Joaquín Rodrigo program notes (Oct'05) | Chamber Orchestra of the Springs

Outside of his native Spain, Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) is a rare "one-hit wonder" in Classical music. Blind from the age of 3, Rodrigo showed strong musical talents and was sent to study composition with Francisco Atich in Valencia. He later studied with Paul Dukas in Paris. With the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, Rodrigo decided to stay in Paris. It was during this period that he wrote his Concierto de Aranjuez, which was premiered in 1940 and made him the musical darling of Franco's repressive regime. As Spain's leading composer, he was appointed music adviser to Spanish Radio in 1944, and two years later was given the Manuel de Falla chair at the University of Madrid, where he taught until his death in 1999.

Rodrigo's Cuatro madrigals amatorios (Four Madrigals of Love) followed shortly after his Concierto de Aranjuez, and was thus well-received from the beginning. The texts are fairly typical of the traditional Spanish love songs of the day:

I
¿Con qué la lavraré	What can I use
la tez de la mi cara?	to wash my face with?
Que vivo mal penada.	My life is so sad and lonely.
Lávanse las casadas	Married women can wash
con agua de limones	with lemon-water scent,
lávome yo cuitada,	but I, all heavy-hearted, wash
con peanas y doloreas.	with sorrow and sadness.
II
Vos me matasteis,	You killed me,
niña en cabello,	girl with hair all disarranged,
vos me habéis muearto.	you have killed me.
Ribearas de un río,	Down by the river,
vi moza virgin,	I saw a fair unmarried maid,
niña en cabello,	a girl with hair all disarranged,
vos me matasteis,	I die for love of you.
III
¿De dóndea veanís, amore?	Where have you been, my love?
Bien sé yo de dónde.	Full well I know where.
¿De dónde venís, amigo?	Where have you been, love?
Fuere yo testigo.	I saw where you went.
IV
De los álamos vengo, madre,	I've come from the poplars, mother,
de ver cómo los menea el aire,	to see the breeze shaking them;
de los álamos de Sevilla,	from the poplars of Seville,
de ver a mi linda amiga.	to see my beautiful love.

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