Elías, Manuel Jorge de
Elías, Manuel Jorge de
Elías, Manuel Jorge de, Mexican composer, son of Alfonso de Elias; b. Mexico City, June 5, 1939. He received his early musical training from his father. He pursued his training at the Autonomous National Univ. of Mexico and the National Cons, in Mexico City, where he studied piano, organ, flute, violin, and cello (1959–62), and later attended a class in electronic music at Columbia Univ. in N.Y. (1974). Returning to Mexico, he founded in 1976 the Inst. of Music of the Univ. of Veracruz. In 1991 he became director of the Musica de Bellas Arts. His music is hedonistically pragmatic and structurally precise, but allows interpolation of aleatory passages.
Works
Suite romantica, 10 pieces for Piano (1954–56); Pequenos corales for Chorus (1954–57); Suite de miniaturas for Wind Quartet (1957); Sonata breve for Piano (1958); Sinfonietta (1958–61); Estampas infantiles for Strings (1959); Vitral No. 1 for Chamber Orch. (1962), No. 2 for Chamber Orch. and Tape (1967), and No. 3 for Orch. (Mexico City, Nov. 7, 1969); Divertimento for Percussion (1963); Aforismo No. 1, Pdjaros perdidos for Chorus (1963) and No. 2 for Flute and Tape (1968); Guanajuato, overture-divertimento for Orch. (1964); Jabel, ballet for 2 Pianos (1964); Impresiones sobre una estampa colonial, divertimento for Orch. (1965); Ciclos elementarios for Wind Quartet (1965); Speculamen for 2 Violins, 2 Violas, 3 Cellos, and Double Bass (1967); Elegia heroica, symphonic poem (1967); Memento for Recorder, Chorus, Strings, and Narrator (1967); String Quartet No. 1 (1967); Musica nuptial for Contralto and Brass or Strings (1967); Pro pax for Tape (1968); 2 sonatas for Solo Violin (1968, 1969); 3 Quimeras for 2 Pianos (1969, 1973, 1974); 3 Kaleidoscopios for Organ (1969, 1973, 1974); Sonante No. 1 for Piano (1971), No. 2 for Clarinet (1970), No. 3 for Trumpet, Trombone, and Horn (1970; also for Orch., 1974), No. 4 for Orch. (Mexico City, March 26, 1971), No. 5 for Orch. (Mexico City, Nov. 24, 1972), No. 6, Homenaje a Neruda, for Strings (1973), No. 7 for Orch. (Brussels, Dec. 1974), No. 8 for Orch. (1977), No. 9 for Orch. (1978), No. 10 (1978), and No. 11, Bosquejos para una ofrenda (1995); Parametros I for Synthesizer (1971); Ludus for 3 Choruses (1972–73); Concertante No. 1 for Violin and Orch. (1973) and No. 2 for Piano and Orch. (1975); Musica domestica for Recorder and Percussion (1973); Sine nomine for String Quartet and Piano (1975); Jeux for Horn, Trumpet, and Bassoon (1975); Obertura-Poema for Soloists, Chorus, Organ, and Wind Orch. (1975); Balada Concertante for Trombone and Orch. (1983); Lirica breve for String Orch., Piano, and Timbales (1984); Mictldn-Tlateloko for Strings (1986); Cartas de primavera for Strings (1986); Canciones del ocaso for Mezzo-soprano and Orch. (1988); Poema for String Orch. (1988); Cello Concerto (1990); Fax Music for Winds (1990); Tri-Neos for Clarinet, Bassoon, and Piano (1991); Concierto da camera for Viola, Strings, and Percussion (1992); Cancion de cuna for Guitar and Strings (1994).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire