he was briefly put in prison in 1840. This happened during the time of Governor Juan Manuel de Rosas.
He probably got through this difficult time by writing songs that praised Rosas. However, there is no proof that Esnaola was ever part of Rosas's political group. He also did not hold any big government jobs for Rosas. Esnaola often visited the home of Rosas's daughter, Manuelita. He wrote songs and dances for her. She might have helped him get out of prison.
After Rosas was removed from power in 1852, Esnaola held several official positions. He managed the night watchmen and directed the provincial money-making office. He also became the president of the Club del Progreso in 1858. Later, in 1866, he was president of the Bank of the Province of Buenos Aires.
During these years, Esnaola did not perform music much in public. But he helped organize and oversee music groups and schools. He helped bring back the Philharmonic Society. He played the piano for them again in 1855. He also held honorary roles in other music groups. Esnaola also led the committee that supervised the School of Music of Buenos Aires Province, which started in 1874. He became very wealthy through his business dealings. He never married and left his money to his sister's family.
As a Pianist
People widely agreed that Esnaola was an excellent piano player. When he was a teenager, he often played in concerts. These concerts were organized by the School of Music or the Philharmonic Society. He also sang parts from operas. However, he chose not to become a professional performer. From the 1830s onwards, he mostly played music in private settings.
His Musical Works
Esnaola wrote music in many styles popular in Buenos Aires during his time. His personal style was inspired by composers like Mozart, Haydn, and Rossini. Over time, he also started to include Romantic influences in his music. Even though he did not use folk songs much, his music was not just a copy of international styles. It had its own unique feel.
There is no sign that he ever got paid to write music. It seems he created music for free. He gave his music as gifts to friends and family, or as contributions to music groups.
In the late 1820s and early 1830s, Esnaola often wrote church music. This included his Mass in D, and a large Miserere for voice and piano (1833). This Miserere made him quite famous. He also wrote three symphonies, but these are now lost. He also re-arranged music for local performances. For example, he re-arranged Rossini's opera Otello (1827) and Haydn's oratorio The Creation (1845). These pieces were only available as piano-vocal scores before he re-arranged them for a full orchestra.
Starting in 1833, Esnaola began to write more salon songs and dances. These were popular for social gatherings. Around 1835–1836, he worked with the poet Esteban Echeverría. They wanted to create "national" songs for Argentina. Even though this collection was never published, it influenced Esnaola's later songs. His later songs became longer and more artistic. By 1841, he had collected 48 of his songs in a special book. About ten more songs are found in the music notebooks of Manuelita Rosas. He chose poems from writers like Vicente López y Planes and Rosa Guerra. In the 1840s, he focused on piano dances like minuets, waltzes, and polkas. These often felt like small, detailed musical pieces.
Esnaola also regularly wrote anthems for public groups. These included the School of Moral Sciences and the Society of Beneficence (both from 1827). He also wrote an anthem for the Philharmonic Society (1856). To calm Governor Rosas, he wrote four hymns praising him (1841-1843). He also wrote two festive songs for Manuelita Rosas (1851).
Even with all his achievements as a pianist and composer, Juan Pedro Esnaola is most often remembered for arranging the Argentine National Anthem. The original anthem was composed by Blas Parera in 1813. Esnaola first made an unofficial two-voice arrangement around 1848. In 1860, he was asked to create a new version. This new version was very popular, even though it had many new parts. This arrangement, with a few small changes, was made the official anthem of Argentina. It is still used today.
See also
In Spanish: Juan Pedro Esnaola para niños
