April 11, 1916:
Alberto Evaristo Ginastera is born in Buenos Aires, Republic of Argentina, the second of two children born to Alberto Ginastera and Luisa Bossi.
November 30, 1934:
Impresiones de la puna for flute and string quartet by Alberto Ginastera (18) is performed for the first time, at the Conservatorio de Música de Buenos Aires.
October 27, 1937:
Danzas Argentinas op.2 for piano by Alberto Ginastera (21) is performed for the first time, in Buenos Aires.
November 27, 1937:
A suite from Alberto Ginastera’s (21) unperformed ballet Panambí is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires.
July 26, 1938:
Cantos del Tucumán for voice, flute, harp, drums, and violin by Alberto Ginastera (22) to words of Jijena Sánchez, is performed for the first time, in Buenos Aires.
August 25, 1939:
Dos canciones for voice and piano by Alberto Ginastera (23) to words of Silva Valdés are performed for the first time, in Buenos Aires.
July 12, 1940:
Panambí, a ballet by Alberto Ginastera (24) to a story by Errico after a Guarani legend, is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires. See 27 November 1937.
September 11, 1940:
Malambo op.7 for piano by Alberto Ginastera (24) is performed for the first time, in Montevideo.
October 16, 1940:
Tres Piezas op.6 for piano by Alberto Ginastera (24) is performed for the first time, in Montevideo.
July 18, 1941:
Concerto Argentino no.1 for piano and chamber orchestra by Alberto Ginastera (25) is performed for the first time, in Montevideo.
September 26, 1941:
Aaron Copland (40) meets Alberto Ginastera (25) for the first time, in Buenos Aires calling him the “white hope” of Argentine music.
December 11, 1941:
Alberto Ginastera (25) marries Mercedes de Toro.
May 12, 1942:
Sinfonía Porteña by Alberto Ginastera (26) is performed for the first time, in Buenos Aires.
October 3, 1942:
Malambo, a film with music by Alberto Ginastera (26), is released in Buenos Aires.
November 8, 1942:
The John Simon Guggenheim Foundation fellowships for Latin America are announced, including one Alberto Ginastera (26).
May 12, 1943:
A suite from Alberto Ginastera’s (27) unperformed ballet Estancia is performed for the first time, in Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires. See 19 August 1952.
May 12, 1944:
Obertura para el “Fausto” criolo op.9 for orchestra by Alberto Ginastera (28) is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Municipal de Santiago de Chile.
July 17, 1944:
Cinco canciones populares argentinas for voice and piano by Alberto Ginastera (28) are performed for the first time, in Buenos Aires.
August 7, 1944:
Doce Preludios Americanos op.12 for piano by Alberto Ginastera (28) is performed for the first time, in Buenos Aires.
April 7, 1945:
Psalm 150 op.5 for chorus and orchestra by Alberto Ginastera (28) is performed for the first time, in Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires.
June 11, 1945:
Las horas de una estancia, for voice and piano by Alberto Ginastera (29) to words of Ocampo, is performed for the first time, in Montevideo.
November 27, 1945:
Alberto Ginastera (29) departs Buenos Aires for the United States and his Guggenheim Fellowship.
May 16, 1946:
Rosa de América, a film with music by Alberto Ginastera (30), is released in Argentina.
May 31, 1946:
Sinfonia elegiaca by Alberto Ginastera (30) is performed for the first time, in Buenos Aires.
June 30, 1946:
The John Simon Guggenheim Foundation fellowships for Latin America are announced, including one for Alberto Ginastera (30).
July 1, 1946:
During a period when he is taking lessons from Alberto Ginastera (30), Astor Piazzolla (25) forms his first tango orchestra.
February 23, 1947:
Two chamber works by Alberto Ginastera (30) are performed for the first time, in New York: Dúo for flute and oboe op.13 by and Pampeana no.1 op.16 for violin and piano.
July 21, 1947:
Hieremiae prophetae lamentationes op.14 for chorus by Alberto Ginastera (31) is performed for the first time, in Buenos Aires. Also premiered is Ginastera’s Toccata, Villancico y Fuga op.18 for organ.
July 26, 1947:
Suite de danzas criollas op.15 for piano by Alberto Ginastera (31) is performed for the first time, in Buenos Aires.
May 3, 1949:
Rondó sobre temas infantiles argentinos op.19 for piano by Alberto Ginastera (33) is performed for the first time, in Buenos Aires.
July 7, 1949:
Julio Saraceni’s film Nace la libertad, with music by Alberto Ginastera (33), is released in Argentina.
October 24, 1949:
String Quartet no.1 op.20 by Alberto Ginastera (33) is performed for the first time, in Buenos Aires.
October 29, 1949:
Ollantay op.17 for orchestra by Alberto Ginastera (33) is performed for the first time, in Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires.
May 8, 1950:
Pampeana no.2 op.21 for cello and piano by Alberto Ginastera (34) is performed for the first time, in Buenos Aires.
September 1, 1950:
Carlos Gorostiza’s film El Puente, with music by Alberto Ginastera (34), is released in Argentina.
May 19, 1952:
Toccata, villancico y fuga op.18 for organ by Alberto Ginastera (36) is performed for the first time, in Buenos Aires.
August 19, 1952:
Estancia, a ballet by Alberto Ginastera (36), is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires. See 12 May 1943.
November 29, 1952:
Piano Sonata no.1 op.22 by Alberto Ginastera (36) is performed for the first time, in Pittsburgh. Also premiered is Quaderno musicale di Annalibera for piano by Luigi Dallapiccola (48).
June 2, 1953:
Variaciones concertantes for chamber orchestra by Alberto Ginastera (37) is performed for the first time, in Buenos Aires.
November 26, 1953:
Ralph Pappier’s film Caballito criollo, with music by Alberto Ginastera (37), is released in Argentina.
September 9, 1954:
Edgardo Togni’s film Su seguro servidor, with music by Alberto Ginastera (38), is released in Argentina.
October 20, 1954:
Pampeana no.3 op.24 for orchestra by Alberto Ginastera (38) is performed for the first time, in Louisville.
April 5, 1956:
Edgardo Togni’s film Los meridos de mamá, with music by Alberto Ginastera (39), is released in Argentina.
September 27, 1956:
Enrique Cahen Salaberry’s film Enigma de mujer, with music by Alberto Ginastera (40), is released in Argentina.
February 6, 1958:
Arne Mattsson’s film Primavera de la vida, with music by Alberto Ginastera (41), is released in Argentina.
April 19, 1958:
String Quartet no.2 op.26 by Alberto Ginastera (42) is performed for the first time, in Coolidge Auditorium, Washington. Also premiered is String Quartet no.15 by Heitor Villa-Lobos (71).
June 9, 1958:
Incidental music to Zavalía’s play El limite by Alberto Ginastera (42) is performed for the first time, in Théâtre des Nations (Théâtre de la Ville), Paris.
June 12, 1958:
Edgardo Togni’s film Hay que bañar al nene, with music by Alberto Ginastera (42), is released in Argentina.
April 22, 1961:
Piano Concerto no.1 by Alberto Ginastera (45) is performed for the first time, in Washington.
April 30, 1961:
Cantata para America magica for soprano and percussion orchestra by Alberto Ginastera (45) to pre-Columbian words, is performed for the first time, in Washington.
October 3, 1963:
Violin Concerto op.30 by Alberto Ginastera (47) is performed for the first time, under the baton of Leonard Bernstein (45) in Philharmonic Hall, New York.
July 24, 1964:
Don Rodrigo, an opera by Alberto Ginastera (48) to words of Casona, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires.
October 31, 1964:
Sinfonia “Don Rodrigo” for soprano and orchestra by Alberto Ginastera (48) to words of Casona is performed for the first time, in Madrid.
November 1, 1964:
Two new works are performed for the first time, in Coolidge Auditorium, Library of Congress, Washington: Bomarzo, a cantata by Alberto Ginastera (48) to words of Mujica Láinez, and The Feast of Love for baritone and orchestra by Virgil Thomson (67) from Pervigilium veneris (tr. Thomson).
February 18, 1965:
Alberto Ginastera’s (48) Harp Concerto is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.
May 14, 1966:
Concerto per corde by Alberto Ginastera (50) is performed for the first time, in Caracas.
May 19, 1967:
Bomarzo, an opera by Alberto Ginastera (51) to words of Mujica Láinez, is performed for the first time, in Washington.
July 18, 1967:
The military dictatorship ruling Argentina bans a performance of Alberto Ginastera’s opera Bomarzo scheduled for Buenos Aires, citing the work’s “obsessive reference to sex, violence, and hallucination…” (Schwartz-Kates, 14)
March 31, 1968:
Estudios sinfónicos op.35 for orchestra by Alberto Ginastera (51) is performed for the first time, in Vancouver.
July 7, 1968:
Cello Concerto no.1 op.36 by Alberto Ginastera (52) is performed for the first time, at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire.
December 17, 1970:
An orchestral suite from his opera Bomarzo by Alberto Ginastera (54) is performed for the first time, in San Antonio, Texas.
September 10, 1971:
Beatrix Cenci, an opera by Alberto Ginastera (55) to words of Shand and Girri, is performed for the first time, at the Kennedy Center, Washington.
April 29, 1972:
After five years under a ban by the mayor of Buenos Aires on moral grounds, Alberto Ginastera’s (56) dramatic cantata Bomarzo is given its Argentine premiere in the Teatro Colón.
March 22, 1973:
Piano Concerto no.2 by Alberto Ginastera (56) is performed for the first time, in Indianapolis.
April 16, 1973:
Milena, a cantata by Alberto Ginastera (57) to words of Kafka, is performed for the first time, in Denver.
January 18, 1974:
Serenata op.42 for baritone, cello, and nine instruments by Alberto Ginastera (57) to words of Neruda is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York conducted by the composer.
February 4, 1974:
String Quartet no.3 op.40 for soprano and string quartet by Alberto Ginastera (57) to words of Alberti, García Lorca, and Ramón Jiménez is performed for the first time, in Caruth Auditorium, Dallas.
March 19, 1975:
Alberto Ginastera (58) receives an honorary doctorate from Temple University.
March 20, 1975:
Turbae ad passionem gregorianam for tenor, baritone, bass-baritone, boys’ chorus, chorus, and orchestra by Alberto Ginastera (58) is performed for the first time, at the Philadelphia Academy of Music.
May 2, 1976:
Several works for solo cello are performed for the first time, in the Tonhalle, Zürich, to celebrate the 70th birthday of Paul Sacher. Mstislav Rostropovich asked Benjamin Britten to write a theme on which other composers would create variations. However, the other composers ended up writing individual compositions. They will be published by Universal Edition as 12 Hommages à Paul Sacher. Among the works premiered today are Tema “Sacher” by Benjamin Britten (62), Sacher Variation by Witold Lutoslawski (63), and Puneña no.2 “Hommage à Paul Sacher” op.45 by Alberto Ginastera (60). See 3 July 1977.
June 14, 1976:
Glosses sobre temes de Pau Casals for string orchestra by Alberto Ginastera (60) is performed for the first time, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. See 24 January 1978,
November 27, 1976:
Sonata for guitar op.47 by Alberto Ginastera (60) is performed for the first time, in Lisner Auditorium, Washington.
January 24, 1978:
Glosses sobre temes de Pau Casals by Alberto Ginastera (61) is performed for the first time in the version for orchestra, in the Kennedy Center, Washington. See 14 June 1976.
December 13, 1979:
Sonata for cello and piano op.49 by Alberto Ginastera (63) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.
April 12, 1980:
Iubilum for orchestra by Alberto Ginastera (64) is performed for the first time, in Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires. The work was composed for the 400th anniversary of the city of Buenos Aires.
June 18, 1980:
Variazioni e Toccata sopra “Aurora lucis rutilat” op.52 for organ by Alberto Ginastera (64) is performed for the first time, in Minneapolis.
April 14, 1981:
A Fanfare, op. 51a for four trumpets by Alberto Ginastera (65) is performed for the first time, in Geneva.
July 6, 1981:
Cello Concerto no.2 by Alberto Ginastera (65) is performed for the first time, in Buenos Aires by the dedicatee, Aurora Natola (Sra. Ginastera).
October 1, 1981:
Alberto Ginastera (65) receives the UNESCO-International Music Council Music Prize in Budapest.
January 29, 1982:
Piano Sonata no.2 op.53 by Alberto Ginastera (65) is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
November 17, 1982:
Piano Sonata no.3 op.54 by Alberto Ginastera (66) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.
June 25, 1983:
Alberto Evaristo Ginastera dies of lung cancer in Geneva, Switzerland, aged 67 years, two months, and 14 days. His mortal remains will be laid to rest in the Cimitière des Rois, Geneva.
April 7, 1989:
Popul Vuh for orchestra by Alberto Ginastera (†5) is performed for the first time, in Powell Symphony Hall, St. Louis. Only seven of the eight movements were completed at the composer’s death.
December 10, 2011:
Concierto Argentino for piano and orchestra by Alberto Ginastera (†28) is performed for the first time, in Hill Auditorium at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 70 years after it was composed.