Manuel Ponce (1882-1948) was the first Mexican composer to introduce popular and folk songs from his country to the world stage and in so doing, Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos wrote, "[armed] himself with the resources of the folklore of his people in the struggle for the future musical independence of his country.” A child prodigy, Ponce later entered Mexico's National Conservatory of Music at about age 19, then a few years later studied in Italy (Bologna) and Germany (Berlin). In 1941, for Spanish guitarist Andrés Segovia, Ponce composed one of the Latin American masterworks for guitar and orchestra, the “Concierto del Sur.” Performed by Pablo Sáinz-Villegas - the Spanish guitarist acclaimed by international press as the successor of Andrés Segovia - it's today's Midday Masterpiece at 2:00 pm.
Classical Music Playlist, May 10, 2022
May 10, 2022