Lavista, Mario

Lavista, Mario, Mexican composer; b. Mexico City, April 3, 1943. He studied harmony with R. Halffter and composition with Quintanar, and then attended classes and seminars of Stockhausen, Pousseur, Xenakis, and Ligeti in Darmstadt and Cologne. Returning to Mexico in 1970, he founded Quanta, an improvisational music group. In his music, he explores all resources of sound, and all idiomatic textures, from deliberate homophony to horrendous explosions of ear-splitting dissonance.

Works

dramatic: Opera: Aura (1988–89).orch.:Lyhannh (1976; the title is Swift’s word for the “swallow” in Part 4 of Gulliver’s Travels); Ficciones (1980); Clepsidra (1990); Lacrymosa in Memory of Gerhart Muench (1992); Tropo for Sor Juana (1995).chamber:5 Pieces for String Quartet (1967); Divertimento for Wind Quintet, 5 Woodblocks, and 3 Shortwave Radios (1968); 6 string quartets: No. 1, Diacronia (1969), No. 2, Reflections of the Night (1984; also for String Orch., 1986), No. 3, Music for My Neighbor (1995), No. 4, Sinfonias (1996), No. 5, 7 Inventions (1998), and No. 6, Suite in 5 Parts (1999); Game for Flute (1970); Continuo for Brass, Percussion, 2 Prepared Pianos, and Strings (1970); Trio for 2 String Instruments and Ring Modulator (1972); Diafonia for 1 Performer on 2 Pianos and Percussion (1973); Antifonia for Flute, 2 Bassoons, and Percussion (1974); Dialogos for Violin and Piano (1974); Quotations for Cello and Piano (1975); Piano Trio (1976); Marsias for Oboe and 8 Crystal Glasses (1982); Madrigal for Clarinet (1985); Responsorio in Memoriam Rodolfo Halffter for Bassoon, 2 Bass Drums, and 4 Tubular Chimes (1988); El Pifano: Portrait of Manet for Piccolo (1989); Las Musicas Dormidas for Clarinet, Bassoon, and Piano, after Tamyao’s painting (1990); Dance of Degas’ Dancers for Flute and Piano (1991); Isorhythmic Dance for 4 Percussionists (1996); Wind Octet (1997).piano:Piece for 1 Pianist and 1 Piano (1970; also as Piece for 2 Pianists and 2 Pianos, in which a second pianist maintains an absolute silence that must be “communicated” to the listeners); Cluster (1973); Espejos for Piano, 4-hands (1975); Jaula for any number of Prepared Pianos and Pianists (1976); Simurg (1980).vocal:Monologue for Baritone, Flute, Vibraphone, and Double Bass, after Gogol’s Diary of a Madman (1966); Homage to Samuel Beckett for 3 Amplified Choruses (1968); 3 Nocturnes for Mezzo- soprano and Orch. (1985); From the Beginning for Mezzo-soprano and Orch. (1985); Missa Brevis ad Consolationis Dominam Nostram

for Chorus (1994–95).other:Kronos for a minimum of 15 Alarm Clocks, and Loudspeakers and Tapes, with an indeterminate Chronometrie duration of 5 to 1, 440 minutes (1969); Antinomia for Tape (1973).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire