Rogatis, Pascual de (1880–1980)

Pascual de Rogatis (b. 17 May 1880; d. 2 April 1980), Argentine composer. Born in Teora, Italy, Rogatis came to Argentina when he was very young. He began his musical studies at the National Conservatory in Buenos Aires, where he studied under Pietro Melani and Rafael Díaz Albertini (violin) and Alberto Williams (composition). During his studies he was awarded the gold medal in violin (1899), first prize in ensemble performance (1902), and the first award in composition (1906). He was a nationalist composer, attracted by the exotic and mythical stories of the indigenous peoples of America. His first works included piano pieces, songs, and orchestral compositions. Among them were the Suite árabe (1902) for strings, and three symphonic poems, Marko y el hada (1905), Belkiss en la selva (1906), and Zupay (1910). His opera Anfión y Zeto, a Greek tragedy, premiered at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires with the Gustavo Salvini Company and the celebrated baritone Titta Ruffo (1877–1953) in 1915. Two orchestral works, Atipac (1931) and Estampas Argentinas (1942), were awarded, respectively, the Municipal Prize and the National Award for Composition. In his seventies, he produced three works for piano: one in 1952; two in 1957.

Rogatis's best-known work is his opera Huemac, based on a Mexican legend; it premiered at the Teatro Colón in 1916 and was conducted by the composer. It was later performed in Rome at the Teatro Costanzi. Huemac was awarded the Municipal Prize of Buenos Aires in 1916. Another opera, La Novia del hereje, was performed in 1935 in Buenos Aires. Rogatis was professor of chamber music at the National Conservatory and a member of the Argentine Commission of Fine Arts. He died in Buenos Aires.

See alsoMusic: Art Music .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Composers of the Americas, vol. 12 (1966), pp. 131-135.

Rodolfo Arizaga, Enciclopedia de la música argentina (1971); New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (1980).

Additional Bibliography

Kuss, Malena. "'Huemac' by Pascual de Rogatis: Native Identity in the Argentine Lyric Theatre." Anuario Interamericano de Investigación Musical 10 (1974): 68-87.

                                          Susana Salgado