Surinach, Carlos

Surinach, Carlos, Spanish-born American composer and conductor; b. Barcelona, March 4, 1915. He studied in Barcelona with Morera (1936-39) and later with Max Trapp in Berlin (1939-43). Returning to Spain in 1943, he was active mainly as a conductor. In 1951 he went to the U.S.; became a naturalized American citizen in 1959. Surinach was a visiting prof, of music at Carnegie-Mellon Inst. in Pittsburgh in 1966-67. He won particular success as a composer for the dance.

Works

dramatic: Opera: El Mozo que casó con mujer brava (Barcelona, Jan. 10, 1948). Ballet: Monte Carlo (Barcelona, May 2, 1945); Ritmo jondo (1953); Embattled Garden (1958); Acrobats of God (1960); David and Bathsheba (1960); Apasionada (1962); Los renegados (1965); Venta quemada (1966); Agathe’s Tale (1967); Suite española (1970); Chronique (1974); The Owl and the Pussycat (1978); Blood Wedding (1979). ORCH.: 3 syms.: No. 1, Passacaglia-Symphony (Barcelona, April 8, 1945, composer conducting), No. 2 (Paris Radio, Jan. 26, 1950, composer conducting), and No. 3, Sinfonía chica (1957); Sinfonietta flamenca (1953; Louisville, Jan. 9, 1954); Feria mágica, overture (Louisville, March 14, 1956); Concerto for Orchestra (1959); Symphonic Variations (1962); Drama Jondo, overture (1964); Melorhyth-mic Dramas (1966); Las trompetas de los serafines, overture (1973); Piano Concerto (1973); Harp Concerto (1978); Concerto for Strings (1978); Violin Concerto (1980); Symphonic Melismas (Miami, Oct. 10, 1993). OTHER: Chamber music; piano pieces; guitar music; choral works; songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire