In 1947, Ponce was the first Mexican musician to receive the National Prize for Arts and Sciences from the Academy of Fine Arts.
Composition History
A lifelong friendship and mutual admiration began between Ponce and the famous guitarist Andrés Segovia after Segovia's first concert in Mexico in 1923, with Segovia commissioning many guitar works from Ponce.
Composer Biography
Manuel Maria Ponce, born in Zacatecas, Mexico, was considered a musical prodigy, learning to read music before the alphabet and becoming an organist at 15.
Compositional Technique
Ponce had a talent for composing 'in the style of' other composers, and at Segovia's urging, he wrote sonatas in the style of Franz Schubert and Fernando Sor.
Composer Biography
Ponce studied at the 'Stern'schen Konservatorium Berlin' with Martin Krause, a student of Franz Liszt, and later in Paris with Paul Dukas at the 'Ecole Normal de Musique'.
Recording & Production
The guitar used in this recording was made by Fritz Ober in Munich in 2012, and the harpsichord by Colin Booth in Wells in 1994, based on Italian models.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Ponce is considered the founder of the Mexican National School and the most important Mexican composer of the 20th century, having researched and collected traditional Mexican folklore.
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