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Alfagüell, Mario (b. 1948, San José). Costa Rican composer of mostly orchestral, chamber, choral, vocal, and piano works that have been performed in the Americas, Europe and elsewhere.
Prof. Alfagüell studied composition and piano at the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica from 1966-76. He then had post-graduate studies in composition with Brian Ferneyhough and Klaus Huber at the Musikhochschule Freiburg/Breisgau from 1976-80.
Among his numerous honors are the Premio Nacional en Composición from the government of Costa Rica (1982, for Sonata para la mano izquierda, Op. 14 and Episodios sinfónicos, Op. 19; 2001, for Sonata quasi un claro de luna, Op. 111). He has also received the Premio Ancora in San José (1975, for Trío, Op. 5) and the Premio Jorge Volio from the Colegio de Licenciados y Profesores in San José (1985, for Otra piecita posterior a Beethoven, Op. 22; 2002, for Otra sinfonía de despedida, Op. 102). In addition, his Diálogo guerrero místico, Op. 15 was selected for performance at the Tribuna Musical de América Latina y el Caribe in Rio de Janeiro (1985). His music has been performed in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Italy, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Togo, Uruguay, the USA, and Venezuela.
He has taught creative music, music appreciation, music history, and 20th-century analysis as a professor at the Universidad Nacional de Heredia since 1975.
CONTACT INFORMATION
E-mail address: poromusical2002@yahoo.com
Street address: Prof. Mario Alfagüell, Apto. Postal 519, 2050 San Pedro, Costa Rica
Telephone (university): + 506 277 3389
Telephone (home): + 506 234 8914
Cellular phone: + 506 301 4935
SELECT LIST OF WORKS (note that occasionally more than one work carries the same opus number; these works share material, as do works with 'a' or 'b' in the opus number, but these similarities are not mentioned in the work list)
STAGE: Cocorí (2 act ballet), Op. 30, 1987; Operativo TN...T (2 act zarzuela, libretto by Alberto Cañas Escalante), Op. 88, 1997; Pedro nada más (4 scene opera, libretto by Mario Benedetti), Op. 140, 2002; Pablo José (2 act opera, libretto by Roxana Campos), Op. 150, 2004
ORCHESTRAL: Episodios sinfónicos, large orchestra, Op. 19, 1982; Once Proporciones, string orchestra, Op. 21, 1983; Sinfonía vocal y participativa, mezzo-soprano, speaker, choruses, orchestra, Op. 40, 1989; Sinfonía vocal y participativa, mezzo-soprano, speaker, mixed chorus, orchestra, Op. 41, 1989; Sinfonía Coral Morazán, mezzo-soprano, baritone, mixed chorus, large orchestra, Op. 57, 1992; Otra sinfonía de despedida (texts from indigenous Costa Rican sources, Fernando Centeno Güell), soprano/mezzo-soprano, speaker, small orchestra, Op. 102, 1998; Dúo concertante, 2 timpani, large orchestra, Op. 108, 1999; Concierto de temporal, violin, large orchestra, Op. 115, 2000; Mo (cuento sinfónico, text by Lara Ríos), speaker, small orchestra, Op. 120, 2001; Sinfonía Coral, Móvil Participativa, any number of voices, large orchestra, Op. 125, 2001; Oratorio Collage (text by Jorge Debravo), soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone, mixed chorus, orchestra, Op. 147, 2003; Concierto para piano y orquesta (concerto no. 1), piano, small orchestra (flute, 2 clarinets, 4 or more guitars, strings), Op. 131, 2001 (also version for piano, small orchestra [flute, 2 clarinets, 2 guitars, string quartet, double bass], Op. 131a, 2001); Concierto para la mano izquierda y orquesta (concerto no. 2), piano left hand, small orchestra, Op. 145, 2003; Concierto doble (concerto no. 3), cello, piano, small orchestra (12 players), Op. 152, 2004; Sinfonía (de Temporal), large orchestra, Op. 160, 2005; Móvil con cierto temporal (concerto no. 5, text by Emilia Prieto), male falsetto voice, piano, variable orchestra, Op. 163, 2005; Concierto, French horn, small orchestra (harp, timpani, marimba, tubular bells, strings), Op. 168, 2005
CHAMBER MUSIC: Preludio, Fuga y Postludio, any 4 voices/players, Op. 3, 1971; Trío, violin, cello, piano, Op. 5, 1972-75; Motete, any 3 voices/players, Op. 9, 1979; Cuarteto para arcos, string quartet, Op. 10, 1979; Diálogo guerrero místico, Op. 15, 1981; Cuarteto para arcos, string quartet, Op. 20, 1982; Elegía, 5 trumpets, Op. 43, 1990; Cinco Estructuras de Temporal, speaker, flute, clarinet, piano, Op. 58, 1992; Puente marimba, marimba, Op. 71, 1994; Dos Retratos de José Martí, baritone, bassoon, guitar, marimba, Op. 71a, 1995; Sonatina para flauta de amor y timbal, alto flute, timpani, Op. 110, 2000; Siete Sonatinas, violin, piano, Op. 117, 2001; Sonatina, 2 marimbas (4 players), Op. 118, 2001; Sonata de temporal para marimba, Op. 127, 2001; TríOpus 146 (participation piece; all performers and audience also speak text by Humberto Ak'abal), double bass, piano, percussion, audience, Op. 146, 2003; Dúo, violin, güiro (+ rainstick, wave drum), Op. 149, 2003; Concertante para dos cuartetos de arcos y contrabajo obligado, double bass obbligato, ensemble (2 string quartets), Op. 154, 2004; Sonata para violín y guitarra, Op. 165, 2005; Impromptu, violin, Op. 171, 2005
CHORAL: Coral figurado (text from the Lauda a la Trinidad [13th century]), 2 male voices, trumpet, violin, bass guitar, Op. 1, 1969; Cantata navideña latinoamericana (texts from indigenous Costa Rican sources), mixed chorus, Op. 6, 1976; Ofertorio (text from the Misa Campesina Nicaragüense), any 3 voices, Op. 8a, 1978; Ocho Montepulcianones, mixed chorus, Op. 9, 1978; Cantata sacrílega (texts from indigenous Costa Rican sources), mixed chorus, ensemble, Op. 12, 1979; Motetes místicos y obscenos (texts from the Dies Irae, indigenous Costa Rican sources), mixed chorus, Op. 11, 1979-80; He guardado, Cañas dulces, mixed chorus, Op. 13, 1981; Tríptico fúnebre, mixed chorus, ensemble, Op. 27b, 1986; Suite Cocoralí, mixed chorus, Op. 29, 1987; Misa I, 'Poliecuménica', mixed chorus, Op. 31, 1988; Once Cánones, mixed chorus, Op. 32, 1988; 44 Cánones (texts from indigenous Costa Rican sources), mixed chorus, Op. 44, 1989; Button, mixed chorus, Op. 48, 1991; Dos Cánones que son para perder el sueño, mixed chorus, Op. 51, 1991; Canciones poéticas y populares para Mario José, 2 female voices, Op. 52, 1991; Siete Estudios interválicos para Irene, mixed chorus, Op. 53, 1991; Ocho Estudios interválicos para Carmen María, mixed chorus, Op. 54, 1991; Motete, male chorus, Op. 58, 1992; Once Oraciones (texts by Beata María Romero, indigenous Costa Rican sources), equal chorus, Op. 62, 1993
VOCAL: Canción ingrata, female voice, Op. 18, 1982; Cinco Canciones costarrecientes, voice, violin, piano, Op. 23, 1984; Por los caminos del cuento y la aventura, voice, ensemble, Op. 24, 1985; Agnus Dei, soprano, French horn, 2 trumpets, trombone, tuba, harp, organ, Op. 26, 1985; Serenata (text by Juan Rulfo), soprano, piano, Op. 33, 1989; 30 Canciones para la patria de ayer y mañana, voice, piano, Op. 81, 1996; Siete Canciones amerindias (texts from indigenous Costa Rican sources), soprano, piano, Op. 165a, 2005; Siete Canciones amerindias (texts from indigenous Costa Rican sources), soprano, large orchestra, Op. 166, 2005
PIANO: Homenaje a Beethoven, Op. 4, 1970; Preludio, Villancico y Coral, Op. 7, 1976; Sonata para la mano izquierda, piano left hand, Op. 14, 1982; Siete Invenciones para la mano izquierda, piano left hand, Op. 16, 1982; Siete Valses corriente, Op. 17, 1982; Otra piecita posterior a Beethoven, Op. 22, 1984; Sonata, Op. 28, 1987; Sonata para la mano izquierda, piano left hand, Op. 46, 1990; Cinco Sonatas, Op. 49, 1990-91; Siete Piezas para perder el tempo, piano 4 hands, Op. 51a, 1991; Sonatina, Op. 59, 1992; 95 Estudios de temporal, Op. 59, 1992; 32 Vagabunderías para piano bien temperamental, Op. 63, 1993; Sonata quasi un claro de luna, Op. 111, 2000; Estudios corales e Intermezzos, Op. 143, 2003; Doce Piezas para los 12 años de Irene Alfaro Méndez, Op. 144, 2003; Quince Piezas, Op. 154a, 2004; Sonata, Op. 168c, 2005
ORGAN: 30 Meditaciones, Op. 66, 1994; Libro para órgano, Op. 105, 1998; Libra II para órgano, Op. 170, 2005
(Last updated on May 25, 2006)
