Directory of Rodrigo, Joaquín Resources

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Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo was born in Valencia in 1901 on the Feast Day of St Cecila, patron saint of music. The youngest of ten children, he was blinded by diphtheria at age three and learned to play the piano and violin with the help of Braille. By 1924, his orchestral work was being performed in Valencia and Madrid. He moved to Paris soon after, mixing with other composers including Ravel, Milhaud and de Falla. It was in Paris that he met his wife and lifetime partner, Turkish pianist Victoria Kamhi. They married in 1933. In 1939, shortly before moving back to Spain, Rodrigo composed the Concierto de Aranjuez for guitar. It became one of the 20th century's best-known pieces of classical music. Named after a town southeast of Madrid, it was first performed in Barcelona in 1940. Concert-goers loved its flamenco-influenced melodies. Jazz legend Miles Davis recorded a version in his Sketches of Spain, giving the piece and Rodrigo a new and appreciative audience. Rodrigo died in 1999.

Resources in This Category

• Classical Archives: Joaquín Rodrigo

  http://www.classicalarchives.com/composer/7188.html
  Biography and works.

• Joaquin Rodrigo

  http://www.joaquin-rodrigo.com/
  A tribute. Available in Spanish and English. Quotes, biography, works, music for sale.

• Joaquín Rodrigo

  http://elvispelvis.com/joaquinrodrigo.htm
  Obituaries, biography, and links from Fuller Up, The Dead Musician Directory.

• Joaquin Rodrigo

  http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6654396&pt=Joaquin+Rodrigo
  Find A Grave listing with birth, death, and burial information, noted works, photographs, and interactive memorial.

• Joaquin Rodrigo

  http://www.naxos.com/composerinfo/874.htm
  Brief biographical sketch, caricature, summary of orchestral works, and Naxos discography.

• Joaquín Rodrigo

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joaqu%C3%ADn_Rodrigo
  Wikipedia article with biographical material, internal references to related people and topics, and selected works.

• Joaquín Rodrigo

  http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0735006/
  Filmography at IMDb.

• Joaquín Rodrigo

  http://www.lieder.net/lieder/get_settings.html?ComposerId=5522
  Listing at the Lied and Art Songs Text Page with list of vocal works linked to lyrics.

• Joaquín Rodrigo: Against the Odds

  http://www.humanitiesweb.org/human.php?s=c&p=c&a=i&ID=128
  Brief biography, key works, suggested reading, timeline, recommended recordings, and links. From Humanities Web.

• Joaquin Rodrigo: Famed Spanish Composer Dies

  http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/1999/07/rod-j13.html
  Biographical obituary from the World Socialist Web Site includes printer-ready version.

Related Categories

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