Robert Xavier Rodriguez

:"For the American writer, producer, director and musician see Robert Rodriguez."

Robert Xavier Rodríguez (born June 28, 1946) is an American classical composer, best known for his eight operas and his works for children.

Life and career

Rodríguez received his early musical education in his native San Antonio and in Austin (University of Texas at Austin), Los Angeles (University of Southern California), Lenox (Tanglewood), Fontainebleau (Conservatoire Americain) and Paris. His teachers have included Nadia Boulanger, Jacob Druckman, Bruno Maderna and Elliott Carter. Rodríguez first gained international recognition in 1971, when he was awarded the "Prix de Composition Musicale Prince Pierre de Monaco" by Prince Rainier and Princess Grace at the Palais Princier in Monte Carlo. Other honors include the Prix Lili Boulanger, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Goddard Lieberson Award from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. Rodríguez has served as Composer-in-Residence with the San Antonio Symphony (1996-99) and the Dallas Symphony (1982, Meet the Composer Orchestra Residency Program). He currently holds the Endowed Chair of University Professor of Music at the University of Texas at Dallas. His music is published by G. Schirmer and is recorded on the Newport, Crystal, Orion, Gasparo, Urtext, CRI, First Edition and Albany labels.

Rodríguez’ music has been performed by conductors such as Sir Neville Marriner, Antal Dorati, Eduardo Mata, James DePriest, Sir Raymond Leppard, Keith Lockhart and Leonard Slatkin. His work has received orchestral and operatic performances in recent seasons by such organizations as the Vienna Schauspielhaus, The National Opera of Mexico, New York City Opera, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Boston Repertory Theater, American Music Theater Festival (now Prince Music Theater), Dallas Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Pennsylvania Opera Theater, Michigan Opera Theatre, Orlando Opera, The Aspen Music Festival, The Juilliard Focus Series, The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Mexico City Philharmonic, Toronto Radio Orchestra, The Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Knoxville, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Boston and Chicago Symphonies, The Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra and Cleveland Orchestra.

Works

Opera/Theater/Dance

*"La Curandera" (2006) - opera (Libretto: Mary Medrick)
*"A Midsummer Night’s Dream" (2001) - Incidental Music (Text: Shakespeare)
*"The Tempest" (2000) - Concert Dramatization (Text: Shakespeare)
*"The Last Night of Don Juan" (2000) - Musical Play (Text: Murrary Ross, after Rostand, Zorilla)"Meta 4" (1994) - Ballet/String Quartet
*Frida (opera) (1991, rev. 93) - opera (Libretto: Hillary Blecher, Migdalia Cruz)
*"The Old Majestic" (1988) - opera (Libretto: Mary Medrick)
*"Monkey See, Monkey Do" (1986) - opera for children (Libretto: Mary Medrick)
*"The Ransom of Red Chief" (1986) - opera for children (Libretto: Daniel Dibbern after O. Henry)
*"Tango" (1985) - opera/theater piece (Text: Newsclippings)
*"The Seven Deadly Sins" (1984) - Ballet /Wind Ensemble
*"Suor Isabella" (1982) - opera (Libretto: Daniel Dibbern, after Boccaccio)
*"Le Diable Amoureux" (1978) - opera (Frans Boerlage, after Cazotte)
*"Favola Concertante" (1975, rev. 77) - ballet/ concerto for violin, cello and string orchestra

Orchestra

*"Canción de los niños" (2007) for Children's Chorus and Orchestra
*"Agnus Dei for Mozart's Mass in C-Minor" (2006) for Soloists and Orchestra
*"Musical Dice Game" (2005) for Two String Quartets and Two String Orchestras
*"Flight" (2002) for Narrator and Orchestra (Text: Sukey Smith)
*"The Tempest" (2000) for Actors and Orchestra (Text: Shakespeare)
*"Bachanale: Concertino for Orchestra" (1999)
*"Las Mañanitas de los Niños" (1999)
*"Praline and Fudge" (1998) for Bass and Chamber Orchestra (Texts: Cookbooks)
*"Forbidden Fire" (1998) for Bass, Chorus and Orchestra (Texts: Bible, various sources)
*"Sinfonia a la Mariachi" (1997) for Double Orchestra
*"Trilogica" ("Pinata, Tango di Tango, Hot Buttered Rumba") (1996)
*"Hot Buttered Rumba" (1996)
*"Scrooge" (1994) for Bass, Chorus and Orchestra (Text: Dickens)
*"Adoracion Ambulante/Fanfare/Con Flor y Canto" (1994) for Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra (Text: Bible, Popol Vuh)
*"Mascaras" (1993) for Cello and Orchestra
*"Pinata" (1991)
*"Ursa" (1990) for Contrabass and Orchestra
*"A Gathering of Angels: Bolero for Orchestra" (1989)
*"Invocation of Orpheus" (1989) for Trumpet, Harp and Strings
*"A Colorful Symphony" (1987) for Narrator and Orchestra -Text: Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth)
*"We, the People" (original title Jargon) (1987) for Narrator, Chorus and Orchestra (Text: Mary Medrick)
*"Tango di Tango" (1985)
*"Varmi'ts!" (1985) for Narrator, Chorus and Orchestra (Text: Texas Tall Tales)
*"The Seven Deadly Sins" (1984) for orchestra (also version for wind ensemble)
*"Oktoechos: Concerto Grosso" (1983)
*"Trunks" (1983) for Narrator and Orchestra (Text: Composer)
*"Semi-Suite" (1981) for Violin and Chamber Orchestra
*"Estampie" (1981) for Chamber Orchestra
*"Transfigurationis Mysteria" (1980) for Narrator, Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra (Text: Bible)
*"Favola Boccaccesca" (1979)
*"The Salutation Rag" (1978)
*"Four Advent Chorale-Preludes by J. S. Bach" (arr.1978)for Chorus and Orchestra
*"Favola Concertante" (1975, rev. 77) for Violin, Cello and String Orchestra
*"Sinfonia Concertante" (1974) for Soprano Saxophone and Chamber Orchestra
*"Concerto III for Piano and Orchestra" (1974)
*"Canto" (1973) for Soprano, Tenor and Chamber Orchestra (Text: Dante, Anonymous French)
*"Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda by Claudio Monteverdi" (arr.1973)
*"Concert Suite from ‘L’Orfeo’" by Claudio Monteverdi (arr. 1973)
*"Concert Suite from ‘L’Incoronazione di Poppea’ by Claudio Monteverdi" (arr.1972)
*"Lyric Variations" (1971) for Oboe and String Orchestra
*"Adagio for Small Orchestra" (1967)

Recordings

*"Robert Xavier Rodríguez: Works for Chorus & Orchestra / Forbidden Fire, Con Flor y Canto, Scrooge" - George Cordes, Baritone; Rodney Nolan, Tenor; University of Miami Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; Miami Children’s Chorus; Thomas M. Sleeper, Conductor. Albany, TROY 430
*"Robert Xavier Rodríguez: Meet the Composer Recording / Oktoechos" – Dallas Symphony Orchestra; Eduardo Mata, Conductor / "Favola Boccaccesca" – Louisville Orchestra; Laurence Leighton Smith, Conductor / "The Song of Songs" – Voices of Change, Irene Gubrud, Soprano; Fred Curchack, Actor; Robert Xavier Rodríguez, Conductor. First Edition, FECD-0027
*"Musical Theater Works/ Tango" – Rafael Alvarez, Tenor / "Concert Suite from Frida" – Angelina Réaux, Soprano; Voices of Change; Robert Xavier Rodríguez, Conductor CRI, CD824
*"Voces Americanas: Works by Robert Xavier Rodriguez, Mario Lavista, Roberto Sierra, Mario Davidovsky, Tania Leon./ Les Niais Amoureux" - Emmanuel Borok, Violin; Ross Powell, Clarinet; Christopher Adkins, Cello; Jo Boatright, Piano; Voices of Change. CRI 773. (Nominated for the 1999 Grammy Award for "Best Small Ensemble Performance".)
*"Celebration Of Flight: Works by William Bolcom, Steven Winteregg, Michael Schelle, and Robert Xavier Rodríguez / Flight" - Allison Janney, narrator; Dayton Philharmonic; Neal Gittleman, conductor. Albany, TROY 672
*"Laugh, Regardless of Creed : Works of Louis Gruenberg, Alla Borzova, Robert Xavier Rodríguez and Larry Alan Smith / Tango" – Paul Sperry, Tenor; Members of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra; Robert Xavier Rodríguez, Conductor. Albany, TROY 740
*"Le Grand Tango: Works of Astor Piazzolla, Alberto Ginastera, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Federico Ibarra, Robert Xavier Rodríguez and Manuel Enríquez / Lull-A-Bear" - Carlos Prieto, Cello; Edison Quintana, Piano. Urtext, JBCC014
*"American Contemporary Chamber Music": Works of William Kraft, Robert Xavier Rodríguez, Larry Alan Smith and Dan Welcher / " Chronies, Meditation" - Voices of Change. Crystal, CD704
*"I Loved Lucy / Il Lamento di Tristano" - Susan DeJong, Flute; Jeffrey Van, Guitar; Duologue. Gasparo, GSCD-348
*"Americans in Paris / Six Maxims de la Rochefoucauld" - Hillary Hight Daw, Soprano; Barbara Elfrid, Piano. Aca Digital

References

*Linda Navarro, [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-7445690.html Opera in two tongues: 'Curandera' connects with crowd in Spanish, English] , "Colorado Gazette", May 18, 2007. Retrieved via subscription 21 February 2008.
*Kerri Allen, [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1167454441.html Extraordinary Composer Robert Xavier Rodríguez at UTD] , "The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education", November 6, 2006. Retrieved via subscription 21 February 2008.
*Bob Bows, 'La Curandera' (Opera review),"Variety", May 29, 2006
*Marc Shulgold, [http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/spotlight_columnists/article/0,2777,DRMN_23962_4694448,00.html Can opera magic conjure new fans?] "Rocky Mountain News", May 13, 2006. Retrieved 21 February 2008.
* [http://www.schirmer.com/composers/rodriguez/bio.html Biography] on G. Schirmer music publishers. Retrieved 21 February 2008.

External links

* [http://www.RobertXavierRodriguez.com Robert Xavier Rodríguez official site]
* [http://ah.utdallas.edu/people/rxrodriguez.html Biography] , University of Texas at Dallas
* [http://www.sai-national.org/phil/composers/rxrodrig.html Biography] on Sigma Alpha Iota Philanthropies.