Joaquín Rodrigo biography [1901-1999] The blind Spanish composer who translated the soul into music

Joaquín Rodrigo was born on 1901 in Valencia (Spain) being the youngest of 10 siblings, wow!

• When he was only 3 years old, he lost his sight as a result of a diphtheria epidemic. The composer commented that blindness turned him to a life of music.
• At the age of seven he entered the conservatory where he studied music theory, piano, violin and composition 🎹 🎻🎺

1923. First compositions: ‘2 Esbozos (2 Sketches)‘ and ‘Pequeña Ronda (Little Round)‘

• At 20 Joaquín Rodrigo was already an expert pianist.
• His first work for orchestra was ‘Juglares (Minstrels)’. It was successfully premiered in 1924.
• The first piece that Joaquín dedicated to his wife, which was his most ambitious work up to that moment, is “Cinco piezas infantiles (Five Children’s Pieces)”.

1926. First work for guitar: ‘Zarabanda Lejana (Far Saraband Dance)’

Joaquín sensed the guitar, it was a gift and he would write many works for it, among them, Concierto de Aranjuez

1927. He moved to Paris to continue studying and following in the footsteps of his contemporaries such as Albéniz or Granados.

• He befriends his fellow countryman, composer Manuel de Falla, who allowed him to premiere the play ‘Preludio al gallo mañanero (Prelude to the morning rooster)’ in his concert.
• There he met the one who would become his wife, the Turkish pianist Victoria Kamhi, who was a fundamental piece in his personal and professional life, being his greatest collaborator.

1934. Joaquín goes through a time of financial difficulties that causes him to separate from his wife. At that time, he composed ‘El Cántico de la Esposa (The Canticle of the Wife)‘ dedicated to her.

• Later he receives a scholarship that allows him to return to Paris and with his wife Vicky.

1936. The Spanish Civil Wars breaks out and Joaquín moves with his wife to Germany. They would stay there for 3 hard years as refugees, teaching music and Spanish to survive.

• But he doesn’t stop composing. From that period are the ‘Sonada de adiós (Goodbye Sonada)‘, in homenage to his late teacher Paul Dukas, and “Canción de Cucú (Cuckoo Song9” inspired by the beautiful Black Forest.

• During that time, he also composed the wonderful ‘Cuatro piezas para piano (Four pieces for piano)’ and ‘En los trigales (In the wheat fields)‘. 

1938. He returns to Spain to give classes during the summer at the Menéndez Pelayo University in Santander.

• During the return trip to Paris, he dines with the guitarist Regino Sainz de la Maza and the Marquis of Bolarque. The former asks him to compose a concerto for guitar and orchestra. You already know the result, it’s called ‘Concierto de Aranjuez’, about which you will find out everything on this other article. 😀

• At this time, he composed several voice and choral works: Tríptic de Mossèn Cinto, Cuatro madrigales amatorios, Ausencias de Dulcinea and Concierto in modo galante.

1950. The amazing Spanish guitarist Narciso Yepes, together with the National Orchestra of Spain, performs Concierto de Aranjuez in Paris.

• It was a rousing success and brought Rodrigo international fame.
• From this period are: Cinco Sonatas de Castilla, Concierto serenata, and his second best known work ‘Fantasía para un gentilhombre (Fantasy for a gentleman)’.

1976. Joaquín Rodrigo, whose Concierto de Aranjuez chords had already sounded in the Apollo VII space mission, dedicated this work ‘In Search of the Beyond’ to NASA, in commemoration of the Bicentennial of the Independence of the United States of America.

• From the 70s are: Concierto madrigal, Concierto pastoral, Concierto como un divertimento and one of our favourite, Concierto para una fiesta (Concert for a party) 🥳️

1986. Premiere of his latest creation, ‘Cántico de San Francisco de Asis (Canticle of Saint Francis of Assisi)’. A beautiful work for choir and orchestra.

The 90s. Joaquín receives loads of honors, perhaps the most important, the Prince of Asturias for the Arts Award in Spain, for “his extraordinary contribution to Spanish music to which he has given new impulses for a universal projection“.

• At the age of 90, king Juan Carlos I of Spain awarded him the hereditary title Marqués de los jardines de Aranjuez (Marquis of the gardens of Aranjuez).