Santa Cruz (Wilson), Domingo

Santa Cruz (Wilson), Domingo , eminent Chilean composer and music educator; b. La Cruz, near Quillota, July 5, 1899; d. Santiago, Jan. 6, 1987. He studied jurisprudence at the Univ. of Chile, then entered diplomatic service, and was second secretary of the Chilean legation in Spain (1921–24). He received his musical training with Enrique Soro in Santiago and with Conrado del Campo in Madrid. Returning to Chile, he devoted himself to musical administration, teaching, and composition. From 1928 to 1953 he served as a prof. at the National Cons. in Santiago; was acting dean (1932–33) and dean (1933–51; 1962–68) of the faculty of fine arts at the Univ. of Chile. His role in the promotion of musical culture in Chile was of great importance. In his works, he followed the cosmopolitan traditions of neo-Classical music; made use of identifiable Chilean melodies in but a few of his compositions.

Works

(all first perf, in Santiago unless otherwise given): ORCH.: 5 piezas breves for Strings (May 31, 1937); Variaciones for Piano and Orch. (June 25, 1943); Sinfonia concertante for Flute, Piano, and Strings (Nov. 29, 1945); 4 syms.: No. 1 for Strings, Celesta, and Percussion (1945–6; May 28, 1948; rev. 1970), No. 2 for Strings (Nov. 26, 1948), No. 3 for Contralto and Orch. (Washington, D.C., May 9, 1965), and No. 4 (1968). CHAMBER: 3 string quartets (1930; 1946–47; 1959); piano pieces. VOCAL: Cantata de los ribs de Chile for Chorus and Orch. (1941; Nov. 27, 1942); Egloga for Soprano, Chorus, and Orch. (1949; Nov. 24, 1950); Cantares de la pascua for Women’s Voices (1949; Dec. 7, 1950); Cantiones del mar, song cycle (1955); Endechas for Tenor and 8 Instruments (1957); Oratio leremiae prophetae for Chorus and Orch. (1970).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire