Elías, Alfonso de

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Elías, Alfonso de

Elías, Alfonso de, Mexican pianist, conductor, pedagogue, and composer, father of Manuel Jorge de Elias; b. Cuernavaca, Aug. 30, 1902; d. Mexico City, Aug. 19, 1984. He was a student of Jose Velasquez (piano), Gustavo Campa (orchestration), and Rafael Tello (composition) at the National Cons, in Mexico City (1915–27). He was active as a pianist and conductor, and also taught in Mexico City at the Universidad Autonoma (from 1958) and at the National Cons, (from 1963). His works were in a thoroughly Romantic style.

Works

B a 1 1 e t : Las Biniguendas de plata (1933). ORCH.: El jardin encantado, symphonic triptych (1924); 3 syms. (1926, 1934, 1968); Variaciones sobre un tema mexicano (1927); 2 symphonic poems: Leyenda mistical del Callejon del Ave Maria (1930) and Cacahuamilpa (1940); Rubrica (1944); Marcha en sol for Organ and Strings (1958); Violin Concertino (1967). CHAMBER : 2 string quartets (1930, 1961); Violin Sonata (1932); 4 Pieces for Cello and Piano (1966); 8 Pieces for String Quartet (1971); Reverie for String Quartet (1980); Allegro for String Quartet (1980). Organ : Sonata (1963). VOCAL: Various works, including masses and motets.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire