Catán, Daniel
Catán, Daniel
Mexican composer; b. Mexico City, April 3, 1949. He studied philosophy in England (1967–70) before turning to music. After attending the Univ. of Southampton (1970–73), he studied composition with Boretz and Babbitt at Princeton Univ. (1973–77), where he received his Ph.D. Catán taught composition at the Cons. Nacional in Mexico City. In 1987–88 he was resident composer of the Welsh National Opera in Cardiff. In 1994 his opera La hija de Rappaccini was the first opera by a Mexican composer to be staged in the U.S.
Works
DRAMATIC: Opera: Encuentro en al ocaso, chamber opera (1978–79; Mexico City, Aug. 2, 1980); La hija de Rappaccini, after Hawthorne by way of O. Paz (1983–89; Mexico City, April 25, 1991); Florencia en al Amazones (1994–96; Houston, Oct. 25, 1996). musicalplay : El medallón de Mantelillos (Mexico City, Dec. 9, 1982). ballet:Ausencia de flores (1982–83; Guadalajara, Nov. 23, 1983). orch.:Hetaera Esmeralda (1975); El árbol de la vida (1980); En un doblez del tiempo (1982); Tu So, To Rise, Tu Sonrise (1991). chamber: Quintet for Oboe, Clarinet, Violin, Cello, and Piano (1972); Piano Trio (1982). keyboard: piano:Variaciones (1971). vocal:Ocaso de medianoche for Mezzo-soprano and Orch. (1977); Mariposa de obsidiana for Soprano, Chorus, and Orch. (1984).
—Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire