Креольская месса

U
UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
Date: April 8, 2009
I, Aaron Mitchell ,
hereby submit this original work as part of the requirements for the degree of:
Doctor of Musical Arts
in Choral Conducting
It is entitled:
A Conductor's Guide to Ariel Ramírez’s Misa Criolla
Student Signature:
Aaron Mitchell
This work and its defense approved by:
Committee Chair:
Dr. Earl Rivers
Dr. Elmer Thomas
Dr. Terence Milligan
Approval of the electronic document:
I have reviewed the Thesis/Dissertation in its final electronic format and certify that it is an
accurate copy of the document reviewed and approved by the committee.
Committee Chair signature: Dr. Earl Rivers

A Conductor’s Guide to Ariel Ramírez’s Misa Criolla
A document submitted to the
Graduate School
of the University of Cincinnati
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS
in the Ensembles and Conducting Division
of the College-Conservatory of Music
2009
by
Aaron Paul Mitchell
B.M., Brigham Young University, 2000
M.M., Temple University, 2004
Committee Chair: Dr. Earl Rivers

ABSTRACT
Although Misa Criolla has been a popular work since the first recording was issued in
1964, until recently there has been little written about the work itself, or its composer, in part
because of the unique and localized folk elements that constitute its compositional framework.
Composer and pianist Ariel Ramírez spent much of his life studying and promoting the folk
traditions of his homeland in Argentina. Once he composed and recorded Misa Criolla,
following right on the heels of the second Vatican Council with a newly authorized translation of
the mass into Spanish, the work quickly gave him an international presence. While widely
admired, Misa Criolla is sometimes viewed with a degree of skepticism by conductors in North
America because of a lack of available information related to the traditional elements in the
music, the creole instruments used in its scoring, challenges with language and rhythm, and
questions about the viability of the available printed score.
This conductor’s guide will seek to demystify the work, focusing on practical issues that
conductors face in preparing and presenting Misa Criolla. After establishing a background on
the composer and his most popular composition, this guide will examine the traditional dance
rhythms and song forms that create a structural backbone for each movement, providing
examples from regional folk traditions. Primary areas addressed will also include a discussion
and comparison of existing editions, problems associated with existing scores, instrumental parts,
and the role of improvisation, as well as a detailed examination of conducting and rehearsal
concerns and a comprehensive IPA transcription of the text. The aim of this document is to aid
conductors in their efforts to present informed and successful performances of Misa Criolla.
iii
COPYRIGHT NOTICES AND PERMISSIONS
Misa Criolla
By Ariel Ramírez
Copyright © 1965 (Renewed) by Lawson-Gould Music Publishers, Inc.
All Rights Controlled by WB Music Corp. All Rights Reserved.
Used by Permission
Misa Criolla
By Ariel Ramírez
Copyright © 1965 (Renewed) by Editorial Pigal
1965, 1989 Revised, and 2001 Revised Editions Inclusive.
All Rights Controlled by Warner/Chappell Music Argentina. All Rights Reserved.
Used by Permission
iv
Copyright © 2009 by Aaron Mitchell
All rights reserved
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
During 1995-7 I lived in the Amazon region of Brazil on a service mission and gained a
love for the people and culture of South America. The rich native traditions and the omnipresent
mix of European and native elements in everyday living was inspiring to see. I gained an interest
in Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos and spent some time researching his lesser-known
choral works. Some years later, teaching public school in Connecticut, I first heard a recording
of Misa Criolla. The unmistakable folk characteristics, replete with history and tradition and
blended with European influences in a religious setting, were very appealing to me. Since then, I
began a journey of learning related to the work that brought me to where I am today.
There are several individuals who contributed to this document, in their discussions and
emails with me. In Argentina, Oscar Escalada invited me to translate and edit an article he had
put together on Misa Criolla and The Choral Journal published it along with my own article on
the subject (part of this document) in 2008. Facundo Ramírez, the composer’s son who, as a
composer and conductor himself, has probably more experience with this work than anyone
other than his father, has been extremely helpful and gracious. I also appreciate the contribution
of many individuals who responded to my emails about the work, including Rig Mutschler
(Foundation of Argentine Music in Holland), Marcelo Gasio (Warner-Chappell of Argentina),
Alicia Lagos (former owner of Editorial Lagos), Luis Garay (percussionist for the Naxos
recording of The Choral Arts Society of Washington), Thomas Sheets (transcriber of the
instrumental parts for Lawson-Gould), and many others.
I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the excellent mentors who helped me along the way.
Mr. Alan Harler (Temple University), an associate of the late Julius Herford, is one of the
greatest conductors and musicians I have known. I owe him much more than an
vi
acknowledgement, but for the purposes of this work, he certainly deserves credit for allowing me
to lead a performance of Misa Criolla as a young master’s student at Temple University. Dr.
Earl Rivers (University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music [CCM]), who administers
perhaps the greatest graduate choral conducting program in the country with amazing skill, has
been a tremendous support in all of my pursuits, and his contribution to my career and life will
never be forgotten.
I also would like to thank Dr. Dale Warland for his willingness to make time for a
discussion or lesson and for his imparted wisdom as a frequent visitor and later visiting professor
at CCM—his contribution to the choral art is invaluable; Dr. Ronald Staheli (Brigham Young
University) for inspiring me with a philosophy that real art lies in the details and that conducting
can and should be beautiful and expressive; Dr. Mack Wilberg (Mormon Tabernacle Choir,
formerly Brigham Young University) who led by example with his tremendously effective
programming and impeccable ear, not to mention the incomparable choral arranging instruction;
and the faculty at the Berkshire Choral Festival: Trudy Weaver-Miller and Frank Nemhauser,
and several master conductors in the beautiful Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts, including Duain
Wolfe (Chicago Symphony Chorus), Robert Page (formerly Pittsburgh Symphony, Mendelssohn
Choir of Pittsburgh), Joseph Colaneri (Metropolitan Opera), Raymond Harvey (Kalamazoo
Symphony), Amy Kaiser (St. Louis Symphony Chorus), Nicholas Cleobury (Oxford Bach
Choir), J. Reilly Lewis (Washington Bach Consort), and Vance George (formerly San Francisco
Symphony Chorus), who took me in during the summers allowing me to join the staff as a young
conducting apprentice. The impression was indelible as they guided me through many of the
great choral-orchestral masterworks.
vii
I also think back to those who got me started on this career path. There was a diligent
junior high choir teacher, Pam Allen, who recruited me from an overfilled drama class
convincing me, rather against my initial will, to join choir instead. She used me as an
accompanist in seventh grade and featured me as a piano soloist, doing everything she could to
put me on the choir path—and she did. I think of my high school choir teacher, the late Joel
Fernatt in Ramona, California, who inspired me with great music and a real conviction for what
he did. I recall a one-on-one discussion we had where he very seriously encouraged me to
consider a career in music education. I was somewhat taken aback and responded with a
―thanks, but it’s not for me. I have other plans.‖ Music was not in my career plans at the time.
He died, far too young, before I could let him know where life’s paths had led me. There were a
number of other inspiring teachers along the way, and each deserves credit and appreciation.
Finally, I thank my own family: parents who were always supportive of my choices, and
grandparents who took me in and taught me about life and the value of hard work. Above all,
my wife and four beautiful children deserve a world of thanks for their patience and love during
my graduate studies and as I started my career in university teaching while completing my DMA
document. Without their support, this document would not have been possible.
viii
CONTENTS
FIGURES ............................................................................................................................................ xi
TABLES ........................................................................................................................................... xiv
Chapter
1. ARIEL RAMÍREZ AND HIS MISA CRIOLLA ............................................................................... 1

Composer Biography ............................................................................................................. 1
Genesis and History of Misa Criolla ...................................................................................... 5
2. MISA CRIOLLA: FOLK ELEMENTS..............................................................................................9

A Creole Mass, Defined......................................................................................................... 9
Song Styles and Dance Rhythms.......................................................................................... 10
Misa Criolla Analysis Table ................................................................................................ 13
I. Kyrie: Vidala-Baguala ..................................................................................................... 14
II. Gloria: Carnavalito-Yaraví ............................................................................................. 17
III. Credo: Chacarera Trunca .............................................................................................. 21
IV. Sanctus: Carnaval Cochabambino ................................................................................. 24
V. Agnus Dei: Estilo Pampeano .......................................................................................... 25
Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 30
3. MISA CRIOLLA: EDITIONS AND INSTRUMENTS ................................................................... 31

Existing Editions ................................................................................................................. 31
Adaptation of Performing Editions ...................................................................................... 33
Edition Comparison Chart ................................................................................................... 35
Instrumental Parts ................................................................................................................ 44
Instruments in Misa Criolla ................................................................................................. 48
Role of Improvisation .......................................................................................................... 57
4. MISA CRIOLLA: CONDUCTING AND REHEARSAL ISSUES ................................................. 59

Kyrie: Conducting Issues ..................................................................................................... 60
Kyrie: Rehearsal Issues ........................................................................................................ 62
Kyrie: Instrumental Issues ................................................................................................... 67
Gloria: Conducting Issues .................................................................................................... 70
Gloria: Rehearsal Issues....................................................................................................... 73
ix
Gloria: Instrumental Issues .................................................................................................. 81
Credo: Conducting Issues .................................................................................................... 86
Credo: Rehearsal Issues ....................................................................................................... 88
Credo: Instrumental Issues ................................................................................................... 92
Sanctus: Conducting Issues .................................................................................................. 96
Sanctus: Rehearsal Issues .................................................................................................... 98
Sanctus: Instrumental Issues .............................................................................................. 102
Agnus Dei: Conducting Issues ........................................................................................... 105
Agnus Dei: Rehearsal Issues .............................................................................................. 106
Agnus Dei: Instrumental Issues.......................................................................................... 109
Summary and Conclusion .................................................................................................. 111
APPENDIX
1. Table of Notable Works by Ariel Ramírez ......................................................................... 112

2. About the Creation of Misa Criolla (Original Spanish) ...................................................... 114
3. Misa Criolla: Text and Translation .................................................................................... 116
4. Misa Criolla: International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) Transcription ................................... 118
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................ 124
SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................... 128
x
FIGURES
Figure Page
Figure 1. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Kyrie,‖ mm. 1-13 ..................................................... 12
Figure 2. Vidala ―Miembros tripódicos‖ ................................................................................. 14
Figure 4. A baguala melody from northwestern Argentina ..................................................... 15
Figure 6. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Kyrie,‖ mm. 1-4 ....................................................... 16
Figure 8. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Gloria,‖ mm. 9-12 .................................................... 18
Figure 9. Waldo Belloso, ―Piedra punta,‖ carnavalito for piano, mm. 1-10............................. 19
Figure 10. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Gloria,‖ mm. 14-20 ................................................ 19
Figure 11. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Gloria,‖ transition to yaraví, mm. 38-40 ................. 20
Figure 12. ―La tórtola‖ (of Cuzco), a yaraví melody ............................................................... 21
Figure 13. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Gloria,‖ yaraví, mm. 54-61 .................................... 21
Figure 14. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Credo,‖ tumbadoras, mm. 10-3 .............................. 22
Figure 15. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Credo,‖ bombo, mm. 10-3 ...................................... 22
Figure 16. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Credo,‖ bombo and tumbadoras, mm. 10-3 ............ 22
Figure 17. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Credo,‖ mm. 120-3................................................. 22
Figure 18. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Credo,‖ chacarera rhythmic pattern, mm. 20-4 ...... 23
xi
Figure 19. A chacarera song from Carlos Vega’s Danzas argentinas ..................................... 24
Figure 20. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Sanctus,‖ mm. 15-8 ................................................ 25
Figure 21. ―Salta,‖ estilo melody ............................................................................................ 26
Figure 22. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Agnus Dei,‖ mm. 15-8 ........................................... 26
Figure 23. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Agnus Dei,‖ mm. 1-7 ............................................. 28
Figure 24. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Agnus Dei,‖ mm. 19-23 ......................................... 29
Figure 25. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Agnus Dei,‖ mm. 11-4 ........................................... 30
Figure 26. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Gloria,‖ Lagos/Pigal edition, mm. 45-8 .................. 43
Figure 27. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Gloria,‖ Lawson-Gould edition, mm. 45-8 ............. 44
Figure 28. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Sanctus,‖ 2001 revised edition, mm. 4-6................. 52
Figure 29. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Kyrie,‖ 1989 revised edition, mm. 35-6 .................. 61
Figure 30. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Kyrie,‖ mm. 35-6 ................................................... 61
Figure 31. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Kyrie,‖ 1989 revised edition, mm. 20-5 .................. 64
Figure 33. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Kyrie,‖ 1989 revised edition, mm. 3-5 .................... 65
Figure 34. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Kyrie,‖ 1989 revised edition, mm. 3-9 .................... 67
Figure 35. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Gloria,‖ 1989 revised edition, mm. 38-40 ............... 77
Figure 36. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Gloria,‖ 1989 revised edition, mm. 45-7 ................. 79
Figure 37. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Gloria,‖ mm. 115-20 .............................................. 81
Figure 38. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Gloria,‖ 1989 revised edition, mm. 115-20 ............. 81
xii
Figure 39. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Gloria,‖ original and re-voiced, mm. 80, 86, 88 ...... 82
Figure 40. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Gloria,‖ 1989 revised edition, mm. 86-95 ............... 83
Figure 41. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Credo,‖ mm. 20-4................................................... 92
Figure 42. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Credo,‖ 1989 revised edition, mm. 20-4 ................. 92
Figure 43. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Credo,‖ mm. 13-4................................................... 93
Figure 44. Rhythmic base of a typical chacarera .................................................................... 94
Figure 45. Bombo rhythms of a chacarera trunca ................................................................... 94
Figure 46. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Sanctus,‖ 1989 revised edition, mm. 20-7 ............. 101
Figure 47. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Sanctus,‖ mm. 26-30 ............................................ 102
Figure 48. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Sanctus,‖ m. 15 .................................................... 104
Figure 49. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Sanctus,‖ 1989 revised edition, mm. 74-6 ............. 105
Figure 50. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Agnus Dei,‖ 1989 revised edition, mm. 37-9 ........ 111
xiii
TABLES
Table Page
Table 1. Leadership positions held by Ariel Ramírez ................................................................ 4
Table 2. Song styles and dance rhythms in Misa Criolla......................................................... 11
Table 3. Comparison of selected editions ............................................................................... 33
Table 4. Comparison of the original Lagos/Pigal and the Lawson-Gould editions ................... 36
Table 5. Instrumental part rehearsal letters ............................................................................. 46
xiv
CHAPTER 1
ARIEL RAMÍREZ AND HIS MISA CRIOLLA
Composer Biography
Ariel Ramírez was born in Santa Fe, Argentina in 1921. His father was a schoolteacher
who expected him to follow the same career. Ariel, however, had shown proficiency on the
piano from an early age. Growing up, they lived atop the schoolhouse where his father taught.
On Sundays, when everything was closed, Ariel would sneak downstairs to a museum where a
piano was housed to play the instrument ―amid the embalmed owls, parrots, and bugs.‖ 1
Although he would, in fact, later earn his teaching certificate and begin teaching fourth grade, he
says he only lasted two days in the classroom: ―I couldn’t say no to those schemers. I had
discipline problems.‖2
A keen interest in folk music led the young Ramírez to travel his country, performing and
studying Argentina’s regional music traditions. While staying with a friend in Tulumba, near
Córdoba, Ariel met renowned folklore musician Atahualpa Yupanqui. Yupanqui encouraged
Ramírez to become familiar with the traditions of the northwest, where native Argentine and
Andean culture was strong. Following this advice, Ramírez spent 1941-3 in the provinces of
Tucumán, Jujuy, Salta, and Mendoza recopying folk melodies and studying local music. In
Jujuy he spent several months in Humahuaca where he was instructed by Dr. Justiniano Torres
Aparicio, a musician with an extensive knowledge of Argentine culture.3 In 1943 he was
awarded a grant from The Province of Santa Fe Commission of Culture, which enabled him to
1
Caleb Bach, ―Ariel Ramírez: High Fidelity for Folk,‖ Américas 55, no. 5 (September 2003): 43.
2
Ibid.
3
Semblanzas Producciones, "Biografia," Sitio Oficial de Ariel Ramírez, http://www.arielramirez.com/biog2.htm
(accessed March 1, 2007).
1
continue his studies in Buenos Aires, where he studied harmony with Luis Gianneo and
composition with Dr. Erwin Leuchter. 4 He worked as a piano player for Radio El Mundo in
Buenos Aires, giving eight performances each month, but once the Peronist government took
over, he says, they ―demanded employees sign a statement of political loyalty. I was an
independent and my father was an active radialista, so I was out of a job.‖ 5
Beginning in 1950 Ramírez spent four years in Europe, studying European folklore and
performing numerous concerts.6 He continued to pursue his Argentine roots, performing
concerts of Argentine folk music in several countries, including a highly acclaimed concert for
the Vatican Radio in Rome (1952) where, after the concert, he was received by Pope Pius XII.
In Europe he was also awarded a fellowship from the Institute of Hispanic Culture in Madrid to
study the oral traditions of Spanish music, which he did while based in Madrid in 1951.7
Following his years in Europe he returned to Argentina briefly in 1954, then spent much of that
year and the following in Bolivia, Peru, and Uruguay. 8 ―It was there that I really learned the
origins of our music,‖ Ramírez adds.9 In 1955 he founded a folklore company (listed both as la
Compañía Argentina de Folklore and la Compañía Ariel Ramírez de Folklore) that continued to
perform concerts in Latin America and Europe.10
4
Jesus Martinez Moiron, El mundo de los autores incluye la historia de S.A.D.A.I.C. (Buenos Aires: Sampedro
Ediciones, 1971), 549.
5
Bach, 44.
6
As per Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla (NY: Lawson-Gould, 1965), 4, and various other liner notes, he studied at the
Academy of Vienna while in Europe. This is not included in the biography listed on his official website, nor in the
biography provided as President of SADAIC in 1971. The Vienna Academy of Music is, however, included as one
of the many places in Europe where Ramírez performed concerts.
7
Pablo Kohan, ―Ariel Ramírez,‖ Vol. 19, Diccionário de la música española e hispanoamericana, ed. Emilio
Casares Rodicio (Madrid: Sociedad General de Autores y Editores, 2001), 22. The LP notes to the 1964 Philips
recording, however, state that Ramírez studied the ―origins of Argentine music‖ at the Institute of Hispanic Culture
in Madrid. Ramírez’s official website confirms the former.
8
Moiron, 549.
9
Bach, 45.
10
Moiron, 549. According to this, the composer’s 1971 biography as President of the Society of Argentine Authors
and Composers (SADAIC), the folklore company was founded in Montevideo, Uruguay, where it is simply
described as ―la Compañía del Folklore‖ [the Folklore Company].
2
The 1960s ushered in a Renaissance of Argentine folk music and Ramírez became a
principal figure associated with the movement. Folk music grew increasingly popular and
numerous folkloric festivals were organized. One significant festival, held annually in Cosquín,
Córdoba, began in 1960 and continues to this day. These festivals are locally organized and
include singing, dancing and sometimes conferences, crafts and seminars. 11 Ramírez quickly
gained a reputation as an Argentine folklore specialist and a leader in the folk movement.
Ramírez held several important positions as an advocate for folk music, musicians and
composers (table 1), including President of the Society of Argentine Authors and Composers
[Sociedad Argentina de Autores y Compositores], a post he held during various years between
1970 and 2005. At the time of this writing he is still listed as President of their Advisory Board,
a role he has had since 2005, although for health reasons he has not had any public appearances
for a few years. He was also a leader in advocacy for the defense of copyright, a role he took on
after having had a work stolen ("La Peregrinación‖ [The Pilgrimage]) and recorded under a
different name in France.
11
Ercilia Moreno Chá, ―Argentina,‖ The Garland Handbook of Latin American Music, ed. Dale Olsen (NY: Garland
Publishing, 2000), 315.
3
Table 1. Leadership positions held by Ariel Ramírez12
Dates Position
1969, 1971, 1975 President of the Pan-American Council of the International
Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers
[Consejo Panamericano de la Confederación Internacional de
Sociedades de Autores y Compositores] (CISAC)
1972-4, 1975-6, Member of the Administrative Council of CISAC
1994-6, 1996-8,
1998 to present
1973-6 Member of the Board of the National Endowment for the Arts
(Argentina) [Fondo Nacional de las Artes]
1974-5 Chairman of the Administrative Board of the International
Bureau of Administrative Societies of Recording Rights and
Mechanical Reproduction
[Buró Internacional de Sociedades Administradoras de
Derechos de Grabación y Reproducción Mecánica] (BIEM)
1974-6 Director of the Musical Division of the Ministry of Culture
and Education [Complejo Musical del Ministerio de Cultura y
Educación]
1984-8 Director of the Center of Musical Divulgence of the
Municipality of Buenos Aires [Centro de Divulgación Musical
de la Municipalidad de Buenos Aires] (CDM)
1985-9, 1989-93 Secretary General of the Argentine Society of Authors and
Composers [Sociedad Argentina de Autores y Compositores]
(SADAIC)
1988-90 President of CISAC
1970-4, 1974-7, 1993-7, President of SADAIC
1997-2001, 2001-5
2005 to present President of the Advisory Board of SADAIC
Ariel Ramírez earned renown in his own country as a composer of popular and folk
songs, but it was Misa Criolla in 1964 that launched him onto the international stage. The
pervasive folk influences in Misa Criolla are informed by Ramírez’s extensive study of regional
song and dance traditions. The success of Misa Criolla was quickly followed up with several
other important works, including its companion piece Navidad Nuestra [Our Christmas] (1964),
as well as La Peregrinación [The Pilgrimage] (1964), Los Caudillos [The Chiefs] (1965), and
Mujeres Argentinas [Argentine Women] (1969), working with writer Félix Luna for his texts.
12
Obtained from Semblanzas Producciones, "Biografia." Translated by the author.
4
He later collaborated with Luna again on other significant works, including Cantata
Sudamericana [South American Cantata] (1972) and Misa por la Paz y la Justicia [Mass for
Peace and Justice] (1980, texts by Luna and Osvaldo Catena).13 Ramírez’s compositions total
more than three hundred.14 A table of selected works appears as Appendix 1.
Genesis and History of Misa Criolla
Ramírez tells, in his own words, the story of how Misa Criolla came to exist and the
inspiration behind the composition. It was an experience in 1952, while staying at a convent in
Germany where he taught music classes, which inspired Ramírez to later write the work that
would earn him international fame: 15
ABOUT THE CREATION OF MISA CRIOLLA (text signed by Ariel Ramírez)
In Rome I had known Father Antuña, prelate of Argentina, who introduced me to Father
Wenceslao van Lun, a Dutchman with whom we were able to communicate in an Italian
that was basic but effective, and at the same time quite amusing. Van Lun took me to
Holland and from there recommended me to a convent in Würzburg, a small and
beautiful town some 100 km from Frankfurt. All the seminarians spoke German except
two little nuns who were in charge of the kitchen, to whom Father van Lun introduced me
to help communicate since he thought that they understood Spanish. The reality was that
the sisters Elizabeth and Regina Brückner had lived in Portugal and understood some
Spanish, which was for me a salvation in every sense of the word: finally I could engage
in a dialogue and, moreover, from that day I began to eat with them directly at the work
table in the kitchen.
Frequently, from the window of the kitchen, I contemplated the magnificent semi-
wooded landscape, gloriously green with an enormous large house in the distance that
was drawn in white with the last snows of spring. Such beauty produced in me exultant
feelings and, since my younger years, made me feel like I was one step above the earth.
They did not share my enthusiasm. They could not forget that this large house and the
distant landscapes had been part of a concentration camp where there were around a
thousand Jewish prisoners.
13
Ibid.
14
Bach, 43.
15
Ibid., 45.
5
From the distance, the nuns told me, they could imagine the horror and fear. It was in a
very low voice that they told me about the cold and the hunger, and a strict rule
punishable by the gallows—without any judicial proceeding—for whoever helped or
simply made contact with those awaiting their tragic destiny.
But Elizabeth and Regina had chosen mercy, and had been trained for the virtue, in such
a way that night after night they packed whatever remained of the food that they could
and came quietly to the field to leave their aid in a gap underneath the fence. For eight
months this package disappeared every day. Until one day no one removed the package,
or the following ones, which were accumulating. The house was empty and rumors
spread the news about the transfer of prisoners. The dreaded journey had begun once
more.
As my dear caretakers finished their story I felt I had to write a work—something

profound, religious, that would honor life; that would involve people outside of one’s
own beliefs, race, color or origin; that would refer to man, his dignity, value, freedom,
and the respect of man in relation to God, as his Creator.
One day in 1954, perhaps in May, while in Liverpool, I could not resist the temptation to
board a ship, the Highland Chefstein, which was going to Buenos Aires where my
daughter Laura, five years old, and my grandparents, who were over seventy, awaited me.
I had been convinced that in two months I would return to this place where I had already
decided to settle down forever, but fate had another course for me. In that boat that
crossed the Atlantic towards the south, I began to recall the story of the Brückner sisters
and to think about all the human solidarity, all the love I had received from these foreign
people with whom I could only communicate by the mutual ignorance of our languages.
I was moved to think that everything I received was purely out of love for me and my
music, until I realized that I could only thank them by writing a religious work in their
honor, but I still did not know how it would be realized.
Upon returning to Argentina, everything changed in my life. My career had grown and
my songs started to become very popular. Little by little, I began to be Ariel Ramírez...
with time, Europe became very far away... but my thoughts remained focused on the idea
that emerged in the Atlantic. In this quest I began gathering information, and it was
through this that some time later I met with Father Antonio Osvaldo Catena, a friend of
the youth in Santa Fe, my hometown, who was really the person that transformed the
basics of what I had written, thinking of a religious song, into an incredible idea: the
possibility to compose a mass with the musical forms and rhythms of this land. Father
Osvaldo Catena was, in 1963, President of the Episcopal Commission for South America,
and was responsible for the translation of the Latin text of the mass into Spanish, in
accordance with the Vatican Council of 1963 presided over by Pope Paul VI. When I
had completed the sketches and forms of the mass ordinary, the same Catena introduced
me to who would realize the choral arrangements of the work: Father Segade. 16
16
Semblanzas Producciones, "Obras: Misa Criolla," Sitio Oficial de Ariel Ramírez,
http://www.arielramirez.com/obra2.htm (accessed March 1, 2007). Translated by the author. For the original
Spanish, see Appendix 2.
6
Argentine ecclesiastical leaders had carried out the Spanish translation of the Latin mass
used in Misa Criolla soon after the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) authorized limited use of
vernacular in the liturgy. 17 Although other Spanish and/or folk masses would follow, Misa
Criolla was composed so soon after the first authorized mass translation into Spanish that it
became a standard.18
Misa Criolla gained a worldwide audience even before its initial debut at the Club Praga
in Mercedes, Uruguay on December 20, 1965. Philips Records had produced a popular LP
recording of the work in 1964, before its public premiere. Included on the LP was Navidad
Nuestra [Our Christmas], written as a companion piece to Misa Criolla. The original recording
features Ramírez on keyboard, with Jaime Torres (charango), Domingo Cura (percussion), the
group Los Fronterizos with the choir Cantoría de la Basílica del Socorro, Father Jesús Gabriel
Segade conducting.19 At its first public performance the next year in the Club Praga, Ramírez
was again at the keyboard, with Torres (charango), Chango Farías Gómez (percussion), the
group Patria y Tradición with Juan Carlos Taboada as tenor soloist, joined by the choir Cantores
de la Merced, José María Martino Rodas conducting. It was taken on a European tour in March
1967:
In 1967 the first tour of the work Misa Criolla was made on the European continent with
the original cast, produced by Lippman & Rau, a German concert company.
Accompanying the cast of Argentine musicians (Ariel Ramírez, Los Fronterizos, Carlos
Amaya, Jaime Torres and Domingo Cura) was the choir Easo y Maitea, under the
direction of Maestro Bastida.
On the 9th of March the first function for the European public occurred, taking place in
the Liederhalle of Stuttgart. Following this, in the Cathedral of Trier, it was filmed for
TV-Südwestfunk, on the 10th and 11th.20
17
The Council made recommendations concerning the recitation in vernacular of particular parts of the mass, but
left it up to individual Episcopal conferences to determine how much could be presented in the local language.
18
According to the preface to the 1965 Pigal edition, Ramírez composed Misa Criolla in ―the first half of 1963,‖ the
same time that the first translation of the mass in Spanish was authorized in Argentina.
19
Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, dir. Jesús Gabriel Segade, Philips LP 6527 136, 1964.
20
Semblanzas Producciones, ―Misa Criolla: Datos históricos,‖ Sitio Oficial de Ariel Ramírez,
http://www.arielramirez.com/obra2.htm (accessed March 1, 2007). This source, the official website of Ariel
7
The success of this unique work came quickly and the recording sold well. It was not
without some controversy, however, among more conservative circles. Certain more traditional
Catholics in Argentina and elsewhere were slow to embrace the mass setting, which not only was
not in Latin, but was set to dance rhythms and popular folk song forms. Perhaps as a result, the
first performance in Ramírez’s homeland did not occur until 1968, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.21
The world warmed to such progressive mass settings, and other composers presented works that
followed in the same vein. Misa Criolla remained popular through the years, and in the 1980s it
caught the attention of renowned Spanish tenor José Carreras. Carreras recorded it in 1987, in a
performance with Ariel Ramírez at the keyboard,22 and then toured with it following his return
from a successful bout with leukemia, performing in a live video-recorded concert from the
Mission Dolores in San Francisco on June 21, 1990, with Ramírez again at the keyboard.23
In spite of its widespread popularity over several decades, relatively little has been
written about Ramírez’s best known work, in part the result of a limited familiarity with the
significant local traditions that inform the composition. While these traditions tend to be less
understood outside the region, it is precisely this infusion of folk elements into the Ordinary of
the mass that makes the work unique in its genre.
Ramírez, describes the 1965 Uruguay performance as ―the first public hearing of Misa Criolla.‖ Some sources, such
as liner notes, cite a March 12, 1967 performance in Rheinhalle, Düsseldorf as the first performance and world
premiere, which contradicts other sources, including Ramírez’s official website.
21
Alfonso Padilla and Heikki Peltola, ―Ariel Ramírez and his mass,‖ Liner notes, Misa Criolla a cappella (Naxos,
1997), 4.
22
Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla; Navidad Nuestra; José Carreras, dir. José Luis Ocejo and Dámian Sanchez, Philips
CD 420 955-2, 1988 (1987).
23
Ariel Ramírez, José Carreras Collection: Arias & Misa Criolla, dir. Jesús Gabriel Segade, Arthaus Musik DVD
101 405, 2006 (1990).
8
CHAPTER 2
MISA CRIOLLA: FOLK ELEMENTS
A Creole Mass, Defined
The title Ramírez assigned the work, Misa Criolla, translates as ―Creole Mass‖ and
reveals the scope of the composition. ―Creole‖ [criollo] was the designation given to children of
Spanish settlers born in Argentina during the colonial period. 24 The multicultural makeup of
Argentina’s population includes creoles (referring here to people of European descent born in
Argentina), natives, and mestizos (part native and part creole). Most Argentineans today are of
European descent, yet born in Argentina, and therefore would be considered creoles. The term is
frequently appended as an adjective to a work, as it is with Misa Criolla, in which case it most
often refers to the combination of European and Latin American culture characteristic of South
America in general. 25
Creole characteristics are at the core of Misa Criolla. The work is a unique blend of
European and Latin American culture, combining both popular and traditional elements into a
standardized mass genre, set apart by its localized folk characteristics. The mass draws on creole
instruments, such as the charango and the bombo, and is set to song forms and dance rhythms
from creole tradition.
While Catholicism became the predominant religion in Argentina and in Latin America
in general following colonizalization, the traditional Latin mass was not well understood by its
native or creole population. By way of this landmark work, the once distant and austere
European Latin mass became localized and intimate in both language and music, personalizing
24
Isabel Aretz, El folklore musical argentino, 3d ed. (Buenos Aires: Ricordi Americana, 1952), 13.
25
Nicolas Slonimsky, Music of Latin America (NY: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1945), 64.
9
the worship experience for Argentineans, and for others around the globe. The result was a
regional yet inclusive statement of faith that seemed to encompass the culture, lifestyle, and
beliefs of a people into a relatively brief musical composition. The mass was transformed: what
was once abstract and semi-elitist was now infused with and made one with the activities and
rhythms of everyday life. It is the various folk and cultural characteristics incorporated into the
work that give it unique regional flavor and universal appeal.
Song Styles and Dance Rhythms
Regional dance rhythms and song forms make up the framework of Misa Criolla and
constitute the compositional basis of each of the five mass movements. Ramírez has included
their names as subtitles for each movement. The Kyrie, for example, is subtitled Vidala-
Baguala. Each of these styles and rhythms has a particular association and use in local tradition
and represents the culture in a unique and intimate way.
It is important to note that while some of these subtitles are dances, others are song
forms. And although the dances generally also have a body of songs that accompany them, the
songs do not have a particular dance with which they are associated. Several program notes
about the work mistakenly identify song styles as dances. Table 2 provides a listing of each
movement with its appropriate subtitle/source, and the genre to which it belongs. It may be
noted from this table that the more contemplative portions of the mass are set in a song style,
while the livelier movements and sections are set to traditional dance rhythms. The slow outer
movements, for example, are set in a lyrical style in which the chorus accompanies the soloists in
a subsidiary fashion.
10
Table 2. Song styles and dance rhythms in Misa Criolla
Movement Subtitle Genre

Kyrie Vidala Song
Baguala Song
Gloria Carnavalito Dance
Yaraví Song
Credo Chacarera Trunca Dance
Sanctus Carnaval Cochabambino Dance
Agnus Dei Estilo Pampeano Song
The fact that the Kyrie and the Agnus Dei are based on song styles rather than dance
rhythms is in keeping with the solemn nature of those particular texts. The Kyrie implores for
divine mercy, as does the Agnus Dei, associated with the sacrament of the communion. In each
of the three areas of the mass that are set as song styles, including the yaraví section within the
Gloria, the tempo is slow and the choir, rather than declaiming the mass text, assumes an
accompanimental role. In these passages the choir provides harmonic support in block chords
(in a humming fashion), in the manner that a guitar would sustain chords to support the solo
singing of the songs on which the movements are based, as seen in the opening of the Kyrie
(figure 1). Similar textures may be seen in the yaraví section of the Gloria as well as in the
Agnus Dei, where the male voices accompany the solo part, humming in three- and four-part
harmony.
11
Figure 1. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Kyrie,‖ mm. 1-13
12
Misa Criolla Analysis Table
Movement: Performing Meter Tempo Key Areas Compositional Elements Sections

Subtitle Forces (secondary)
I. Kyrie: SATB 3/4 =c. 69 aAa    (unifying figure)  A
Soli  Descending melodies  B (m. 30)
Vidala-  Parallel thirds (soli)  A (repeat)
Baguala Percussion:  Tritonic scale
Bombo (Baguala/Cristo)
 Arrhythmic
(Baguala/Cristo)
II. Gloria: SATB 2/4 =88 Am    (carnavalito rhythm)  Intro. (mm .1-6)
Soli  Pentatonic-based melody  A (carnavalito,
Carnavalito- Piano 3/4 =44 (G7C,  Parallel 5ths, 8ves mm. 7-37)
Yaraví Guitar (intro. temp.  Pedal tone on A (yaraví)  Transition (mm.
String Bass and tonicizes  Introduction harmony 38-41)
yaraví) relative returns in yaraví  B (yaraví, mm.
Percussion: major)  Parallel thirds (soli, 42-73)
Tom-toms26 yaraví)  A (carnavalito,
Triangle mm. 74-end)
Jingles
Gong
III. Credo: SATB 3/4 =c. 152 aAE  Duple vs. triple  Through-
Soli (6/8)  Syncopation composed, with
Chacarera Piano (CAD)  Returning melodic motive some recurring
Trunca Guitar (choir opening: G A B) melodic units
String Bass  Recurring melodic units
unify movement
Percussion:  Parallel thirds (soli)
Bombo
Tom-toms
IV. Sanctus: SATB 6/8 none AM  Syncopation  A

Soli (3/4) indic.  Duple vs. triple  Transition (mm.
Carnaval Piano (V7 pedals)  Repetitive accompaniment 68-76)
Cochabambino Guitar 4/4 patterns (piano, guitar,  B/coda (mm. 77-
String Bass bass) in a percussive style end)
(Baguala 3/4  Scalar and triadic
Tarijeña) Percussion: (6/8) descending melodic
Tom-toms27 figures
Woodblocks
Snare Drum
V. Agnus Dei: SATB 3/4 =c. 44 Am  Frequent descending  Intro (mm. 1-7)
Soli melodic motives  A (repeats)
Estilo Piano 6/8 (Dm  Alternates accompanied  B/coda (mm. 31-
Pampeano tonicized in and a cappella textures end)
3/4 coda)  Some use of parallel thirds
(soli, mm. 16-7)
26
May be played on the bombo if desired.
27
Ibid.
13
I. Kyrie: Vidala-Baguala
The setting of the Kyrie incorporates elements of the vidala and the baguala. The ternary
structure in which Ramírez sets the music is suited to the format of the mass text itself and to the
structure of the colonial vidala.28 The vidala provides a lyrical basis for the A section, where the
text ―Lord, have mercy on us‖ is repeated three times, while the baguala characteristics
correspond more closely with the B section, where ―Christ have mercy on us‖ is repeated three
times.
The vidala is reputedly one of the most beautiful songs in the rural Argentinean tradition.
Its name comes from the word ―life‖ [vida] and the suffix "lla," meaning ―tenderness‖ in
Quechua, the language of the Incas and of native South America in general. 29 It is most
frequently heard as a duet in parallel thirds, often with guitar accompaniment. Some vidalas
may also be performed as a group of instruments with or without voices. 30
The rhythm used in the A section of the Kyrie is typical of certain vidala songs, set in
triple meter and featuring a pattern of a dotted-quarter note, an eighth note, and a quarter note.
This rhythmic pattern, seen in a traditional vidala (figure 2), is prominent in Ramírez’s Kyrie
setting, which features as well the parallel thirds that are characteristic in the performance of a
vidala (figure 3).
Figure 2. Vidala ―Miembros tripódicos‖31
28
Ariel Gravano, ―La música de proyección folklórica argentina,‖ Folklore americano 35 (1983): 18.
29
Rodolfo Arizaga, Enciclopedia de la música argentina (Buenos Aires: Fondo Nacional de las Artes, 1971), 316.
30
Héctor Luis Goyena, ―Argentina,‖ Vol. 1, Diccionário de la música española e hispanoamericana, ed. Emilio
Casares Rodicio (Madrid: Sociedad General de Autores y Editores, 2001), 645.
31
Lázaro Flury, Historia de la música argentina (Santa Fe, Argentina: Ediciones Colmegna, 1967), 17.
14
A typical baguala melody is based on the tritonic scale, which is prominent in native
music of the South American Plateau encompassing northwestern Argentina, southern Bolivia
and northern Chile.32 While the music of the Incan empire is seen as the source of the region’s
pentatonic music, the Daguitan Indians are viewed as primarily responsible for the tritonic scale
that survives in bagualas and coplas from the region.33 This scale consists of the three tones of
the major triad. Notice the pattern of tones in figure 4, a traditional baguala featuring repetitive
use of the tonic and dominant scale degrees (the outer of the three tritonic-scale tones). The
prominence of tonic-dominant melodic tones in this baguala melody is strikingly similar to the
solo line in the B section of the Kyrie, which also displays the same prevalence of repeated tonic-
dominant pitches, in the key of A major (figure 5).
Figure 4. A baguala melody from northwestern Argentina 34
32
Oscar Escalada, ―Ariel Ramírez’s Misa Criolla,‖ trans. and ed. Aaron Mitchell, The Choral Journal 49, no. 2
(August 2008): 30.
33
Gerard Béhague and Irma Ruiz, "Argentina," Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online,
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com (accessed June 1, 2008).
34
Flury, 17.
15
Baguala singers are generally untrained, and bagualas may even be sung by groups of
men, women or children. The typical vocal style involves the use of head voice or falsetto.
Singers pass freely between the two registers, often adding grace notes (as in figure 4) known as
kenko. These grace notes are almost always within the scale and may appear as anticipations,
appoggiaturas, or neighbor tone ornamentation. 35 Singers who sing with kenko may be described
as singing ―with soul.‖36
The steady and unchanging percussion figure Ramírez employs throughout the Kyrie
serves to unify the three sections of the movement while adding a level of weight and
significance to the text (figure 6). The accompaniment by a single drum is in character with the
baguala, which is generally sung with voices that move in uniform rhythm to a caja [drum].37 A
drum most often accompanies the vidala as well, and sometimes a guitar is included for
harmonic support.38 In Ramírez’s setting of the vidala-baguala, however, the humming choral
voices take the place of the harmonic support a guitar might add, moving in homophonic, hymn-
like motion in support of the soloists’ melodic lines, as seen in figure 1.
Although the steady percussion accompaniment in the Kyrie generally strengthens the
sense of meter, during the baguala (or B section) it actually helps undercut a feeling of metric
regularity when placed with the irregular voice part. While the drum continues its regular
metrical pattern, the voice part is written in a manner that demonstrates a certain freedom from
35
Aretz, 115-6.
36
Escalada, 30.
37
Goyena, 644.
38
Jorge Sedaca, ―A Conductor's Analysis of Selected Works by Claude Le Jeune, Heinrich Schütz, Antonio Vivaldi,
Joseph Haydn, and Ariel Ramírez‖ (M.M. Thesis: Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1980), 209.
16
metrical constrictions, which is a practice consistent with many bagualas.39 These quasi-
arrhythmic bagualas contain melodies liberated from regular rhythmic patterns that would create
clear metrical divisions. This can be seen in the Cristo passage, where the voice part combines
with the consistent metrical structure of the drum. The lack of alignment between appropriate
syllabic stresses and the conventional strong and weak beats becomes more noticeable because
of the regularity of the percussion. In figure 7, for example, strong syllables (underlined) occur
on traditionally weaker beats.
II. Gloria: Carnavalito-Yaraví
For the basis of the three livelier inner movements, Ramírez selects traditional dance
rhythms. In the Gloria, he has chosen the carnavalito, a joyful folk dance of northwestern
Argentina marked by lively and animated movements. The carnavalito began as a group dance
and is associated today with the celebration of Carnival because of its frequent use during that
season.40 It is of Andean origin, however, separate from the holiday, and the dance is actually
performed throughout the year.41 According to Carlos Vega, the dance itself has evolved
somewhat from its origins in Peru and Bolivia to its introduction in Argentina ca. 1800.42 Its
musical accompaniment consists of an energetic duple-meter rhythm and a melody typically

39
Ibid., 210.
40
Arizaga, 83.
41
Escalada, 34.
42
Carlos Vega, Bailes tradicionales argentinos: El Carnavalito, 3d ed. (Buenos Aires: Editorial Julio Korn,
1952),14 ff., as cited in Sedaca, 211.
17
based on the pentatonic scale, having its roots in the pentatonic system of ancient Incan music in
the region. The carnavalito is traditionally played on regional instruments such as charango,
quena, and siku accompanied by the bombo.43 The basic rhythmic pattern of a carnavalito
combines even eighth notes with the figure of an eighth and two sixteenth notes. Both of these
patterns are woven into the fabric of the Gloria, the even eighths in the cascabeles [jingles] and
the eighth-sixteenth figure in the tumbadoras [tom-toms] (figure 8). The prominence of the
eighth-sixteenth pattern in the carnavalito may be seen in ―Piedra punta,‖ a carnavalito for piano
by Argentine folk composer Waldo Belloso (figure 9).
Figure 8. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Gloria,‖ mm. 9-12
43
Aretz, 177.
18
Figure 9. Waldo Belloso, ―Piedra punta,‖ carnavalito for piano, mm. 1-1044
The melodies of traditional carnavalito songs tend to be pentatonic, the flavor of which
may be seen in the opening of the Gloria, as the melody is passed between sopranos and soloists
in a dialogue-like fashion (figure 10). The five pitches of the pentatonic scale referenced
include, from lowest to highest, G-A-C-D-E.
As this pentatonic-based melody with its roots in Incan and Andean tradition is set to the
carnavalito dance rhythms familiar to the creole tradition, one begins to sense the celebratory
nature and expression of faith present in Ramírez’s Gloria setting. The text ―Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men‖ (Luke 2:14) takes on a new dimension of
44
Reprinted with permission from Beatriz Durante, Método para la enseñaza de las danzas folklóricas argentinas
(Buenos Aires: Ricordi Americana, 1968), 171.
19
meaning when viewed in light of a regional cultural context. The combination and contrast of
God and man present in this verse, God in the heavens and man on earth, parallels the presence
of both sacred and secular elements in the score. In this environment, the two styles—the
traditional European mass characteristics and the Latin American folk music—are united.
The two carnavalito sections of the Gloria are separated by a melancholic recitative-like
passage, set as a yaraví. The movement as a whole is structured in a ternary form, where the A
section (carnavalito) is set in a fast tempo and a major key, while the B section (yaraví) is set in
a slow tempo and a minor key. Ramírez maximizes the contrast between sections by stopping
the active rhythms of the carnavalito in the middle of the movement and changing the character
with an unaccompanied transition reminiscent of chant. This is followed by two measures of a
very soft gong to set up the yaraví. In this brief transition, parallel fourths sung by the treble
voices in a high register resemble medieval organum. These combine with the parallel thirds
common in Argentine folk singing, creating a synthesis of sacred and secular styles (figure 11).
Figure 11. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Gloria,‖ transition to yaraví, mm. 38-40
The yaraví, originating from the high Andes, is known to many in the region as the
―saddest song in the world.‖45 The somber character stems from an association with the
melancholic life of the deserted high plateau. The texts are typically about despair, often related
to love, and the music is frequently sung in parallel thirds with a melody that tends to be
45
Augusto Raul Cortazar, Gran manual de folklore (Buenos Aires: Editorial Honegger, 1964), 263.
20
pentatonic. According to Flury, the lyrical vidala discussed earlier is a descendent of this same
melody. 46 The yaraví melody ―La tórtola‖ illustrates a pentatonic-based melodic contour typical
of this song style (figure 12). Ramírez’s yaraví melody in the B section of the Gloria uses a
pentatonic-based scale with a similar contour in the mode of A minor (figure 13), where the
common texture of parallel thirds may be observed as well.
Figure 12. ―La tórtola‖ (of Cuzco), a yaraví melody47
Figure 13. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Gloria,‖ yaraví, mm. 54-61
III. Credo: Chacarera Trunca
The Credo is set as a chacarera trunca [truncated chacarera]. The chacarera is a popular
and energetic Argentinean dance, possibly of Peruvian origin. 48 It is characterized by frequent
syncopation and hemiola, and has a complex rhythmic texture that may be notated as a
combination of 3/4 and 6/8. The metric duality may be seen in the Credo setting, which includes
a meter signature indicated as both 3/4 and 6/8. Simultaneous layers of rhythmic activity in the
percussion parts reflect the duality of meter as well. Ramírez scores the tumbadoras in a 3/4
46
Flury, 18.
47
Ibid.
48
Arizaga, 105.
21
pattern (figure 14) and the bombo argentino in a predominantly 6/8 pattern (figure 15). Played
together, the simultaneous presence of both simple and compound meter rhythms creates an
energizing effect that enlivens this statement of beliefs (figure 16).
Figure 14. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Credo,‖ tumbadoras, mm. 10-3
Figure 15. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Credo,‖ bombo, mm. 10-3
Figure 16. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Credo,‖ bombo and tumbadoras, mm. 10-3
The choir joins in a predominantly 6/8 meter through most of the movement. Just prior
to the concluding ―Amén‖ section, however, the soloists and choir participate in an exchange
where the polymetric characteristics move from the background to the foreground, shifting
frequently between 3/4 (triple) and 6/8 (duple), as seen in figure 17, an excerpt for the soloists.
Figure 17. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Credo,‖ mm. 120-349
49
Meter changes have been added for illustrative purposes. Ramírez’s metric marking remains constant throughout
this passage: a dual meter of 6/8 and 3/4.
22
The rhythmic effects of syncopation and hemiola, characteristic of the chacarera, are also
present in the Credo.50 The rhythmic figure most frequently appearing in Ramírez’s setting of
the Credo is the pattern heard in the initial entrance of the chorus, set to the text ―Padre
todopoderso‖ [Father all-powerful] (figure 18). This rhythmic pattern is typical of chacarera
songs, as seen in one presented by Carlos Vega in his Danzas argentinas (figure 19).
Figure 18. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Credo,‖ chacarera rhythmic pattern, mm. 20-4
50
The hemiola effect seen in mm. 215-7 and 219-21, for example, is typical, as is the frequent syncopation, which
often emphasizes beat two (as mm. 23 and 27). See Sedaca, 217.
23
Figure 19. A chacarera song from Carlos Vega’s Danzas argentinas51
IV. Sanctus: Carnaval Cochabambino
The carnaval cochabambino provides the rhythmical basis for the festive Sanctus setting.
This joyful dance reflects the style of Cochabamba, Bolivia. The carnaval is related to the
51
Carlos Vega, Danzas argentinas (Buenos Aires: Ministerio de Educación y Justicia, 1962), 67.
24
carnavalito [literally ―little Carnival‖]. Like that dance, the carnaval is not directly connected to
the Carnival holiday and is danced at various celebrations throughout the year.52
While the carnavalito is in duple meter, the carnaval cochabambino is a triple meter
dance.53 A duality of meter is typical, as in the chacarera, and Ramírez again indicates this in
his scoring through the use of the dual meter markings 6/8 and 3/4. The layers of polyrhythmic
activity incorporated into the percussion parts contribute to the celebratory character of the
movement. The snare drum and tumbadoras play a pattern that is more suited to a 3/4 meter.
The woodblocks, on the other hand, simultaneously present a 6/8 rhythmic pattern (figure 20).
The enlivening effect created by the layers of duple and triple activity sets up the character of the
movement, providing a glimpse into the celebration and festivity, which is only augmented once
the soloists and choir enter.
Figure 20. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Sanctus,‖ mm. 15-8
V. Agnus Dei: Estilo Pampeano
Ramírez sets the Agnus Dei in a ternary form in keeping with the traditional structure of
the colonial estilo, an Argentine folksong. 54 The typical subject matter of an estilo relates to
52
Aretz, 177.
53
Escalada, 41.
54
Gravano, 18.
25
rural life, and its stanzas generally have the form of décimas, a popular song with ten stanzas.
Both the estilo and the décima belong to the family of songs known as tristes [plural of ―sad‖]. 55
The estilo is a song in two primary sections: the first a slow duple meter and the second a
lively triple meter. Although the traditional form of an estilo entails both a slow and a faster
section, the Pampan species is entirely slow and expressive without a contrasting section.56
Ramírez’s setting of the estilo pampeano [estilo in Pampan style] maintains a slow tempo
throughout, yet does include both a duple and a triple meter section.
The duple meter sections of a traditional estilo often include within them a triple foot,
where metric markings tend to be 4/8 or 6/8.57 This translates most frequently into an even
triplet figuration within a duple meter, as seen in the estilo melody ―Salta‖ (figure 21). Ramírez
creates this sense of triplet motion with a melodic pattern very similar to the ―Salta‖ melody, as
the soloists sing ―ten compasión de nosotros‖ [have mercy on us] (figure 22). The use of parallel
thirds may be observed here as well, which is a characteristic of the traditional estilo and other
folk song forms.58
Figure 21. ―Salta,‖ estilo melody59
Figure 22. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Agnus Dei,‖ mm. 15-8
55
Arizaga, 127.
56
Escalada, 42.
57
Cortazar, 287.
58
Ibid.
59
Ibid., 289.
26
A guitar, alternating plucking with chords, typically accompanies the estilo. In
Ramírez’s setting, he writes a harpsichord part in the style of a guitar. The left hand plays first,
as if it were the guitarist’s thumb, followed by right hand activity, as the plucking of the strings
with the other fingers. This broken style is seen both at the beginning of the movement, in a
freely executed introduction (figure 23) as well as in the middle of the movement, when the
harpsichord re-enters following a passage for a cappella voices (figure 24).
27
28
Another characteristic of the estilo is a high degree of expressive freedom, as seen in the
guitar-like keyboard passages just mentioned (figures 23 and 24). Ramírez captures the free
style of the estilo in the voice part as well by creating a quasi suspension on the word ―mundo.‖
Here the choir, acting as the free chords of a guitar accompaniment, drops out while the soloists
hold their note for an unexpectedly long period of time. When the choir finally does re-enter, an
expected resolution is undercut by an extension of the cadential harmony, causing the suspended
character to last still another three beats before resolution to the tonic (figure 25). The
unaccompanied scoring of the passage also heightens the sense of freedom.
29
To the estilo Ramírez adds a brief coda to conclude the work, in which the text ―Grant us
peace‖ is repeated five times in an exchange between treble, bass, full choral, and solo textures.
The coda is set apart by a change in meter to 3/4. While the choir had a background role up to
this point in the movement, humming harmonic support for the soloists, it now concludes the
work in the foreground, stating the final plea of the mass text.
Conclusion
Misa Criolla presents a unique perspective on mass worship, with European and Latin
American cultures interwoven in its compositional fabric. It blurs the boundary between sacred
and secular, between everyday living and religious worship. The setting gives credence to the
idea that worship is not abstract but a part of everyday life, and may even extend into the realm
of the secular songs and dances that have been a significant part of local traditions. In a sense,
Misa Criolla puts into practice the adage of Psalm 150 to ―praise him with the sound of the
trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance.‖60
60
Psalm 150:3-4.
30
CHAPTER III
MISA CRIOLLA: EDITIONS AND INSTRUMENTS
Existing Editions
Discovering what editions of Misa Criolla currently exist or have existed in the past can
be a complicated matter. The history of music publishing with its buyouts, consolidations and
changing of hands could be a document in and of itself. Misa Criolla was originally published in
Argentina, but a European version was created and became the only edition available in Europe
and North America. There was also a revised Argentine version that was later created.
Misa Criolla was first published in 1965 by Pigal, later distributed by Lagos, in
Argentina. In 1989, Lagos/Pigal issued a commemorative edition in which several revisions
were made to the 1965 edition. The Lagos catalogue was sold, and at the time of this writing
Warner/Chappell in Argentina controls the Lagos/Pigal scores.61 Warner/Chappell does not
distribute the old Lagos/Pigal scores, but informed me that Melos Ediciones Musicales (formerly
known as Ricordi, who previously had a division known as Melos) does.62
In the United States, the Lawson-Gould score, based on the 1965 Lagos/Pigal edition
with some alterations, has been the only score available. Its ownership has changed hands as
well. Some older copies of the Lawson-Gould score list G. Schirmer as the ―sole selling
representative,‖ but more recently Warner/Chappell Music controlled the rights of the edition.
Warner/Chappell sold its print music publishing arm, Warner Bros. Publications, which was
purchased in 2005 by Alfred Publishing, who lists the work in its catalog today.
61
Marcelo Gasio, ―Re: Misa Criolla Editions,‖ E-mail to the author, December 11, 2008.
62
Ibid., February 10, 2009.
31
There is also an arrangement of the work for piano and voice as well as a transcription for
guitar by Roberto Lara, both available from Melos in Argentina.
Finally, I only recently learned that Warner/Chappell has in its possession a 2001 revised
edition with numerous revisions by Dámian Sanchez who worked with Ramírez during the last
several years that he actively performed the work. This version has undergone various edits
since 2001, and at the time of this writing it remains unpublished. I was fortunate enough to
obtain a copy directly from Warner/Chappell of Argentina. It has a host of problems yet to be
corrected and includes a number of alterations, but presents yet another interpretation of the
score with the potential for more clarity than previous editions.
The three primary published editions (the 1965 Lagos/Pigal, the Lawson-Gould, and the
1989 Lagos/Pigal) may also be found distributed by other publishers in various countries. A few
such examples are listed in table 3.
32
Table 3. Comparison of selected editions
Publisher Pages Description

Lawson-Gould, distr. by G. 59 The primary edition in the U.S.A. (Pigal
Schirmer (New York)63 copyright assigned to French Music, Ltd.,
Chicago). LG 51362.
Capriccio Musikverlag Gmbh 59 This is the Lawson-Gould edition (LG
(Hamburg, Germany) 51362) with the same cover. The only
difference is that ―Capriccio‖ is printed, in
different type, where ―Lawson-Gould‖
would normally appear.
Intersong Music Limited (London) 59 This is also the Lawson-Gould edition (LG
51362).
Editorial Pigal, distr. by Editorial 50 The primary Argentine edition, copyright
Lagos (Buenos Aires, Argentina) 1965.
Albani Inc. (Chambly, Quebec, 50 A Quebec publication of the Lagos/Pigal
Canada) edition. The cover information is
translated into French and English.
Melos de Ricordi (Buenos Aires, 14 An arrangement for piano and voice. No
Argentina)64 arranger is indicated. Copyright 1965 by
Pigal, distributed by Lagos S.R.L. The
edition has the same cover and notes as the
Lagos/Pigal piano-vocal score. MEL 1090.
Melos de Ricordi (Buenos Aires, 2066 A transcription for guitar by Roberto Lara.
Argentina) 65 Editorial Lagos. MEL 4015.
Editorial Pigal, distr. by Editorial 50 The 1989 commemorative edition,
Lagos (Buenos Aires, Argentina) celebrating 25 years of the work’s creation.
This is a revised version of the 1965
Lagos/Pigal edition.
67
Warner/Chappell of Argentina 91 A 2001 revised edition, by Dámian
(currently unpublished) Sanchez.
Adaptation of Performing Editions
For all the confusion surrounding the existing editions and their availability,
performances rarely stick to any one version. From the work’s inception, there have been
63
The newer prints contain no reference to G. Schirmer, but to Belwin and Alfred.
64
While Melos was a division of Ricordi, Ricordi recently changed its name to Melos Ediciones Musicales.
65
Ibid.
66
This is an approximation. The score’s pages are unnumbered; the actual number of pages may vary depending on
the pagination method used.
67
This edition assigns each voice part to its own staff, resulting in both more clarity and length. Without a piano
reduction, however, this also means that playing the choral parts is more difficult.
33
numerous adaptations and liberties taken with the performance editions. The variety of
interpretations may cause a conductor to consider whether or not the work is feasible to perform
with the available scores, since so few performances seem to remain true to any one in particular.
Some conductors, for example, are only comfortable performing the work with instrumentalists
who specialize in Andean music. These conductors feel that the existing parts are inadequate
and may not have the background necessary to adapt a workable part out of what exists.
One of the reasons for the multiplicity of performance approaches is the degree to which
the work relies on folk idioms, which are by their very nature improvisatory. Both the subtitle of
the work (―folk mass based on the rhythms and traditions of Hispanic America‖) 68 and the
subtitles of the individual movements (the local folk song forms and dance rhythms) attest to this
unmistakable folk connection. In Argentine folk music it is common for performing groups to
make their own versions of a song. Instrumental players, vocal soloists, and even choirs are
often expected to make their own arrangements of a folk work.69
It should be remembered, however, that Misa Criolla is a composition that makes broad
use of folk-inspired material. It is not a compilation of folk song, or even an arrangement of folk
song. Certainly, there is some room for flexibility in interpretation, and there is a role played by
improvisation. In fact, some of this is required by what is lacking in the printed score (in the
instrumental parts in particular). But the degree to which improvisation and alteration of the
written score may occur without calling it an arrangement made by someone other than the
composer is questionable. In a 1977 recording involving the folk group Los Fronterizos and
conductor Oscar Ocampo, the conductor rearranged the work, fortunately listing himself as the
68
Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla (NY: Lawson-Gould, 1965), cover page.
69
This is confirmed by Facundo Ramírez, the composers son, in Facundo Ramírez, ―Re: Misa Criolla,‖ E-mail to
the author, February 3, 2009.
34
arranger.70 Without knowledge that the version is a rearrangement performers could easily find
themselves confused about existing editions since although this recording uses the same folk
group that performed in the original Philips recording, it is hardly recognizable as the same
work. Similarly, a 1978 recording by Enzo Gieco alters the work (see Selected Discography).
How did the composer feel about the array of interpretations of Misa Criolla? According
to Facundo Ramírez, the composer’s son who is himself a musician and has arranged the work in
various ways (including a recorded version for the a cappella male sextet The Chamberlains), 71
his father was always pleased to hear the various interpretations of the work, even when they
strayed far from the original. 72
Edition Comparison Chart
The first edition, published by Pigal in Argentina, was printed after the work had been
performed and recorded. The next edition was by Lawson-Gould and was created, evidently,
from the Pigal edition. Both editions have their share of errors. There is a misconception that
the Lawson-Gould is a European or American interpretation of the work, something very
different from the original Argentine version. This is untrue and is an idea that exists simply
because the original Pigal edition has not been available outside Argentina. The two scores are
very similar, with certain exceptions. These exceptions, and an attempt to reconcile the errors to
discover which edition is correct in the various scenarios, may be seen in table 4. Here, an
attempt is made to display the more significant of the primary differences without inclusion of
certain less significant variances, such as punctuation.
70
Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla: Los Fronterizos, dir. Oscar Cardozo Ocampo, Microfón/Sony Music CD 2-478863,
1996 (1977).
71
Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla a cappella (Creole Mass), dir. Heikki Peltola and Jesús Gabriel Segade, Naxos CD
8.551042 F, 1997.
72
Facundo Ramírez, ―Re: Misa Criolla,‖ E-mail to the author, February 3, 2009.
35
Table 4. Comparison of the original Lagos/Pigal and the Lawson-Gould editions
Location Lawson-Gould Lagos/Pigal (1965)

I. Kyrie
m. 3 (choir): hum (closed mouth) (choir): b.c.
m. 9 (solo): mf no indication
m. 10 (solo): slur between the first two no indication
pitches
m. 14 (solo): broken slur between the no indication
first two pitches
m. 18 (solo): slur between the first two no indication
pitches
m. 21 (choir): ―ten piedad, Señor‖ (choir): ―ten piedad Señor‖73
mm. 30-9 (solo): rhythms tied and beamed (solo): irregular note values in ties
logically per the meter and beaming74
m. 42 (choir): hum (closed mouth) (choir): b.c.
II. Gloria
m. 1 mf no indication
m. 6 no indication Break indicated after the fermata
m. 6 (tom-tom): R.H. (Lightly), L.H. (tom-tom): R.H. (aguda), L.H.
(Heavy) (grave)75
m. 7 Carnavalito (Andante) Carnavalito Andte.
m. 14 (choir): f no indication
m. 15 (solo): f no indication
m. 15 no indication Segno symbol
m. 20 (solo): ―Que ama el Señor‖ (solo): ―Queamael Señor‖
m. 27 no indication (choir): f 76
m. 27 (choir): men’s parts scored in bass (choir): men’s parts scored in treble
clef clef for higher notes
mm. 29-30 (choir): men’s parts scored in bass (choir): men’s parts scored in treble
clef clef for higher notes, returning to
bass clef in m. 30, beat two
m. 34 Dal con rep. Al Segno Con Rep.77
73
The presence of the comma is significant enough to include in this case, as it invites the option for a lift or breath.
74
This is partly the result of a general lack of beaming to the primary note values throughout the Lagos/Pigal
edition. It also has the effect of weakening a sense of metric regularity and, consequently, avoiding implication of
strong and weak beats, an effect that aligns in principle with the character of a baguala. Particularly notable are the
unusual note values in the ties at ―Cristo‖ in mm. 30 and 37.
75
Aguda and grave are used to refer to accented syllables in the Spanish language, grave being primary accents on
the second-to-last syllable and aguda being accents on the last syllable. Grave can in fact mean ―heavy‖ [pesado],
but aguda does not technically translate as ―light,‖ but rather ―sharp‖ or ―pointed.‖ In this case, according to the
musical use of the terms, they refer to the pitches of the two drums (grave being an indication to use the lower drum
and aguda the higher). To add to this, percussionist Luis Garay argues that the bombo part in the Gloria would best
be played with the notes indicated as grave (eighths) executed on the rim and those indicated as aguda executed on
the head (sixteenths), a reversal from how it appears in the score.
76
In the Pigal score, this is the first dynamic indication to appear in the Gloria.
77
The lack of the segno symbol in this instruction, as well as the lack of a segno at m. 15, is an unfortunate oversight
that can create confusion for those using the Lawson-Gould score.
36
m. 36 no indication (choir): tenuto marks over ―-ñor
Dios‖
m. 36 (string bass): final quarter note (string bass, triangle, jingles): final
should be an eighth note (triangle quarter note should be an eighth
and jingles are correct) note
m. 38 (choir): ―Dios Padre‖ (choir): ―Dios, Padre‖78
m. 38 ―to-do-po-de ro-so‖ ―to-do-po-de-ro-so‖79
m. 42 Yaravi Yaraví80
m. 42 (small gong): ppp (gong): pp
m. 45 (choir): hum (choir): b.c.
mm. 45, 47, (choir): notes are beamed to the (choir): unusual note beaming in
51, 53, 61, primary beat voice parts81
63
m. 46 no indication (choir): tenuto over eighth note in
bass part82
m. 47 no indication; both soprano and (choir): marked Alti, indicating that
alto sing the same part the passage should be sung by altos
alone
various additional titles applied to deity additional titles applied to deity are
are not capitalized capitalized83
m. 49 (solo): ―unico‖ (solo): ―Unico‖84
78
The presence of a comma in the text of the Lagos/Pigal edition invites the possibility of a lift or breath for the
upper two soprano voices, presenting a conductor with the option. A lift or breath may or may not be desired based
on the length, tempo, and tessitura of the phrase.
79
The Lawson-Gould edition is missing a hyphen.
80
Note the correct spelling of the word, in the Lagos/Pigal edition, with the accent on the final syllable. In the
Lawson-Gould edition, yaravi appears without the accent at the beginning of the Gloria movement as well, fostering
a mispronunciation of the word among conductors and performers.
81
See figure 26. The beaming of the Lagos/Pigal corresponds more with the phrasing, lending to the validity of
including a ―lift‖ between the dotted eighth and sixteenth notes for clarity (mm. 45, 47, 51, 53, 61, 63). The unusual
and confusing beaming in the Pigal edition may explain why this passage is rarely performed with the correct
rhythms as indicated, particularly in recordings from Argentina, where the Pigal score would be used. It is much
clearer in the Lawson-Gould edition (see figure 27).
82
This tenuto marking only appears once in the Lagos/Pigal edition. It does not reappear when the same music
returns in m. 52. It may best be applied to the bass notes that follow or be marked sim. to indicate that other bass
notes should be treated similarly in this passage. The issue the tenuto attempts to address, I believe, is the
articulation of the repeated bass notes that are difficult to hear over the sustained string bass. The issue is discussed
further in ―Gloria: Rehearsal Issues.‖
83
These titles include ―Hijo Unico‖ [Only Son], m. 49 and ―Cordero de Dios‖ [Lamb of God], m. 55. ―Hijo del
Padre‖ [Son of the Father] in m. 56 does appear capitalized in the Lawson-Gould edition, but apparently this is
simply due to the fact that every phrase in these passages begins capitalized (accounting for the capitalized ―Hijo‖),
and ―Padre‖ always appears in capitalization (see m. 38 or m. 70, for example). Likewise, ―Dios, Padre
Todopoderoso‖ [God, Father All-Powerful] appears capitalized in the Lagos/Pigal, but appears as ―Dios, Padre
todopoderoso‖ in the Lawson-Gould (m. 38), ―Dios‖ being capitalized because it begins a sentence and ―Padre‖
always appearing capitalized, as previously noted. The reference to the ―Most High God‖ [Altísimo] in m. 111
appears capitalized in the Lagos/Pigal, but not in the Lawson-Gould. The capitalization in the Lagos/Pigal edition
may aid in understanding the significance and meaning of the text by more clearly denoting that these are titles or
names.
84
Both editions are missing the accent (―único‖), which correctly places the stress on the first syllable instead of the
second. The capitalization issue is discussed in the previous footnote.
37
m. 50 (choir): soprano sings together (choir): soprano enters with a
with alto, on low A quarter note on beat one, followed
by a half rest 85
m. 53 no indication; both soprano and (choir): marked Alti, indicating that
alto sing the same part the passage should be sung by altos
alone
m. 55 (solo) : ―cor-de-ro de‖ (solo) ―cor-de-ro-de‖86
m. 57 (solo): ―Tú que‖ (solo): ―Tu que‖87
m. 57 (solo): broken slur over ―Tú que‖ no indication
mm. 58, 61, (choir): Hum no indication88
65
mm. 59-60 (solo): ―pie dad‖ (solo): ―pie-dad‖89
m. 62 (choir): parts are voiced as in m. (choir) voicing changes90
46, as it is a return of the same
music
m. 63 see above, as mm. 47 and 53 Alti not indicated; soprano and alto
together 91
m. 65 (solo): broken slur over ―Tú que‖ no indication
m. 66 no indication (solo): accel.
m. 68 no indication (solo): accel.
m. 68 (solo): ―Atiende‖ (solo): ―Atiénde‖92
m. 68 (solo): ―nuestra súplica‖ (solo): ―nuestras súplicas‖93
m. 68 (solo): ―Tú que‖ (solo): ―Tu que‖94
85
This unusual voicing is not present in any other edition, and appears to simply be an error.
86
The Lagos/Pigal score contains an extra hyphen. ―Cordero de‖ should be two words, as it appears in the Lawson-
Gould edition.
87
Tu should not be accented if it is possessive (―your coat,‖ etc.), but should be accented if it is the subject of the
sentence (―you‖). In this case, then, the Lawson-Gould edition is correct. Rather than being simply a visual issue,
Tú is actually a stressed monosyllable while Tu is an unstressed monosyllable; the pronunciation is slightly different,
the subject usage carrying more stress than the possessive.
88
Although the indication ―hum‖ is not restated, the ties in the Lagos/Pigal edition imply a re-initiation of the hum.
89
The Lawson-Gould edition is in error. Errors in the hyphenation between syllables such as this (and m. 55) are
important to note because they can create undue confusion in determining the appropriate syllabic stress and in
creating texts and translations. The lack of a hyphen here causes the passage to appear incorrectly as two separates
words instead of one.
90
The D and C in the alto part is now scored for the tenors, who are divided at this point. The soprano and alto,
divided in m. 46, are now unison. It makes the most sense that the divisi in m. 62 be consistent with that of m. 46,
as it is in the Lawson-Gould score, since the notes are the same.
91
This may be an error, as it is inconsistent with the previous appearances of this figure (mm. 47 and 53,
Lagos/Pigal edition). It may, however, be an intentional effort to create a stronger, more climactic iteration for the
third and final appearance of the passage. The fact that the preceding measure is now voiced differently, with tenors
dividing and women in unison (see m. 62 vs. mm. 46 and 52) seems to validate this theory as well. For a
recommended voicing, see the discussion in ―Gloria: Rehearsal Issues.‖
92
In this case, the accent may not be necessary but aids in ensuring that the [j] glide does not become a lingering [i]
vowel.
93
The singular appears to be the correct version (Lawson-Gould), however, due to the regional practice of dropping
the final s it is impossible to be certain by listening to the original Philips recording. The LP notes, though, do print
the text as singular. José Carreras, who does not drop final s in his Castilian, uses the plural in his recordings,
evidence, if nothing else, that printed errors in the score do matter.
94
The accent is correct. See the footnote discussing m. 57.
38
m. 69 no indication (solo): breath mark after
―súplicas‖95
m. 78 no indication (string bass): pizz.
m. 86 no indication cresc.96
m. 94 (string bass): eighth rest (string bass): quarter rest97
m. 97 (solo): broken slur over ―-tu-ras‖ no indication
m. 103 (choir): ―-ñor‖ (choir): ―ah‖98
mm. 104-13 ―Tú sólo‖ ―Tu solo‖99
mm. 105-11 (triangle): quarter notes marked (triangle): no slur 100
with a slur
clef clef
m. 109 (choir): second note in men’s part (choir): second note in men’s part is
is unison C4 C4 (tenor) and G3 (bass)101
m. 111 (solo): broken slur over ―sólo al‖ no indication
mm. 111-4 ―altisimo‖ ―Altísimo‖102
m. 113 (choir): broken slur over ―sólo al‖ no indication
mm. 115-8 ―Espiritu‖ ―Espíritu‖103
m. 121 (choir): men’s parts scored in bass (choir): men’s parts scored in treble
clef clef
mm. 123-30 ―Amen‖ ―Amen‖104
III. Credo
m. 4 (piano): downbeat in right hand no indication105
contains staccato mark
m. 8 p appears in piano part p appears in bombo part106
95
The omission is in the Lawson-Gould score. The presence of a breath mark here follows a consistent pattern of
including a breath mark after each accelerando indication in the solo part.
96
Although there is nothing indicated in the Lawson-Gould score, m. 86 marks the beginning of the second
appearance of the phrase that began at m. 78, and is a natural point to add another layer. Some recordings bring in
additional Andean instruments at m. 86, others add guitar, etc. The crescendo indication in the Pigal score, whether
interpreted dynamically or texturally (by adding an instrument), is important to keep the phrase repetition from
becoming dull or redundant.
97
The quarter rest following a dotted quarter note in 2/4 time, in the Lagos/Pigal edition, results in too many beats in
the measure and is an error.
98
The Lawson-Gould is in error. The choir should continue with ―ah,‖ as begun in m. 101.
99
The Lawson-Gould is correct to include the accents. The possessive vs. subjective use of Tu is discussed in the
footnote for Gloria, m. 57. ―Solo‖ [only, alone] without an accent is an adjective, while ―sólo‖ is an adverb. Its
usage here is as an adverb. The Lawson-Gould score is not entirely consistent, however: it does not include an
accent over ―Tu‖ in m. 106 (choral part), which should appear as ―Tú.‖
100
Since notes before and after this section are indicated with slurs, it appears the Lagos/Pigal edition does not
intend for the triangle to continue ringing in this section, as it did in the others, and that the Lawson-Gould edition is
likely in error.
101
It appears that the Lagos/Pigal is correct. The bass note should be G3, retaining the pattern of ending each of
these figurations (mm. 104-11) with an Amm7 chord.
102
Regardless of the capitalization, the accent is needed for proper pronunciation, which is in error in the Lawson-
Gould edition.
103
Again, the accent, not present in the Lawson-Gould edition, is required for correct pronunciation.
104
Although not reflected in either edition, ―Amén‖ should appear with an accent.
105
The staccato mark in the Lawson-Gould appears to be an error here.
39
mm. 13-4 no indication (guitar): score indicates direction
marks (down-up-down-down)107
m. 20 no indication (piano): Tacet
m. 33 no indication (solo): breath mark after ―Dios‖
m. 37 no indication (solo): breath mark after ―tierra‖
mm. 39-40 (solo): ―Cr-e-o‖ (solo): ―Cre-e-o‖108
m. 45 (solo): ―Je-su-cris-to‖ (solo): ―Je-su-cris to‖109
m. 47 (choir): E (choir): G110
m. 47 unico unico111
clef clef
m. 50 Senor Señor112
clef clef
m. 59 no indication pp (choral part)
mm. 59-66 (choir): scored for all parts (choir): scored for alto/bass only113
m. 65 (choir): no tenuto over men’s note (choir): tenuto over men’s note
m. 66 (choir): no tenuto over men’s note (choir): no tenuto over men’s
note114
mm. 67-70 (choir): scored for all parts (choir): scored for soprano/tenor
only
clef clef from m. 70, beat three to m. 74,
beat three
m. 74 no indication (choir): tenuto over beat one, in
men’s part only
m. 74 no indication (choir): p at ―Descendió‖
clef clef from m. 78, beat three to m. 82,
beat two
m. 82, beat (choir): ―the next four measures (choir): marked Alti above the
three may be sung by a few altos‖ lower staff115
106
This is the first dynamic indication in the movement.
107
These direction indications may be seen in the discussion of the Credo (figure 43).
108
Neither of these options seems practical or correct, and it appears that the first B in m. 39 should be tied to the
second, or written as a quarter note, carrying the text ―cre-‖ until the C in m. 40. An examination of mm. 43-4
reveals a similar problem with the notation, but in those measures the text underlay has been corrected.
109
The Pigal edition is missing a hyphen.
110
The Lawson-Gould edition is in error.
111
As is the case in the Gloria, m. 49, ―único‖ appears without the accent over the first syllable, which should be
noted for purposes of accurate pronunciation.
112
The Lawson-Gould edition is in error.
113
The remnants of splitting the choir to assign this passage to alto/bass, and the passage that follows (mm. 67-70)
to soprano/tenor, may be seen in the Lawson-Gould edition in mm. 66 and 70, where the rests indicate the
Lagos/Pigal preference and should be noted or removed to avoid confusion.
114
It may be deduced that the missing tenuto marks in the men’s part in mm. 65-6 is an error, as they continue to
appear in the women’s parts and appear in the Pigal edition, with the exception of m. 66, where they seem to have
been omitted in error there as well.
40
appears in the lower staff
m. 92 (solo): beat three = quarter rest (solo): beat three = eighth rest116
clef clef
m. 101 (choir): no missing ledger line (choir): ledger line missing (middle
C)
m. 103 (solo): ―sentado a‖ (solo): ―sentadoa‖
m. 105 no indication (choir): p
mm. 107-11 (choir): scored for SATB, except (choir): scored for ATB only from
beat three of m. 107 and beats 1-2 m. 107, beat three to m. 111, beat
of m. 111117 two
mm. 111-15 (choir): tenor part scored in treble (choir): scored in treble clef, as in
clef from m. 111, beat three the Lawson-Gould edition, but
missing the clef change indication
until m. 113
m. 113 (choir): A in beat one is missing a (choir): tie is not missing
tie to the A that follows
m. 114 (choir): third tenor note = F same, but likely in error118
m. 116 (solo): ―Espiritu‖ (solo): ―Espíritu‖119
m. 120 (solo): tenuto over ―nión‖ (solo): tenuto over ―de‖120
mm. 139-42 perdendosi (only appears in mm. perdendosi _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (extends
140-1) from mm. 139-42)
m. 141 no indication senza rall.
m. 142 (string bass): downbeat E is tied to (string bass): downbeat E is not tied
previous measure to previous measure (is
rearticulated)
IV. Sanctus
m. 4 (string bass): missing tenuto on E (string bass): tenuto over E
m. 15 (guitar): no direction marks (guitar): direction marks indicated
indicated (down-up-down-down) 121
m. 26 (solo): ―The Bass may double this no indication
passage an octave lower.‖
115
The indication Alti appears above the top voice of the three lower voices, but the placement can create the
misconception that the alto indication should apply to all three of the lower voices. To add to the misconception, all
three of the lower voices are scored in treble clef. It seems clear, however, that the lowest two voices should be the
tenor and bass, and the music in this passage consists of the same notes sung by those parts in the preceding
measures.
116
This measure is missing the value of an eighth rest in the Lagos/Pigal edition.
117
Either the soprano rests in mm. 107 and 111, or the lack thereof in mm. 108-11, is in error. It seems entirely
practical to perform this full passage with sopranos and altos together on the single treble part, which, in the
Lagos/Pigal score, is the alto part.
118
This appears to be an error that is printed in both editions, and continued in the 1989 revised edition as well. The
passage in mm. 111-5, however, repeats the music of mm. 107-11, an octave higher. The tenor line should,
therefore, match what the bass line indicates in those measures, one octave higher.
119
Again, this word should appear with the accent to ensure proper pronunciation.
120
In this case, the Lagos/Pigal tenuto appears to be correct, and the Lawson-Gould in error. The 1989 revised
edition confirms this.
121
These direction marks can be seen in the discussion of the Sanctus (figure 48).
41
mm. 26, 38, (solo): rhythm = eighth rest and (solo): rhythm = quarter note
beat three eighth note
mm. 27, 39, Senor Señor122
82
mm. 28, 40 (solo): rhythm = quarter-eighth- (solo): rhythm = eighth-quarter-
quarter-eighth quarter-eighth
m. 29 (guitar): no direction indicated (guitar): direction indicated (down-
up-down-down)
mm. 29, 41 (solo): rhythm = dotted quarter- (solo): rhythm = half-quarter
dotted quarter
m. 44 (solo): ―Two voices may be used no indication
here, if desired‖
mm. 44-50 (solo): a lower voice is provided, (solo): only one voice
in smaller notes, below the top
voice
mm. 45, 58 (solo): rhythm = dotted quarter- (solo): rhythm = half-quarter
dotted quarter
m. 50 no indication (solo): breath mark after half note
voice
m. 73 (guitar): no glissando (guitar): glissando on E7 chord
mm. 74-5 (piano): Accidentals: G-naturals (piano): No accidentals: G-sharps
appear in beat four, creating a appear in beat four, creating a
subtonic harmony supertonic harmony123
m. 77 no indication Baguala taripeña124
m. 77 no indication (solo): a piacere
mm. 77, 83, ―Josana‖ ―Osana‖125
86
voice
V. Agnus
Dei
mm. 7-8 (solo): cor-de-ro (solo): cor de-ro126
mm. 8-14 (choir): first and second tenor parts (choir): first and second tenor parts
scored on one staff scored on separate staves
mm. 19-23 (choir): two tenor parts scored on (choir): two tenor parts scored on
122
As in previous appearances of this word, the Lawson-Gould edition is in error.
123
This error is an omission of accidentals in the Lagos/Pigal edition that unfortunately continued to appear in the
1989 revised version. In the original and subsequent recordings, Ramírez plays the G-naturals.
124
In the Lagos/Pigal edition the final section of the Sanctus, containing the ―Hosanna‖ text, is indicated as yet
another song form: the baguala taripeña. Oscar Escalada confirmed for me, however, that this appears to be a
typographical error and should read baguala tarijeña, referring to the baguala of Tarija, Bolivia.
125
While these two forms of writing the same word are pronounced differently, the original recording uses the
Lagos/Pigal pronunciation.
126
The Lagos/Pigal edition is missing a hyphen.
42
one staff; two bass parts scored on separate staves; two bass parts
one staff scored on one staff
m. 24 no indication (choir): sempre b.c.
mm. 24-30 (choir): two tenor parts scored on (choir): two tenor parts scored on
one staff; bass part scored on one separate staves; bass part scored on
staff one staff
m. 31 (choir): p no indication
m. 35 (choir): third note in tenor part is (choir): third note in tenor part is
C5 B4127
Figure 26. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Gloria,‖ Lagos/Pigal edition, mm. 45-8
127
The Lawson-Gould is in error. Both the original and 1989 revised Lagos/Pigal editions use B4, as does the
original recording of the work.
43
Figure 27. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Gloria,‖ Lawson-Gould edition, mm. 45-8
Instrumental Parts
After a substantial investigation, I have concluded that the only instrumental parts
available for Misa Criolla are those that may be rented with the Lawson-Gould score from
European American Music Distributors LLC. There do not appear to be or to ever have been any
published instrumental parts available in Argentina where folk groups have typically created
their own parts or played without written parts. The existing set of parts in the United States was
compiled by Dr. Thomas Sheets, who tells how they came to exist:
In 1997 I was doing a performance of the Misa Criolla at a church where I was
employed—having done the work several times before, I was again faced with the
challenge of what to do about orchestral parts—so I made a set of them on my Mac using
Notewriter II, music software created by Keith Hamel.
It occurred to me that I couldn't be the only one facing this problem—so I contacted
Walter Gould and suggested that he publish the parts—he agreed, and the parts went into
the Lawson-Gould rental catalogue.
44
That catalogue was purchased by Warner Chappell several years ago—the parts are still
available on a rental basis through European American Music, which handles a portion of
Warner's rental library.128
The parts were fashioned from the Lawson-Gould piano-vocal score itself, not from
another source. Dr. Sheets tells me that he was asked to quickly proof and edit them himself, as
Mr. Gould’s longtime editor was ill at the time.129
The instrumental parts contain rehearsal letters, which can be particularly useful since
there are no measure numbers in these parts or in the piano-vocal score. The piano-vocal score,
however, does not contain the rehearsal letters. It is recommended that the rehearsal letters be
used, as without them the players can easily become lost in rehearsal. After adding measure
numbers to the piano-vocal score, the rehearsal letters from the instrumental parts will need to be
added to the piano-vocal score as well. Table 5 lists the rehearsal letters of the available
instrumental parts for each movement and their corresponding measure number in the Lawson-
Gould piano-vocal score.
128
Thomas Sheets, ―Re: Misa Criolla Compilation,‖ E-mail to the author, June 23, 2008.
129
Ibid.
45
Table 5. Instrumental part rehearsal letters
Rehearsal Letter in Instrumental Parts Corresponding Measure in Score

Kyrie Kyrie
A m. 10
B m. 20
C m. 29
Gloria Gloria
A m. 7
B m. 15
C m. 22
D m. 42
E m. 58
F m. 74
G m. 96
H m. 104
Credo Credo
A m. 21
B m. 34
C m. 47
D m. 59
E m. 71
F m. 79
G m. 87
H m. 106
I m. 116
J m. 128
Sanctus Sanctus
A m. 20
B m. 44
C m. 57
D130 m. 77
Agnus Dei Agnus Dei
No rehearsal letters131
130
There is no rehearsal letter in the parts at m. 67, but a conductor may choose to add one here. If so, it could be
called C2 or D, if D is changed to E.
131
The only instrument that plays in the Agnus Dei is the piano or harpsichord, which does not have a separate
instrumental part other than the piano-vocal score.
46
There are very few dynamic indications included in the instrumental parts, as is the case
in the piano-vocal score, and desired dynamic levels will need to be conveyed to the players.
One of the weaknesses of the instrumental parts themselves is that the guitar part is
incomplete. The part only includes the Sanctus and an introduction to the Credo. In practice,
however, the guitar has been used more than this since the very first performance recording. For
example, while there is no guitar part for the Gloria, and in the Credo the part ends after the
introduction, yet in almost all performances a guitar (or charango) can be heard playing through
both of these movements. Note, particularly, the emptiness of the Credo, where guitar and
harpsichord play for the introduction and then drop out, leaving only voices with percussion and
a repeated string bass pedal. Aside from the timbre not sounding correct, the voices have
difficulty tuning to the low double bass, which is only augmented by the key change at m. 80 and
the chord changes that follow (mm. 92, 94, etc.). The Credo is not performed this way—with
only percussion and string bass after the introduction—in any recordings involving Ramírez.
The guitarists play without needing music, a common practice in Argentine folk and popular
music, so the printed part has not been entirely necessary for regional musicians. Conductors
elsewhere will likely find that they need to transcribe chords for the Gloria and the rest of the
Credo.
The instrumental folk ensembles that perform the work in Argentina usually consist of a
charango in addition to one or more guitars, so there are generally two or more instruments
playing the guitar part in performances. In these cases, the charango may be used more as a solo
instrument while the other guitar(s) support the ensemble, entering with the choir for the tutti
segments. In the Gloria, for example, the charango might play alone during the introduction, at
the tremolo chord in m. 40, and so forth.
47
There is no separate piano part available, so the player must read from the piano-vocal
score. This can be troublesome in the Sanctus because of its quick tempo and multiple staves
where only five measures are printed on each page, necessitating frequent rapid page turns and
likely the need for a page turner to assist the pianist.
There are various places that are scored for piano where it may be preferable to use the
guitar instead. The introduction to the Gloria, for example, invites performance on the guitar and
has traditionally been played on guitar rather than piano. The entire Gloria, in fact, may be
performed with guitar without using piano at all in the movement, if desired. In the premiere
recording, the harpsichord appears to enter only after the choral entrance, playing basic chords
on downbeats, to punctuate and support the choir.
As the instrumental parts were created from the piano-vocal score, it is, of course,
possible to create individual parts using the existing piano-vocal score, but it can be more trouble
than it is worth and may violate copyright law.
Instruments in Misa Criolla
The instrumental aspect of Misa Criolla is the area that causes perhaps the most duress to
conductors. Some may be discouraged from performing the work as a result of these difficulties.
There are two main reasons why this is of concern. First, the existing instrumental parts do not
appear to be sufficient for a fulfilling performance of the work. To add to this, some conductors
do not know that separate parts are even available, and indeed, they were not available prior to
1997. New copies of the score now include a notice about the availability of rental parts, but
older copies do not. Second, many of the instruments for which the work is scored are regional
48
folk instruments particular to Argentina and other parts of Latin America, and they are often not
available, nor well understood, outside the region.
A conductor need not fear the work, however, because of the instruments. Once a basic
knowledge about the traditional instruments is gained, an adequate substitute may be found for
those instruments if necessary. The instrumental parts available are not entirely insufficient.
With a few modifications, a fulfilling performance may be presented. To get a feel for the work
and to add somewhat to the written parts as desired, percussionists may refer to recordings,
especially those involving Ariel Ramírez himself. The original 1964 performance, which was an
LP issued by Philips, has been remastered and reissued as a CD as well. 132
Bombo Argentino [Muffled Tenor Drums]
The bombo [bombo argentino or bombo legüero] is a large double-headed frame drum,
typically fashioned from a hollowed out tree trunk.133 The heads are usually made from sheep or
goat skins, and ropes connecting the two heads at the sides of the drum adjust their tightness.
Sizes vary widely, generally depending on the diameter of the tree trunk from which it was cut,
averaging around 35 cm. in diameter with a depth of 50 cm., but they can also be quite a bit
larger.134 The bombo is sometimes referred to as bombo legüero because certain larger versions
can reportedly be heard from several miles [leguas] away. Bombo players traditionally have an
important role in setting the tempo and rhythms of regional music. The instrument is generally
held with a strap at the player’s side and played with a mallet and a stick, or less frequently with
other combinations such as two mallets, two sticks, or a single mallet. The mallet typically plays
132
Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla; Misa Flamenca, dir. Jesús Gabriel Segade, Philips/Polygram CD 814 055-2, 1986
(1964). While the disc actually indicates a 1968 performance, this appears to be an error.
133
The ceibo tree is often used. The ceibo is a common flowering tree in parts of South America. Its bright red
flowers became the national flower of Argentina.
134
Cortazar, 513.
49
on the head while the stick plays on the rim and head.135 In notation, the lower notes indicate
playing on the head and the higher notes indicate playing on the rim.
Tenor drums are suggested as a substitute in the translation found in the score. ―Tenor
drums‖ is not, it should be pointed out, a translation of bombo argentino. Tenor drums tend to
have tighter heads providing a higher pitch, which may not be an optimum substitute. The
bombo has a deep, dark sound so an adequate size instrument should be selected. Luis Garay
recommends a low tom or floor tom (16-18 inches) with a muffled head as a substitute if a
bombo is not available. 136 The bombo appears with the instruction ―muffled‖ in all movements
where it is present.
It would seem that the sixteenth notes indicated on the head in the Credo would be
difficult to play adequately with one mallet, as the stick is used primarily for the rim and can
easily damage an animal-skin head. Most performances modify this rhythm somewhat, to eighth
notes in some cases. Rather than performing with a mallet and a stick, as is common in bombo
playing, some players use two mallets to avoid damaging the head and to execute more complex
and rapid rhythms on the head. The stick portion of the mallet can be used to play on the rim and
the softer head portion to play on the drum head. 137
The scoring in Misa Criolla calls for use of the bombo in the Kyrie and Credo. In the
1989 revised edition, the bombo makes a brief appearance in the Gloria as well, playing in the
last ten measures of the interlude, along with the siku and quena. It may be recommended,
however, to play the tom-tom part of the Gloria and Sanctus on the bombo instead.138
135
Ibid., 516.
136
Luis Garay, ―Re: Misa Criolla percussion,‖ E-mail to the author, February 20, 2009.
137
This was confirmed by Luis Garay, percussionist for the Naxos recording of Misa Criolla with the Choral Arts
Society of Washington, Joseph Holt, cond. Luis Garay, Phone Interview, February 25, 2009.
138
Ibid.
50
Cascabeles [Jingles]
Cascabeles are bells, and the part is often played on sleigh bells or a headless
tambourine. One may experiment, as well, with chaschas, a cluster of goat nails/hooves that are
tied together, fastened to a cloth, and used as a shaker.139
Charango [Guitar]
The charango is a popular fretted stringed instrument in the Andean region of Latin
America (northern Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru) fashioned after a traditional guitar but
significantly smaller. It has five primary strings, each one generally doubled, and a sound box
that is typically made of armadillo shell. 140 Because of its smaller size and hard sound box, the
charango has a unique tone, brighter and higher pitched than a typical guitar. The manner in
which it is strummed differs from the guitar as well, in that strumming on the charango typically
employs the index finger.141 The charango is a true hybrid of European and Latin American
culture. The Spanish conquistadores introduced the guitar to the region, and this smaller version
with armadillo shell was the uniquely regional variant that resulted. The first versions of the
instrument appeared by the early 18th century. 142 The charango is viewed by some as a
combination of a miniature guitar and a mandolin. 143
The charango part may be played by guitar if a charango is not available, although one
should seek an instrument that most closely resembles the timbre and tone of the charango, as
previously mentioned. In performances with charango, the guitar, or quite often more than one
139
Escalada, 34.
140
Many charangos today are made with wooden sound boxes, as armadillo shells have reportedly become scarcer.
141
Cortazar, 528.
142
Thomas Turino, "Charango," Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com
(accessed January 20, 2009).
143
Cortazar, 528.
51
guitar, joins the charango as well. The guitar is very common in Latin America. It is of Spanish
origin and was introduced during colonialization. The guitar is larger than the charango, made
of wood, with a wooden sound box, and has six single strings as opposed to the five doubled
strings of the charango.
Cocos [Temple Woodblocks]
The woodblocks, as the snare drum, are only used in the Sanctus. It may be interesting to
note that the unpublished 2001 revision changes the part to a Chinese drum [caja china], which
plays the same rhythms as the woodblock part, but using three separate levels instead of two,
high and low, as the woodblocks (figure 28).
Figure 28. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Sanctus,‖ 2001 revised edition, mm. 4-6
Contrabajo [String Bass]
This is a typical contrabass. It is both bowed and plucked in the work, and has an
important role the Gloria, Credo and Sanctus. The contrabass pedal through the yaraví provides
the only pitch foundation for the choir and soloists. The repeated triple figures in the Credo,
particularly if conducted in a duple meter, will require some rhythmic skills. Interestingly, the
unpublished 2001 revision calls for the part to be played on an electric bass in the Credo, one of
several modifications later made by Dámian Sanchez.
52
Gong
The gong only appears in the yaraví section of the Gloria, playing steady eighth notes
throughout this section. The Lawson-Gould edition calls for ―small gong‖ in the piano-vocal as
well as the percussion part, but the original Pigal edition, as well as the later revised editions,
simply indicate ―gong.‖ It is played at a very soft dynamic, either pp or ppp depending on the
edition. The part undergoes an overhaul in the 2001 revision, however, no longer playing steady
eighth notes. In this latest (unpublished) version it is instead struck occasionally to punctuate the
voices. In the 1990 live performance with José Carreras, the gong was replaced with a siku pedal
tone playing at periodic intervals in the yaraví.
Quena [Notched Flute]
The quena is an Andean notched flute that dates back to ancient times, some of the oldest
from ca. 900-200 B.C. in Peru. It is common in northern Argentina as well as Peru, Bolivia, and
northern Chile.144 While the natives made quenas from reed, bone, or clay, according Eleonora
Benvenuto, they are today made from a particular reed known as chuqui and are always played
by men.145 The quena may have a varying number of holes, most often six, and is frequently
notched to play the pentatonic music of the regional natives. 146 It is played vertically, as a
recorder, unlike the modern transverse flute, and is capable of a high degree of expression and
virtuosity.
The addition of the quena in Misa Criolla is optional. It was added, along with the siku,
in the 1989 revised edition. The original performance and score do not use quena or siku.
144
Henry Stobart, "Kena,"Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com (accessed
January 20, 2009).
145
Eleonora Benvenuto, Danzas folklóricas argentinas (Buenos Aires: Cesarini Hnos. Editores, 1962), 43.
146
Nick Rossi, ―Music of Argentina,‖ Music Educators Journal 59, no. 5 (1973): 51.
53
However, their frequent appearance with the bombo and charango in the creole tradition make
them a fitting addition, and the location where they have been added, in the interlude to the
Gloria, is a point of repetition in the music that merits an additional layer of some type.
Siku [Pan Flute or Pan Pipe]
The siku is an Andean pan flute or pan pipe. It consists of several reeds of varying sizes
and pitches that are tied together in order from highest (smallest) to lowest (largest). The player
blows across the top, and down, on each hollowed-out pipe.
In Argentina and the Bolivian altiplano, the widely accepted term for panpipe is the
Aymara word, siku; in most instances this is a two-rank instrument, of which the second
rank, of open tubes, is the same length or half as long as the first, of closed tubes. The
open-pipe rank is blown softly to support the closed, melody pipes and to modify the tone
colour. Both ranks resemble a raft in shape, with pipes arranged by size in a staircase
pattern.147
Along with the quena, the siku is the preferred instrument of natives of the high plateau.148
Its sound is joyful and lively and its players, between sustaining and managing it with one
hand, accompany themselves on the bombo with the other, making up ensembles of siku
players that enliven popular dances and celebrations. 149
As with the quena, the addition of the siku is optional to a performance of the work,
having been added in the 1989 revised edition, where it plays for a short segment in the interlude
to the Gloria. Performances often involve its appearance in some other locations as well, such as
providing a pedal tone in the baguala (Cristo) section of the Gloria, or continuing to play in a
limited fashion during the final carnavalito section of the Gloria, following its scored appearance
in the instrumental interlude.
147
James McKinnon, et al., "Panpipes," Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online,
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com (accessed January 20, 2009).
148
Benvenuto, 44.
149
Ibid.
54
Tambor con Escobilla [Snare Drum with Brushes]
The snare drum with brushes is only called for in the Sanctus, where the festivity of a
Carnival celebration merits the use of some additional instruments.
Triángulo [Triangle]
The triangle appears only in the Gloria. The part may be played by the bombo player,
who does not play in the Gloria (with the exception of the brief passages in the revised edition,
mentioned above), unless the tom-tom part is assigned to the bombo, as discussed previously.
Some performances omit the triangle, as the recording by the Choral Arts Society of
Washington.150
Tumbadoras [Tom-Toms]
Although the word tumbadoras appears with the translation ―tom-toms‖ in both the
Lagos/Pigal and the Lawson-Gould editions, tumbadoras are actually congas, not tom-toms,
which may create some confusion. Either tom-tom or conga will work, however. ―The point is
to get a deep, dark sound.‖151
Vocal Soloist(s)
The solo part is scored primarily as a duet, with two-part writing often featuring parallel
thirds common in regional folk singing. In the premiere recording, however, there were up to
three and four solo singers at a time. The parts were sung by Los Fronterizos, a male folk
150
Ariel Ramírez, Celebrating Sacred Rhythms: Navidad Nuestra; Misa Luba; Misa Criolla, dir. Joseph Holt,
Naxos CD 8.557542, 2006 (2004).
151
Luis Garay, ―Re: Misa Criolla percussion,‖ E-mail to the author, February 20, 2009.
55
quartet, and in the manner of a typical Argentine folk group, the vocal parts were adapted
somewhat.152 For example, a singer can be heard joining an octave lower at certain locations.
Some of these adaptations are noted in the Lawson-Gould piano-vocal score.
The work has been performed with a single soloist as well, most notably by José Carreras
for his recording in 1987 and live video performance in 1990. The score was adapted for these
occasions, as can be seen in the 1989 revised edition scored for a single tenor soloist. Misa
Criolla has been performed by female soloist also, the most significant production being a
recording by the famous folk singer Mercedes Sosa. 153 It has also been performed as a female
duet.
The soloists should be encouraged to sing with a full, folk sound. The original Philips
recording, for example, displays the bright and resonant sound of typical folk singing with
diction in the style of rural Argentina (dropping final s, etc.). The Spanish pronunciation should
be carefully coached with any soloists who do not speak the language. José Carreras is
sometimes criticized for his overtly classical technique and for using the pronunciation of Spain
rather than Latin America, let alone Argentina. Although not authentic, per se, to the original
ensemble configuration or pronunciation, Carreras’ performance is unique and beautiful, and
worthy of its own praise.
Piano or Harpsichord
The keyboard part indicates that either piano or harpsichord may be used. Performances
frequently use either one, or sometimes both. The conductor will need to make the selection.
152
Los Fronterizos consist of three guitarists and a bombo player, who accompany themselves as they sing. They
made their debut in Buenos Aires in 1958 and were a significant force in Argentina’s folklore ―boom.‖ See
Gravano, 34.
153
Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla: Mercedes Sosa, dir. Ricardo Hagman, Universal CD 546 741-2, 1999 (1998).
56
Some factors that may contribute to a decision, aside from the availability of a harpsichord, are
past performance traditions. The premiere recording, for instance, was performed entirely on the
harpsichord, but in later performances Ramírez himself frequently played both harpsichord and
piano. The harpsichord has an inability to execute some of the indicated dynamics (see the
introduction to the Agnus Dei, for example), but the unique timbre and color that the harpsichord
adds to the texture is very appealing.
It may be interesting to note that although the harpsichord is not considered a creole
instrument, its relative the harp is. It is classified in the same category as the guitar and
charango. The creole harp is modeled after the Spanish harp of the seventeenth century but does
not include pedals. It became particularly prevalent in the regions of Santiago del Estero,
Tucumán, Catamarca, and Salta. 154
Role of Improvisation
Improvisation is an important part of Misa Criolla. Folk music often involves some level
of improvisation by its players and singers. In regional folk song, a singer would know a melody
that was learned, usually aurally, and instrumentalists (including the singer himself, in many
cases) would improvise appropriate rhythms and chords to accompany, having been steeped in
the traditions of local song forms and dance rhythms. There would generally not be written-out
music. Misa Criolla differs in that it is a folk-based composition, with vocal and instrumental
parts that have been written out, so the level of flexibility is present, but to a lesser extent. What
is evident in looking at the score, though, is that Ramírez did not fully transcribe some of the
parts. The instrumental parts in particular are sometimes skeletal, and in certain instances the
parts appear to even be an editor’s addition, possibly added after the work had been performed
154
Benvenuto, 40.
57
and recorded by local musicians who simply knew how to play a chacarera rhythm, for example,
and did not use a score. Seeing that Ramírez did not do the choral arrangements himself and that
local musicians were the ones who recorded the work before the score was published, this seems
the likely scenario and provides an explanation as to why the instrumental parts may be lacking
or incorrect in the score: they were not necessary.
The percussion in the Kyrie, for example, would sound somewhat lifeless if the pattern of
half notes and quarter notes were played on the bombo head for the entire movement, without
variation. Listening to recordings, it is evident that the head and the rim are used and that some
degree of variation from the pattern is involved.
It would be easy, however, to improvise too much and to lose the appropriate style, and
anyone not having experience with these song forms and dance rhythms should be cautious
before adding to the score. That being said, a thorough examination of the score and a
comparison with recordings made by excellent local percussionists, such as Domingo Cura who
often worked with Ramírez, would be highly recommended. An informed performance of the
work could not occur without a consultation of traditional performance practice of the creole
instruments in particular.
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CHAPTER 4
MISA CRIOLLA: CONDUCTING AND REHEARSAL ISSUES
In this chapter I will examine the conducting and rehearsal issues in each movement and
will provide suggestions to assist conductors in their own study and preparation of the work. Not
every detail will be addressed, and while this guide attempts to be thorough in many respects, it
is not all-inclusive. In making suggestions, I do not intend to take away the conductor’s right
and responsibility to interpret and prepare the score. Individual conductors will need to do their
own study and preparation, and make their own informed decisions. Keeping in mind that
individuals have differing views on a number of musical issues, I will, nevertheless, offer what I
feel are some of the more significant considerations, practical ideas, and indeed, some opinions
that are entirely open to interpretation and scrutiny. With any work, we as conductors are
constantly evolving, reevaluating and making certain changes that keep a work vital and current,
while at the same time seeking to present a historically informed presentation. Misa Criolla is
particularly organic, being folk-based and by practice open to rearrangement and new
interpretation. The aim of this guide itself is to provide a constructive starting point for one’s
own individual study, preparation, and conducting of the work, with the hope that more
conductors will choose to perform Misa Criolla rather than avoiding it out of a lack of
information and resources, and that more informed presentations of the work may be possible.
While the 1989 and 2001 revised editions will be mentioned and examples included, all
measure numbers including those in the revised editions will refer to the placement in the
Lawson-Gould score. This is for the sake of consistency and due to the fact that the Lawson-
Gould is the edition available in North America.
59
Kyrie: Conducting Issues
The Kyrie is conducted in three and the suggested tempo ( = c. 69) should have enough
momentum to move the music forward sufficiently to maintain accurate pitch. The
unaccompanied choral parts present intonation challenges and a tempo that is too slow can
exacerbate the problem. Listening to recordings of the work, the fact that this can sometimes be
problematic is evident. In José Carreras’ first recording with Philips, for example, while
Carreras sings with beauty and vibrancy in the Kyrie, the chorus sings with such a lack of energy
that the pitch continually falls, and the movement ends nearly a semitone lower than it began.
Choosing an appropriate tempo and reflecting a forward motion in the gesture is one way the
conductor can help to ensure that these intonation problems do not occur.
The conductor should be aware of potential difficulties with the choral entrance at m. 35,
one that has presented sufficient problems over the years that conductors have sometimes
modified the entrance to eliminate the syncopation, including the conductor of the 1964
recording. The choir is to enter with ―pie-‖ on the eighth note after beat two. The revised
edition incorporates these conductor modifications, and the choir enters instead on beat three, the
preceding eighth rest having been changed to a quarter rest (actually, two eighth rests in the
score), and the duration of ―pie-‖ changed from a dotted quarter note to a quarter note, as seen in
figure 29. This simplifies the entrance for the choir but also removes an important element of
syncopation (see figure 30). The conductor can correct this problem without having to alter the
rhythm of the choral part. Aside from effective rehearsing to ensure accurate rhythmic
execution, the conductor should get the choir’s attention on beat one, perhaps by raising the left
hand and certainly by using eye contact, and then execute a sharp gesture of syncopation, one
that reflects an off-beat or half-beat entrance (i.e., a sharper ictus on beat two and quicker
60
movement to the top of the rebound) as opposed to an on-the-beat or full-beat entrance. If
conducting technique is problematic and the choir has trouble executing this rhythm, then one
might resort to making the change incorporated in the revised edition. Such a decision could be
substantiated by the fact that the conductor of the first Philips recording (Father Jesús Gabriel
Segade) made this change as well, and it is reflected in the 1989 revised edition and in the 1990
video recording (with José Carreras), where Segade conducted once again.
Figure 29. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Kyrie,‖ 1989 revised edition, mm. 35-6
The conductor may find following the soloist through the Cristo section something akin
to recitative conducting. The liberties taken in this passage are discussed below. A clear cut-off
and cue should be given to the choir in mm. 32 and 39, beat three to ensure a clean entrance with
61
―ten‖ at mm. 33 and 40. A fermata may be desired over the downbeat of m. 43, and the soloists
may want to take some extra time in beat three of the same measure on their eighth notes (―de
no-‖), in which case the percussion will need to follow them and the choir will need to wait for
the downbeat of m. 44.
Kyrie: Rehearsal Issues
The decision of whether to actually hum or to modify to an [u] vowel is a choice that is
frequently encountered by conductors. The hum does not carry well, and opening to a vowel
aids in projection. In this movement, however, accompaniment is minimal (a single drum) so a
hum could suffice if it is kept resonant and sufficiently open. An open hum, with the lips
touching but the teeth slightly apart, focusing the resonance into the ―mask,‖ should project
enough to support a choral texture that is scored as if it were the slow-moving guitar chords that
might accompany the vocal soloist in a vidala or baguala. The original indication, in the
Lagos/Pigal edition, is b.c. or boca chiusa [closed mouth] which, in practice, is not always
performed as a hum.155 If opening to a vowel appears to be necessary but not completely
desirable, a hybrid modification would be to sing an [u] vowel with the lips touching. This may
be a suitable substitute somewhere between the closed hum, which may not carry sufficiently,
and the open vowel, which is technically no longer in the spirit of the boca chiusa [closed
mouth] since the mouth is open. It may be pointed out that the choir in the first recording does,
in fact, hum.
155
The 1989 revised Lagos/Pigal score retains the indication b.c. as well. A later 2001 revision by Damián Sanchez,
however, indicates an [u] vowel.
62
There are only initial dynamic markings in the Kyrie: piano for the choir and the
percussion, and mezzo-forte for the soloists.156 There is no dynamic variation from these initial
indications, which imply that the accompanimental choral part, along with the percussion
pattern, should be kept at a soft level that supports the soloists. Without any variation, however,
conductors will likely find that maintaining a flat dynamic level throughout the movement is
neither sufficient to convey a depth of expression to match the music and text, nor to maintain
musical interest in such a way that would help the choir keep their pitch up without the support
of a pitched instrument. It may be necessary to add a series of crescendo-decrescendo markings.
This is confirmed as well in various recordings of the work. One might prefer to add a
crescendo, for example, into m. 8 and a decrescendo over mm. 8-9; a crescendo in m. 10 and a
decrescendo in m. 11. The contour of the musical line, with ascending voicing, seems to imply a
crescendo in mm. 14-6. It is worth noting that the revised edition does alleviate somewhat the
lack of dynamic variation through the movement by adding a few internal dynamics: p and
crescendo in m. 20, crescendo in m. 21, ff at the end of m. 22, decrescendo over mm. 23-4, and
diminuendo in m. 25 (see figure 31).
156
Neither the original Lagos/Pigal nor the 1989 revised Lagos/Pigal edition has any dynamic indication in the solo
part. Only the Lawson-Gould edition contains the mezzo-forte indication for the soloists. Looking at the Pigal
scores one might assume that a piano dynamic was intended for the solo part as well, since it is indicated in the
choral and percussion parts. Listening to the original Philips recording, however, one does not get the sense that the
soloists are singing anything near a piano dynamic level.
63
The voice leading in the Kyrie, done by Father Jesús Gabriel Segade, is particularly
disjunct.158 The revised version smoothes this out substantially. The more conjunct lines in the
revised edition may be appreciated by singers, as they have an easier time learning the parts.
After years of knowing the first version, however, one may find that the smooth voice leading
removes some of its original character. The active tenor line, for example, that comes to the
forefront in m. 4, with its soulful and pleading octave leap to E and voice crossing as the line
rises above the alto part, is tranquil in the revised version, where the altos remain stationary on
four Es and the tenor, instead of rising, descends from D to C (see figures 32 and 33).
157
As may be seen in this example, the 1989 revised edition changes the voicing somewhat as well. There appears
to be an error in m. 21, beat one. According to the 2001 revised edition, which follows the same basic voicing, the
chord should be spelled C3 (bass), C4 (tenor), E4 (alto), and A4 (soprano).
158
In addition to doing the choral arranging of the mass, Father Segade was also one of the three individuals
involved in the Spanish translation of the liturgical text, and conducted the choir in the first recording (1964) as well
as in the videotaped performance with José Carreras (1990). His contribution to the work is significant—second
only to that of Ramírez himself.
64
It is true that the disjunct voice leading can be problematic for the choir, both in terms of
obtaining accurate pitches (reading the intervals correctly) and in maintaining proper intonation.
In performing with the original voicing, the singers should seek to keep their line as smooth as
possible in spite of its actual contour, executing larger leaps within the same vocal register as
much as is possible (more in the upper, or head register, than the lower, or chest register).
Thinking of the top note and placing the lower notes in that register, or ―inhaling for the top
note,‖ may be helpful in preventing excessive chest voice influence from carrying into the upper
notes of a particular leap, which could affect the intonation and create an unnecessarily pressed
sound. In addition to the octave leap in the tenor in mm. 3-4, the conductor should be aware of
65
the bass octave leap in mm. 14-5. This too is eliminated in the re-voicing of the 1989 revised
version.
The decision of where to place breaths should be made in advance and passed on to the
ensemble. It may be suggested to add a breath at the end of m. 5, a slur between mm. 19-20 and
in m. 21, and a breath at the ends of mm. 22, 32, 40, 41, and 45. The choir should use staggered
breathing except where breaths are indicated. It may be desirable to remove the dot from the
quarter note downbeat (―Ten‖) in mm. 33 and 40, and to follow it with an eighth rest, or at least
to insert a lift for the comma and repeated text. This also helps to clarify the eighth note in that
measure. Additionally, the cut-off in m. 34, as written, calls for the final d of ―piedad‖ to fall on
the eighth rest after beat two. The conductor may wish to extend ―piedad‖ instead to beat three,
changing the rhythm in m. 34 to a half note followed by a quarter rest. The revised edition
reflects this change as well, and the modification will help avoid compounding any difficulty
associated with the off-beat entrance in the following measure, discussed above under ―Kyrie:
Conducting Issues.‖
While the original edition contains only one breath mark in the entire movement, found at
the end of m. 41, the revised edition includes significantly more. One may find the number of
breaths to be somewhat excessive, and the conductor may feel some of his/her choice removed
by the revised version. Many indications in the 1989 revised edition may be taken more as
suggestions than as the manifestation of a composer’s will, as many of the choral revisions were
likely made by Damián Sanchez who worked with Ramírez at the time. The two primary places
where additional breaths are added are in the first seven measures of the choral entrance (figure
34) and mm. 20-5 as seen previously in figure 31.
66
The first and second endings in the Lawson-Gould score frequently create some
confusion. The first ending continues (m. 27 is followed by m. 29). After completing the Cristo
section, the instruction (m. 45) is to return to the segno in m. 3, after which the work concludes
at m. 28 (Fine).
Kyrie: Instrumental Issues
Once a decision has been made on an adequate substitute for the bombo argentino if one
is not available, a determination must be made as to whether or not the drum should play the
proscribed pattern throughout, an altered pattern throughout, or alter the pattern at some point in
the movement. How the drum is played is significant as well. The bombo argentino is played
with mallets or sticks, and the player hits the wooden rim at times, not just the head, changing
the timbre. It can become monotonous rather quickly if the half note-quarter note pattern is
repeated on a drum head throughout with no variation. On the other hand, that pattern is what
has been written and to change it entirely would not be appropriate. The practice has been to
play with a combination of head and rim at various points and to display some slight variation in
the pattern. Although the 1989 revised edition does not vary the printed pattern, the unpublished
67
2001 revision does somewhat, primarily by removing the bombo altogether at certain parts of the
baguala section, including for the entire duration of mm. 38-45.159
Additionally, a decision must be made as to how many bars of percussion should be
played as an introduction, interlude between verses, and postlude, if any. The original edition
calls for two bars of solo percussion as an introduction prior to the first choral entrance. This
may seem inadequate for some, and the revised edition in fact doubles the introduction to four
measures of solo percussion. There are no additional measures of percussion added between
repetitions as an interlude in either version; the choir returns to its initial hums (the segno in m.
3) immediately after completing the first repetition with ―-tros‖ at m. 45. Still, some may prefer
adding a measure or two of percussion between repetitions. The question remains as to whether
the percussion should only play with the choir on the downbeat of the last sung measure of the
movement, or whether it should continue its pattern for one or more measures. The percussion
pattern might continue for one or two measures for instance, while the choir is holding its
fermata, rather than stopping immediately. Although none of the editions show the bombo
continuing beyond the downbeat of the final measure, in practice it may be heard in numerous
recordings, including the first (Philips). In that recording the drum continues for a number of
measures after the choir releases, finally fading into the distance. These decisions are best
worked out between the conductor and the player who may be using recordings as reference.
The vocal soloist(s) may be encouraged to sing with a relatively full, folk sound. Los
Fronterizos, in the original Philips recording made in 1964, sing with a strong and forward-
placed sound characteristic of regional folk singing. The mezzo-forte dynamic indication in the
Lawson-Gould score implies that the soloists should be supported by the choir, which is marked
159
The Naxos recording by the Choral Arts Society of Washington is one example where the bombo does not play
during portions of the baguala.
68
piano. As the Lagos/Pigal edition does not contain any dynamic indication for the soloist (only
the piano dynamic in the choral part at m. 3), the mf marking may well have been added to the
Lawson-Gould score in response to the original performance recording, which was produced
prior to the score.160 A case could be made, certainly, for a soloist performing at a softer
dynamic level, José Carreras being an example of this occurring in a performance collaboration
involving Ramírez himself.
If performing with only a single soloist, the upper notes should be selected. In this case,
a decision will need to be made as to which notes to select for each of the five movements, as it
may not always be the upper note that is preferred. The Carreras recording can be particularly
helpful, as likewise an examination of the 1989 revised Lagos/Pigal edition scored for a single
tenor soloist and prepared for the purpose of the Carreras recording. 161 For performance of the
Kyrie by a single soloist, the choir will need to alter a note in their part: the alto part in m. 11,
beat three should be changed from D to B in order to maintain the third in the chord. The third is
provided by the second solo part and is absent if performed by a single soloist singing the upper
of the two pitches. Interestingly, in the original Philips recording Los Fronterizos perform the
lower solo note in m. 11, beat three as E instead of B, creating a perfectly parallel descent for the
phrase, but also a clash with the G7 harmony.
On seeing the rhythms of the baguala or Cristo section, the soloist may not feel a need to
be rhythmically accurate. This can create some distress for a conductor trying to maintain
alignment with the steady percussion and can confuse the choir in its attempt to achieve an
accurate choral entrance in mm. 33 and 40. It is true that the baguala, by nature, is a freely
160
Certain other differences in markings among the editions have led me to suspect that the Lawson-Gould edition
contains some markings and edits made in response to the original recording, such as the significant rhythmic
differences in the solo part of the Sanctus.
161
This is confirmed by the composer’s son in Facundo Ramírez, ―Re: Misa Criolla,‖ E-mail to the author, February
3, 2009.
69
executed song form without strong metrical rhythms. The freedom of the baguala, however, is
written into the part that Ramírez has created. It is the precision of the rhythm in this vocal line,
which itself seems ―off‖ with the percussion at times, that creates the sense of freedom and
detachment from the beat. To alter the composed passage and try to create one’s own version of
detachment from the beat is not recommended. What may be appropriate, however, would be to
sing the baguala section with kenko as described previously in the discussion of the Kyrie in
Chapter 2. The soloists for whom the work was conceived—Los Fronterizos, who appeared on
the 1964 Philips recording—sing with kenko during the baguala section of the Kyrie (the
―Christe‖), executing yodel-like grace notes at the octave leaps.
Gloria: Conducting Issues
The carnavalito is a festive celebration and a joyful dance rhythm. To get the correct feel
of the walking tempo (Andante) carnavalito, one might think of actual walking or movement, as
the music traditionally accompanies an ancient Andean dance. 162 It is important to heed the
grave (heavy) and aguda (light) indications in the tom-tom part, marking the primary beats with
a strong pulse. The tempo ( = 88) is not fast, and the walking feel will be lost if it is taken too
quickly, begins to rush, or if the tom-tom plays the low and high drums with equal weight. The
tom-tom part may be played instead on the bombo (see ―Gloria: Instrumental Issues‖).
Although scored for piano or harpsichord, the introduction is clearly written in the style
of a guitar and has frequently been played on charango since the very first recording of the work.
It is executed freely (marked a piacere) and should not need to be conducted. The conductor
should work with the charango player or guitarist, however, to ensure an appropriate style,
tempo, and dynamic inflection, as well as to verify that the rests are observed in these six
162
Aretz, 177.
70
measures, if desired. Jaime Torres, charango player in the premiere recording, does not observe
any rests until the conclusion of the solo passage following the fermata in m. 6. He frequently
marks the rest points, however, with a dynamic inflection, adding a rapid crescendo-decrescendo
figure over the start of a new strumming section. He finishes the passage off with another, more
protracted crescendo-decrescendo over the fermata. The playing style calls for a strummed
tremolo, the rate of the tremolo speeding up with a crescendo and slowing down with a
decrescendo. It may be helpful to view the introduction as two primary phrases of three
measures each, with some tapering off occurring over the third bar of each phrase.
Conducting should begin, in two, at the fermata in m. 6 where the free introductory
section concludes and the carnavalito rhythm begins. Although the Lawson-Gould score does
not indicate a break following the fermata, this appears to be an omission, a fact verified by the
presence of a break indication in both the original Lagos/Pigal score and the 1989 revised
edition.
After two measures of guitar that set up the basic carnavalito rhythm, the percussionists
are cued in, and five and a half measures later, the choir. The conducting should reflect the
desired dynamic level for each choral entrance. Although the score contains no dynamic
variation in these repeated sections, the practice has been to vary the dynamic level on the
repeats, and the revised edition reflects this (discussed below). The conductor should be aware
of all repeats, which can be particularly confusing since the segno symbol is missing in the
Lawson-Gould score at the first ending (m. 34). Further, there is no segno symbol to mark the
point of the return itself (m. 15). To correct this, the indication ―Dal con rep.‖ in m. 34 should
read ―Dal segno con rep.‖ instructing a return to the segno, after which the repeats are to be
followed once again. Also, the segno symbol should be placed above m. 15.
71
The transition into the yaraví is marked lento and the conducting would best be
accomplished in a four pattern. The transition passage in mm. 38-41 is frequently taken too
quickly, in my opinion, most likely the result of conductors’ attempts to ease the high soprano
tessitura, combined with the scoring as eighth and sixteenth notes, in two, instead of quarters and
eighths, in four. The revised edition does something to offset this tendency, adding the
indication rallentando to these measures in addition to the lento tempo marking. It also adds the
men’s voices to the passage, which sing a held A3 with the text ―Dios‖ for the duration, surely an
effort to help maintain intonation. Intonation frequently falters in this section and is another
reason why conductors may move more quickly through these measures than they might
otherwise. The music here is reminiscent of chant, and the fluidity and freedom should be
evident in the gesture, as should support for the high notes that can often sound pressed and out
of tune in many recordings. Encouraging the singers to allow adequate space for the sound by
vowel modification or by showing a lifting gesture with the left hand may assist the sopranos in
this passage as well. The transition should be preceded by a break in m. 37. Technically, the
fermata is over the breath mark in m.37, not the last note, although one might opt for both.163
The yaraví is scored in 3/4, but at  = 44 the conducting is better executed in six, at a
tempo of  = 88. If needed, a slightly faster tempo may benefit the intonation and energy through
this section, but keep in mind the indicated tempo and the fact that the yaraví is typically a very
slow, sad song. In any case, the six pattern should be small and relaxed to not unnecessarily
weigh down the tempo and to encourage a forward motion. The string bass, which holds an A
pedal for multiple tied measures, should be cued for their re-attack in mm. 51 and 61. Also, be
aware of the gong and its continuing eighth notes through the fermata in m. 71 to ensure
163
The fermata is placed over the breath mark in all three primary editions. The premiere recording, incidentally,
does not observe a fermata over the last note in m. 37, nor much of a fermata over the breath mark at the end of the
measure, treating the breath mark with a fermata as a quarter rest.
72
alignment with the soloists following the fermata. In any case, the gong and string bass should
be included in a clear cut-off in m. 73, as the accelerando and freedom in the solo parts in the
yaraví, along with the fermata in m. 71, can make counting actual measures and beats difficult
for those players through this passage.
Measure 74 marks a return to two beats to the bar and may be preceded by a break if
desired, signifying the end of the yaraví and the return to the carnavalito rhythm. Following
four measures of percussion, a cue is needed for the string bass and piano. As the phrase ends,
the conductor should be aware of the change in rhythm for the cascabeles [jingles] beginning in
m. 93, and then should cue the triangle entrance in m. 96 following the choral entrance.
Dynamic variation is again recommended in mm. 96-102, and this should be reflected in the
gesture. The conductor should also be aware of where the instrumentalists stop and reenter in
the final section of the movement as discussed below under ―Gloria: Instrumental Issues.‖
Gloria: Rehearsal Issues
The repeated refrains in which the first phrase of the Gloria text is set contain no dynamic
variation in either of the two original editions. The single dynamic indication for mm. 14-21 and
mm. 95-102 is a forte in m. 14. Its counterpart in m. 95 has no dynamic indication at all (the
previous choral indication being a pianissimo in m. 45).164 The practice has been, however, to
vary the dynamics with the repeats in these sections, most often by using a softer dynamic level
initially and a louder dynamic for the repeat. The revised edition reflects this, indicating ppp the
first time through on each refrain, and ff on the repeat for both mm. 14-21 and mm. 95-102.165
164
The entire movement includes very few dynamic markings: mezzo-forte in m.1, forte in m. 14 (choir), forte in m.
33 (solo), ppp in m. 42 (gong), pianissimo in m. 44 (choir), and sempre pianissimo in m. 51 (string bass).
165
The dynamic change for the repeated verse in the revised edition occurs on beat two of the first ending, in the
following measures: ff in mm. 21 and 102, beat two, and ppp in m. 34, beat two.
73
As in other dynamic recommendations in the revised edition, whether or not to actually sing at
these levels is debatable. A conductor may instead prefer mp on the initial refrain, deciding that
singing at a ppp dynamic the choir would become buried by the percussion activity. Likewise,
s/he may prefer f on the repeat, rather than ff, to avoid over singing.
The revised edition also adds quite a bit more in terms of dynamics throughout the
movement. For example, it indicates pp in m. 22 (solo), ppp in m. 23 (choir), ff in m. 26 (solo),
m. 27 (choir), and m. 33 (solo), ff over the fermata in m. 37, followed by a diminuendo (and
rallentando) over mm. 38-9, ppp in m. 72 (choir), pp in the final eighth note of m. 94 (piano),
ppp in m. 95 (choir) with ff on the repeat (m. 102, beat two), pp in m. 103, beat two (solo), ppp in
m. 104 (choir), ff in m. 107, beat two, fff in m. 122, ppp in m. 123 beginning with ―Amen‖
(choir) followed by a crescendo through m. 124, ff in m. 127 for the final ―Amen‖ with a
crescendo over mm. 127-9. Any dynamic decisions should be passed on to the instrumentalists
and/or written into the instrumental parts, which contain very little in terms of dynamics.
Decisions regarding rests will need to be made as well. The quarter note ―Dios‖ in m. 15
and m. 96 should be changed to an eighth note with an eighth rest, to clear the way for the
soloist.166 I recommend alto, tenor and bass in m. 19 and m. 100 change their downbeat into an
eighth note with an eighth rest in response to the repeated text separated by a comma. All parts
should become an eighth note with an eighth rest at the downbeat of mm. 20, 21, 22, and 34 (and
their counterparts in mm. 101, 102 and 103) as well as at mm. 122 and 126. Each ―Amen‖
should be separated with an eighth rest by removing the dot on the quarter notes and adding an
eighth rest in mm. 124 and 125. A conductor may, however, decide to not lift after the first
―Amen‖ in m. 124, as the score only indicates a breath mark after the second ―Amen‖ (m. 125).
166
Alternatively, the quarter note could become a dotted eighth with a sixteenth note, the s being placed on the
sixteenth note.
74
Rests need to be added for the choir in the yaraví, and I recommend an eighth rest at the ends of
mm. 46 (ATB), 50, 52 (ATB), 57, 60, 62 (ATB), and 64. The string bass should also mark an
eighth rest at the ends of mm. 50 and 60, lifting with the choir.
Maintaining intonation through the yaraví can be a challenge for several reasons. The
tempo is quite slow at  = 44, and for the duration of the three-bar gong introduction there is no
true pitch present to aid the choir with their entrance. In addition, the actual pitch(es) heard from
the gong may divert the choir. The result is that by the time the string bass enters, together with
the choir in m. 45, the choir may have lost their sense of pitch. As they sing through the section,
the string bass pedal is the only real pitched instrumental support for the choir and because of its
low frequency it is a difficult tone to which to tune, not to mention the fact that it may become
somewhat obscured by the pitch(es) of the gong. The revised edition makes substantial changes
to the meter and rhythm through the yaraví, but maintains the slow tempo and the three measures
of solo gong introduction. In practice, however, the gong introduction is frequently shortened,
and the string bass often enters with the gong in m. 42 instead of waiting for the choir in m. 45.
The string bass enters with the gong in the first recording. In the Carreras recording, both the
gong and string bass pedal enter substantially early, coming in together during the fermata over
the rest at the end of m. 37 to set up the transition to the yaraví. Some conductors have also
chosen to have the charango tremolo softly with the choir on their chords as they sing. The
harmony that the choir sings through the yaraví is played by the charango in the introduction to
the movement and although not indicated in the score, nor perhaps necessary nor desirable,
having the charango recall this music again during the yaraví in support of the choir may add an
element of unity within the movement. There are also performances where the charango will
softly tremolo an A minor pedal chord throughout the yaraví rather than changing their harmony
75
with the choir. Any of these strategies may aid in sustaining pitch through the yaraví. The choir
will need to maintain a forward-motion, which should be supported by an adequately ―lifting‖
conducting gesture and the selection of a sufficient tempo. Singers should keep an internal
eighth-note pulse, especially during long-held notes (as might occur in the count singing
frequently associated with the late Robert Shaw), and envision narrower spans on the descending
intervals. The revised edition substantially alters the rhythm in the yaraví, simplifying it in a
likely attempt to improve the performance of this section. The simplification may not be
necessary, however, if adequate steps are taken in the rehearsal and performance of the original
version.
The women will need to ensure accurate intonation in mm. 38-40 and mm. 72-3, made
difficult by the high tessitura and the contour of the vocal lines. Various rehearsal techniques
may assist. In the first passage, for example, second soprano and alto may rehearse together,
ensuring that they end on the same A. The altos should hold their pedal tone sufficiently high,
and the soprano lines will need to descend by adequately narrow steps. To solidify the A pedal
the 1989 revised edition adds the men in mm. 38-40 with the text ―Dios‖ (see figure 35).167 The
2001 revised edition retains men’s voices here as well, although with the text ―O‖ instead of
―Dios.‖ In this revision, however, the pedal is moved down an octave. The women are once
again in a three-part split, the A4 pedal having been removed from the alto part, and the men are
divided on a lower A pedal (basses on A2, tenors on A3). The vowels can be problematic for
intonation in this passage, and singers should be encouraged to use an open and forward
placement, particularly on the many [o] vowels present in these measures where opening toward
[ɔ] may be helpful. To determine how much influence the vowels are having on intonation, one
167
In the 1989 revision, the high first soprano part is also doubled by altos an octave lower, creating a four-part
treble split as opposed to the original three-part split. It may be compared to the original version as seen in figure
35.
76
may have the choir sing the passage on [di] to see if the intonation improves.
Figure 35. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Gloria,‖ 1989 revised edition, mm. 38-40
Other issues to address in this movement include a passage of voice crossing that may
present challenges for the men in mm. 123-4. The men may also have difficulty with their major
seconds in mm. 24, 26, 105, and 107. The intervallic leaps to these major seconds may be
problematic and require attention. The rhythm of the choral part in the yaraví can present
challenges, particularly the triplets in mm. 45, 47, 51, 53, 61 and 63, and is frequently performed
inaccurately. The problem may be compounded by the confusing beaming in the Lagos/Pigal
edition (see figures 26 and 27 and the discussion under ―Edition Comparison Chart‖). The
revised edition not only changes the rhythm and meter altogether in the yaraví, it adds the
indication ad lib., which implies a greater sense of freedom in this passage. The triplets in m. 71
(solo), echoed by the trebles in m. 72, should be performed accurately. These are frequently
heard as even eighth notes instead of triplets. The problem occurs often enough that the 2001
revised version actually changes the triplets in the choir to even eighth notes while retaining the
triplet in the solo part to which the choir is responding with the same melody and, ideally, with
the same rhythm as well. In my opinion, however, it is better to perform the passage accurately
as Ramírez conceived it, rather than to change the score to match some of the commonplace
modifications that have occurred here.
77
The tenors in mm. 45, 51 and 61 may need to place a tenuto over their F to adequately
balance the chord. The F should be sung with enough confidence that it does not sound like a
wrong note, but as an intended change of harmony; after an entire measure of A minor, the F
major for the duration of a sixteenth note can sound wrong if not sung securely.
Another challenge in the yaraví is hearing the articulation of the choir’s hummed bass
note movements. The bass sings the same note as the string bass pedal, which easily buries and
muddies the bass voice articulation. The choral bass part is not a held A pedal, but rather an A
that lifts and re-attacks, sometimes entering on beat three or on the eighth note after beat three,
and the rhythmic energy of these attacks frequently becomes lost in the A pedal. I have had my
basses mark a tenuto and think of a slight accent over each note so the entry can be heard. The
Lawson-Gould edition offers no articulation marks to suggest this, but the Pigal edition does
include a small hint that something to this effect may be needed: it includes a tenuto mark over
the first eighth note, in m. 46. This tenuto marking only appears once, however, and does not
reappear when the same music returns in m. 52, for example. It may best be applied to the bass
notes that follow. This re-attack can be executed by the bass singers by using a glottal or
marking a separate ―hmm‖ on each note in their part. The revised edition goes further and, aside
from adding meter changes and simplifying the rhythms, actually changes the text for the bass
part from a hum to ―Po,‖ a more extreme attempt to address this issue (figure 36).
78
Voicing in the yaraví is not optimal and may require some modification. The tenors
divide for one measure and one beat of the recurring figure in this section (mm. 47-8, etc.).
While the Lawson-Gould edition is consistent on the recurrences, the Pigal edition varies the
voicing with the repetitions. The tenor divides in m. 62, but not in m. 46, for example. The
Pigal edition does, however, lend some insight as to the reasoning for the tenor divisi. Passages
of low women’s parts (mm. 47-50 for example) are marked Alti [Altos], eliminating the soprano
from those measures, as seen previously in figure 26. The best solution in these passages of
tenor divisi may be to assign the first tenor part to the altos. The revised edition reflects this
preference as well. The altos, then, would read first tenor in m. 47, return to alto in m. 48, beat
two; read first tenor in m. 53, return to alto in m. 54, beat two; read first tenor in m. 63, and
return to alto in m. 64, beat two.
The Lawson-Gould piano-vocal score contains some errors in this movement. The choral
bass note should be G3 in m. 109, not C4 with the tenors. As discussed previously, the segno is
168
Although not indicated in the score, it is assumed that the soprano, alto and tenor voices are to hum (b.c.) while
the bass carries the ―Po‖ text, and that the dynamic level for the choir is still piano, as in the previous edition.
79
missing in mm. 15 and 34. Both solo notes in m. 22, beat two should be C5, not A5.169 The last
note in m. 36 of the string bass part is missing a flag and should be an eighth note instead of a
quarter note. The instruction pizz. is missing from m. 74, though present in the Lagos/Pigal
edition and in the instrumental part itself. The choir’s text in m. 103 mistakenly duplicates the
solo text. The choir should instead continue singing the ―ah‖ that began in m. 101. The triangle
part appears to contain an error by maintaining the slurs through mm. 105-11. The slurs are not
present for this passage in either of the Lagos/Pigal editions. They resume in m. 112 with the
return to the original triangle rhythmic figure. The entrance of the string bass in m. 45 should be
marked pp. This should be indicated in the piano-vocal score, although the instrumental part
does contain the correct dynamic marking.
It may be desirable to shift everything from m. 116 to m. 119 forward one beat. This
segment is often performed differently than how it appears in the score. As it is written, the two
full beats of rest following the buildup into m. 119 may seem like too much empty space and
have an anti-climactic effect (see figure 37). Some conductors hold the choir to the downbeat of
m. 120 in an attempt to rectify this, reducing the space to one beat of rest. Another remedy is to
have the soloist enter one beat later in m. 115 (entering on beat one of m. 116 with ―con el
Espíritu Santo‖ instead of in beat two of m. 114, as written) and then to move everything from
m. 116 to m. 119 forward one beat. The revised edition reflects this latter alteration (see figure
38). In the first recording, it should be noted, this passage is performed as written and as it
appears in the Lawson-Gould edition.
169
While both the original Lagos/Pigal edition and the Lawson-Gould edition show A5, the revised edition corrects
this to C5, which matches the notes that appear once the figure repeats in m. 24.
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Gloria: Instrumental Issues
A fundamental decision in the Gloria is the choice of instruments. Is there to be a guitar
or charango, and if so, where does it play and where does the piano or harpsichord play? As
mentioned previously, the introduction calls for piano or harpsichord, but is written in a guitar-
like fashion and is frequently performed on the guitar or charango instead of the piano. The
guitar, then, often continues to play throughout the movement. The choir parts in the Gloria are
quite unsupported in terms of pitch, accompanied by percussion and string bass, so generally the
guitar or charango will continue through the carnavalito (and sometimes yaraví) sections of the
movement, adding pitch support for the choir. No actual part is available for the guitar so the
81
chords will need to be transcribed for the player. In the premiere recording the charango plays
the entire opening segment, introduction and carnavalito, and continues playing as the choir
sings. The harpsichord joins as well once the choir enters, playing in a limited fashion. It is
featured most prominently in the instrumental interlude (mm. 74-95) where it plays a skeletal
pattern of what is printed in the Lawson-Gould score (mainly what appears in the left hand), thus
allowing the charango to play the sixteenth notes on the off beats that are seen in the right hand
of the harpsichord part. If one does decide to have the harpsichord or piano play the full
interlude as printed in the Lawson-Gould score, some re-voicing should be considered, as some
of the chords are unreachable or awkward. The span of a tenth in mm. 80 and 84, for instance,
may be reduced, as also the span of a ninth in mm. 86, 88, 90 and 92 (see figure 39).
Figure 39. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Gloria,‖ original and re-voiced, mm. 80, 86, 88170
170
This would apply to the equivalent measures in the interlude as well: m. 80 = m. 84, m. 86 = m. 90, m. 88 = m.
92.
82
Additional instruments may be desired in the Gloria, namely the siku and quena. The
extended instrumental interlude following the yaraví, with its repeated phrases, seems to invite
an additional layer. It is certainly playable without the addition of instruments, and the original
recording makes no use of the siku or quena in this or other movements. However, later
recordings that also involved Ramírez himself, such as the Carreras recording, do make use of
the siku and quena, and the addition of these Andean instruments is quite common in Argentine
folk music. The 1989 revised edition adds them in m. 86, as well as cocos [woodblocks] and the
bombo, which marks the only appearance of the bombo in the Gloria movement (figure 40). The
Carreras recording, for which the edition was prepared, adds the siku and quena in m. 86; they
are featured prominently and then continue to play in a limited fashion beyond the printed part in
the score to the end of the movement.
83
The string bass entrance in the yaraví may be moved three bars earlier to correspond
with the entrance of the gong, if desired, as discussed previously. The string bass may write into
its part a breath mark at the end of the measure before each new set of tied notes, which would
match what is already in the score at m. 60 (the third bar of rehearsal E) and apply it also at the
end of m. 50 (the ninth bar of rehearsal D), m. 57 (the bar before rehearsal E), and m. 64 (the
seventh bar of rehearsal E), lifting with the choir in these places.
The guitar entrance in m. 40 may be moved a full quarter note earlier if desired,
beginning its tremolo chord in m. 39 just after the choir sings ―-so.‖ Rarely is a performance
heard where the guitar or charango does not enter sooner than indicated here. The player in the
premiere recording enters early as well, at the point mentioned.
The tumbadora [tom-tom] part in the Gloria may be played on the bombo throughout, if
desired. The player should ensure that an appropriate ―walking‖ feel is portrayed, as the bombo
plays the traditional carnavalito rhythm (eighth and two sixteenths). Percussionist Luis Garay
recommends playing on the rim for the eighth notes (marked grave) and the head for the
sixteenths (marked aguda). This is the opposite of what might typically happen in looking at the
printed score.171
Instrumentalists playing quarter notes should shorten the downbeat of m. 14 and the
corresponding m. 95. It is also a viable option, verified by recordings in which Ramírez has
participated, to make these measures completely a cappella other than the brief downbeat,
temporarily stopping the percussion pattern and resuming in the following measure after the
choir’s entrance. This adds a desirable level of punctuation by separating somewhat the
introduction from the first choral phrase.
171
Luis Garay, Phone Interview, February 25, 2009.
84
The soloist parts in the yaraví are marked accelerando, an indication that occurs several
times throughout the section. An accelerando marking should also appear in mm. 66 and 68 (see
notes in table 4). How to interpret these indications is open to debate.172 If followed carelessly,
the solo statements may seem rushed and not in keeping with the slow, somber character of a
yaraví. The question arises, too, as to whether the gong with its eighth notes should follow the
accelerando markings or remain steady without concern for alignment with the solo part.
Likewise, should the gong hold on the fermata at m. 71 or continue playing eighth notes, adding
extra eighths during the fermata? The 2001 revised edition removes the accelerando markings
altogether in the yaraví, although the passage is still marked ad libitum, and the gong part is
changed from omnipresent eighth notes to appearing only a few times where it is struck to
punctuate the phrases.
In the buildup to the ―Amen‖ section that concludes the movement, the issue of where the
instruments cut out and reenter may need to be addressed. In the score, the jingles and the string
bass end in m. 116, while the triangle continues to m. 119; all reenter in m. 123. The conductor
may desire to alter this segment somewhat. The premiere recording, for example, does not
follow this percussion scheme, choosing instead to continue playing the patterns straight through.
Another option may be to stop instrumentalists at the downbeat of m. 120, following a crescendo
in m. 119, and have them reenter in m. 123. Still other scenarios are present in the 2001 revised
edition.
It is important to note that the instrumental parts contain very little dynamic indications.
Any significant dynamic marking decisions should be conveyed to the instrumentalists and
172
The breath marks in the solo part at mm. 59, 67, 69 and 70 are an unusual addition here. They each precede
actual rests and follow a passage of accelerando, which seems to indicate the addition of some time, to compensate
for the accelerando. It should be noted that the breath mark in m. 69 is missing from the Lawson-Gould edition (but
present in the Lagos/Pigal).
85
marked into their part. Particularly important to convey are the soft passages in the repeated
refrains if one chooses to perform the repeats with varied dynamics.
Credo: Conducting Issues
The Credo is the most challenging movement in Ramírez’s mass setting. One of the
biggest challenges is related to the complexities of the chacarera rhythms on which it is based.
The question for the conductor is whether to conduct it in two or in three. The chacarera is a
layered rhythm; a simultaneous combination of duple and triple. Which one prevails in the
conducting pattern is not a particularly easy decision to make. The choral part is more suited to a
duple meter, and the choir may generally do better in two. The fast tempo makes conducting in
three difficult, at least in terms of being able to express anything other than a rapid beat pattern.
But the instrumental parts generally play in a triple meter as printed in the score. How the Credo
is conducted affects syncopation and accentuation, which are determined by whether it is felt
more in three or in two. Adolph Abalos, folklorist and pianist of Los Hermanos Abalos in
Santiago del Estero, argues that because of the rhythmic base provided by the bombo, the
chacarera must be both notated and conducted in three. 173 If one does decide to conduct the
movement in three, the gesture will need to be sufficiently small, as traveling a larger distance in
a short time span will very quickly became awkward. At  = c. 152, the three pattern should be
conducted using primarily the wrist, with little arm movement. The work is occasionally
conducted with a baton, which may not be advisable, although it may be helpful in isolating
movements to the wrist.
173
Escalada, 38. According to the article, Abalos states ―the rhythmic base of the bombo, executed over the drum
head, is in 3/4, while rhythm executed over the rim is in 6/8.‖ In notation, the head is usually the lower notes and
the rim the upper notes.
86
Others argue that the Credo should be conducted in two, and this is the pattern most often
used in performances of the work. If the movement is conducted in two, the conductor may need
to work with the instrumentalists in particular to ensure that their parts can be performed
accurately and in an appropriate style within a two pattern.174 The rhythmic base of a typical
chacarera as played on the bombo is more suited to 6/8 and differs from what is printed for the
bombo in the score, as discussed below under ―Credo: Instrumental Issues.‖ This gives credence
to the idea of conducting the movement in two, which would make sense if the bombo part were
to be modified to match that of a typical chacarera. The rhythmic base of a chacarera trunca
differs from that of a traditional chacarera, however, and is felt more in three than in two. Thus,
part of the decision of how to conduct the movement lies in whether the bombo will play a
traditional chacarera rhythm instead of what is printed in the score (6/8) or will play a chacarera
trunca rhythm (3/4).175
The movement opens with only guitar and piano/harpsichord. The bombo enters in m. 6,
the tom-toms in m. 10, and the string bass in m. 12. The conductor should be aware that the
guitar changes its pattern in m. 13. The choral entrance in m. 20 can be problematic and
inaccurate if conducting in two: the choir will generally be late and will need to see a sharp beat
two in addition to feeling the eighth notes within each compound beat. In three, this entrance
should not be problematic with an adequate cue. Soloists enter in m. 29, and the conducting
through most of the movement is fairly standard. If conducted in three, the choir will need a
sharp third beat to help with their entrance at the end of m. 66. Be aware of the harmonic change
in m. 91, from A minor to C major, and eye contact with the string bass at that point would be
174
Luis Garay, a percussionist who has played dozens of performances of Misa Criolla, believes the movement
should be conducted in two and assures me that the percussion parts can easily be played in two, saying that such an
interpretation is ―natural‖ and ―like African 6/8 feel.‖ Garay, as Domingo Cura, does not play the written bombo
part in this movement. Luis Garay, ―Re: Misa Criolla percussion,‖ E-mail to the author, February 23, 2009.
175
Further discussion on the matter may be found in the discussion of the chacarera trunca under ―Credo:
Instrumental Issues.‖
87
helpful, as the player will have been playing a repeated A pattern from the outset until this point.
If the movement is conducted in two instead of three, the conducting should change to a three
pattern at least for mm. 117, 121, 123, 125, and 127.
Credo: Rehearsal Issues
In addition to the extensive text that will require some effort to master pronunciation, the
choir may be challenged by the rhythms in the Credo. The frequent syncopation and variety of
rhythmic figures in a fast tempo will require some effort and skill. This will be particularly
challenging for the choir if the movement is conducted in three, since the choral part is more
suited to, or at least simpler and less syncopated in, a duple meter (6/8) than a triple one (3/4). It
is the feeling of syncopation and a sense of two against three (or compound duple vs. simple
triple) that makes up the energy and vitality of the chacarera rhythm.
Other challenges in the movement include voice crossing in the women’s parts in m. 47
and at the ends of mm. 82 and 84. The rhythm can be a challenge in m. 48 if conducted in two.
In mm. 54 (―gracia‖) and 56 (―santo‖) the eighth notes should be shortened to make space for the
indicated breath without having to add time. Thinking of a tenuto with a dot on the eighth note
before the breath, rather than a staccato, will ensure that there is enough tone without clipping
the note, while still maintaining tempo. The tenuto marks over ―San-‖ of ―Santo‖ in mm. 56 and
58 can be difficult to see in the Lawson-Gould edition. The hums in mm. 59-66 should be
rearticulated with each note, and each carries a tenuto marking. Adding to the difficulty of
bringing these out sufficiently is the fact that the Pigal edition scores them for alto and bass only.
To crescendo on a hum, in mm. 67-70, can be challenging as well. The conductor may choose to
use [u] at this point. The revised edition actually changes the hum to ―tu‖ [you], but in my view
88
the same result—the ability to crescendo and/or better project—can be accomplished by simply
adding a vowel without adding text. In mm. 73-4 the choir can often be late, the problem
generally stemming from the sixteenth notes in m. 73, which should be executed accurately
(more quickly). The balance among voice parts may need attention in mm. 96-7 where the men
are unison (doubled) and in a high tessitura while the women are split three ways.
In the Lawson-Gould edition, there are almost no dynamic indications in the Credo. The
only markings are p in the piano part at m. 8, p in the choral part at m. 105, and the indication
perdendosi in mm. 140-1. The original Lagos/Pigal edition includes more dynamics (see
―Edition Comparison Chart‖) and the revised edition contains more still, yielding variety that
may lead to a more satisfying interpretation of this extended movement. Dynamics in the revised
edition consist of p (bombo, m. 8), ppp (choir, m. 20), mp (choir, m. 22, beat three), mf (choir, m.
29), mp (choir, m. 32, beat three), f (choir, m. 54, beat three), crescendo (m. 54, beat three to m.
56, beat three), p (choir, m. 56, beat three), decrescendo (m. 57 to m. 58, beat two), pp (choir, m.
59), p (choir, m. 74, beat three), p (choir, m. 105, beat three), crescendo (m. 105, beat three to m.
107, beat two),176 pp (choir, m. 127, beat two), ppp (choir, m. 128), crescendo (m. 128 to m. 133,
beat one), mf (choir, m. 136), crescendo (m. 136 to m. 138, beat two), and fff (choir, m. 140).
The Lawson-Gould piano-vocal score contains a number of errors that should be
addressed. The sharp symbol in m. 47 should precede the G, not the E, and the third note in m.
114 should be G, not A. There is an incorrectly placed tenuto mark in m. 119: it should appear
over ―de‖ instead of ―-nión‖. As is fairly common in all editions of Misa Criolla, there are a few
176
At this point in the revised edition, all forces drop out after the choir sings ―Todopoderoso.‖ Then sixteen
measures of percussion solo are added, after which the instruments resume on beat one and the choir on beat three,
with ―Desde allí ha de venir a juzgar vivos y muertos.‖ The string bass resumes in the measure following the
entrance of the choir and percussion.
89
text errors, such as a missing tilde over ―Señor‖ (m. 50) and a missing slur in ―sentadoa‖ (m.
103).
Some voicing issues can be problematic. In m. 82 the scoring is for five choral parts, but
it is scored awkwardly and can be confusing to choir and conductor alike. The five choral parts
are all scored in treble clef, so it is not entirely clear what voice part should sing which line. The
best division to use here is S1 S2 A T B, which ensures that all parts continue with the same
melodic line they had been singing from m. 76, with the exception of the first sopranos who take
the added descant.177 Another point of confusion stems from certain passages that, according to
the range, leave out one or more voice parts in the Pigal edition. There is no reason, for
example, not to include all voices in mm. 59-66 (scored for A/B in Pigal), mm. 67-70 (scored for
S/T in Pigal), and mm. 107-11 (scored for ATB in Pigal). The remnants of this voicing in the
Lagos/Pigal edition are evident in the Lawson-Gould, where confusing measures of rests show
the Pigal preference at the points of overlap in mm. 66, 70 107 and 111. In these measures either
the rests should be removed or the desired division noted. It should also be pointed out that beat
three of m. 111 through m. 116 is scored for tenor only in the men’s part, which is not entirely
clear in the score indications.
There are also points where divisi occur that merit attention. There are no indicated
divisi for the men in mm. 51-4, where a decision should be made as to who takes the third note.
A bass division is probably the most practical for most situations, based on numbers of singers,
or a three-part men’s split. In measures 89-90 there are, again, no divisi indicated in the
women’s parts, where it is probably best to assign the split to the sopranos. In mm. 93-6, I
177
The original Lagos/Pigal edition seems to support this. While the entire ―la-ra‖ section is voiced in two treble
clef staves, the top or third voice of the lower treble staff carries the indication alti beginning in m. 82. The lower
treble clef staff is assumed to be the men’s parts, as it is in other parts of the movement where the men’s parts are
scored in a treble clef for a particular passage.
90
recommend, for consistency, assigning all the treble divisi to the sopranos or performing it as a
three-part women’s split, rather than as written where the divisi are split between the altos and
the sopranos. The same principle would apply to the treble divisi in mm. 129 to the end. It is
simplest here as well to make all divisi consistent, assigning the split to the sopranos, rather than
having altos divide for one chord each in mm. 129 and 134.
In determining breaths for the movement, a decision will need to be made whether or not
to break the phrase with the comma in m. 22 (and in its corresponding measures, 26 and 30), as
well as each time this music returns with new text: ―descendió a los infiernos‖ (m. 76; here there
is a comma and the text repeats), ―la-ra la la‖ (mm. 80 and 84), and ―desde allí ha de venir‖ (mm.
109 and 113; here there is no comma). One should observe the indicated breath marks, giving
them the value of an eighth rest. An eighth rest is needed in m. 33 to clear the way for the next
phrase in the solo. In m. 70 a cut-off should occur either on beat two or on the tied eighth note to
ensure a lift before the next phrase. In m. 74 a lift should occur with the comma, which is most
easily accomplished by making the dotted quarter into an eighth note with a quarter rest.178 The
same should be used in m. 76 if desired, as well as in mm. 78, 82, 111 and 115. The quarter note
in m. 102 (beat two) may best be made into an eighth note, so the s of ―cielos‖ can land squarely
on beat three, clearing the way for the soloist. The quarter note in m. 127 (beat two) may
become an eighth note with an eighth rest, to set up the ―Amén‖ ending. These repeated ―Amén‖
statements may be performed either with or without a quick lift to separate each one, or with a
few lifts at various points in the musical phrase. If conducted in three, the final note, a dotted
quarter, could become a half note with the cut-off occurring on the third beat.
Among the differences in the 1989 revised edition are some rhythmic changes, including
the first pattern sung by choir (compare figures 41 and 42). There are rhythm changes at the
178
If the movement is conducted in two, a quarter note followed by an eighth rest may be preferable.
91
beginning of the Amen section as well: the rhythm of m. 127 is eighth-quarter-dotted quarter
instead of all quarter notes. In the premiere recording, the last note in that measure is performed
as a dotted quarter note, as in the revised version. The addition of sixteen measures of
percussion solo, sometimes heard in performances of the work, first appears in this edition as
well. The hums change to ―Tu‖ in mm. 66-70. Two measures are added at the end of the
movement, thus extending the last chord. The final measures are marked fff instead of
perdendosi.
Figure 42. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Credo,‖ 1989 revised edition, mm. 20-4179
Credo: Instrumental Issues
It must be determined whether the guitar and/or piano should continue to play once the
choir enters in m. 21, or if the choir should sing supported by only percussion and string bass.
The parts of both the piano and the guitar end in m. 20, so a part would have to be created if one
or both were to continue. The harmonic background for transcribing the part is not complicated
179
Both the original and the altered rhythm are common chacarera rhythmic patterns. The revised version,
however, may lend some credence to the theory that the Credo should be conducted in three (3/4) rather than in two
(6/8), as the choral part is no longer felt as clearly in 6/8 as it is in the original.
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(A minor from m. 21 to m. 78, beat two; A major from m. 78, beat two to m. 90; C major from
m. 91, and so on).
The guitar chords in the Credo, and the Sanctus as well, contain direction markings in the
Lagos/Pigal score that are not present in the Lawson-Gould edition (figure 43). The direction
indications are the same for both the Credo and the Sanctus (figure 48). The 2001 revision,
however, changes the indications from down-up-down-down to down-up-down-up in the Credo.
The bombo part as printed in the score does not reflect the chacarera rhythm that would
typically be played on a bombo. The typical rhythmic base of a chacarera is in 6/8 and follows
along the lines of the guitar part at m. 13 (see figure 43). According to the Gran Manual del
Folklore, the rhythmic base of the chacarera, played on the bombo, is what is seen in figure 44.
While this is not what appears in the bombo part of the Credo, it is more akin to the pattern
played by Argentine percussionist Domingo Cura both in the premiere recording in 1964 and in
the landmark 1990 video performance with José Carreras, Ariel Ramírez at the keyboard, and
Father Segade conducting.180 The chacarera trunca employs its own base rhythms, however,
which are different from a typical chacarera. The trunca rhythm is more complex and felt in 3/4
rather than 6/8, with an emphasis on beats two and three (see the string bass part, for example).
According to Argentine bombo player Carlos Rivero, while the structure of the chacarera trunca
180
Although twenty-six years had passed between them, the two recordings involved the same conductor, bombo
player, and keyboardist. The reason Domingo Cura appears to play a traditional chacarera rhythm in the Credo,
instead of a chacarera trunca, may also have something to do with keeping the ensemble, particularly the choir,
together. The movement appears to have been conducted in two, visible in the 1990 video recording with Father
Segade, the original 1964 conductor, at the podium.
93
is the same as a regular chacarera, the rhythms differ. The trunca ―takes on some peculiarities
that are unique in its genre: a strong emphasis on the third beat, resulting in atypical and irregular
phrases and accents. The melodic lines of the themes also end on the third beat‖ (see figure
45).181 While there is plenty written about the traditional chacarera, little appears in print about
the chacarera trunca, which is less popular and generally more localized to a smaller region of
Argentina. According to the organization Folklore del Norte in Tucumán, Argentina, the
chacarera trunca is:
a special type of chacarera, typical of the region of Santiagueña Salavina. Its melody is
resolved in the last measure on the third beat. This results in a strong melodic
syncopation, a broken form that guarantees a kind of interruption. Sung, the truncated
chacarera adds three syllables to the verse of a common chacarera. If you said: váyase
de aquí...! the chacarera trunca would say: váyase de aquí... caramba! The syncopation
indicating a break soon after the word ―aquí.‖ 182
Figure 44. Rhythmic base of a typical chacarera183
Figure 45. Bombo rhythms of a chacarera trunca184
181
Carlos Rivero, Bombo legüero y percusión folklórica argentina (Self-published, 2004), 18. Rivero is from San
Juan, Argentina.
182
Folklore del Norte Argentino, ―Danzas: Vocabulario de canciones y danzas,‖ Folkloredelnorte.com.ar,
http://www.folkloredelnorte.com.ar (accessed February 28, 2009).
183
Cortazar, 518. The rhythmic foot or base consists of five eighth notes. The lower notes are played on the head,
with the mallet, and the upper on the rim, with the stick. I have included hand indications below the notes as well,
as they appear in the same source.
184
Rivero, Bombo legüero y percusión folklórica argentina, 18.
94
It is evident that Ramírez’s Credo, while set as a chacarera trunca, has frequently been
performed with the base of a typical chacarera instead of a chacarera trunca, from the very first
recording. This contributes to the argument as to whether the Credo would best be conducted in
two or in three: a typical chacarera is in two, and vocal melodies are typically in two, but the
bombo base of a chacarera trunca is more felt in three than in two. Many conductors find it
difficult to keep the voices together in this movement unless it is conducted in two. Also, many
bombo players find the written part in the score far removed from a traditional chacarera
rhythm, and as a result, performance adaptations have been made along the way. In conclusion,
it appears that the Credo is set more in a chacarera style, based on its melodic lines and
phrasing, than a chacarera trunca. 185 As a result, playing something more in line with a typical
chacarera base on the bombo, instead of what is printed in the score, would be appropriate, and
the conducting may be most effective in two. The movement’s subtitle, Chacarera Trunca,
might best be ―Variation on a Chacarera‖ according to Argentine bombo player Carlos
Rivero.186
A question many conductors may face is whether or not to include the sixteen measures
of percussion solo added in the 1989 revised edition. Arguments can be made either way. The
revised edition adds sixteen empty measures simply marked ―percussion solo.‖ There is no
indication as to which percussion instrument should perform the solo. According to Oscar
Escalada, it is a solo for the bombo,187 and it is most often performed as such, although the liner
185
The phrases in the Credo setting do not end on beat three, as a chacarera trunca would.
186
Carlos Rivero, ―Re: chacarera trunca,‖ E-mail to the author, February 28, 2009.
187
Escalada, 39. Escalada mentions that the ―bombo solo‖ was added in a 1968 version. Collaborating with Oscar
for the article as translator, I asked him about the 1968 version, which I did not know existed, and eventually
uncovered the fact that no 1968 edition existed. The information, though, was too late to be changed by The Choral
Journal prior to publication. The percussion solo was in fact added in the revised edition, which was printed in
1989 by Lagos/Pigal.
95
notes to one recording mistakenly cites a performance of the solo on tumbadoras [tom-toms].188
It may be difficult to find a player who can improvise with the appropriate style and rhythms for
the bombo and carnavalito without breaking up the continuity of the movement. In making the
decision as to whether or not to include the percussion solo it should be noted that the original
version did not include this solo, and the work succeeded for many years.
The vocal solo part includes some difficult rhythms and adequate attention should be
spent on preparation of the soloists in this movement. The quadruplets can be difficult to
execute accurately, such as in mm. 35-6, if the movement is conducted in three. There are also
potentially problematic passages, such as mm. 39-46, that incorporate both a great deal of
syncopation and segments that are more suited to two (6/8) in some cases and three (3/4) in
others.
It should be noted that the string bass part should be bowed, and although there is no
indication in the piano-vocal score, the part itself has been marked arco.
Sanctus: Conducting Issues
Like the Credo, the Sanctus is a bi-metric movement, scored in both 3/4 and 6/8.
Although an argument may be made to the contrary, the movement may work best conducted in
three. As is the case in the previous movement, a combination of duple and triple scoring exists
here as well, with duple being the prevailing meter of the vocal parts and triple that of many of
the instrumental parts. The syncopation created within a triple meter becomes the driving force
of the movement.
188
Esperanza Berrocal, ―Misa Criolla,‖ Liner notes, Celebrating Sacred Rhythms (Naxos, 2005), 18. The
percussionist, Luis Garay, confirms that the type of instrument used was in fact a bombo legüero.
96
The festive celebration opens with a battery of percussion. Cues include the string bass
in m. 4, tumbadoras in m. 5, snare drum in m. 9, and tom-toms in m. 13. The guitar enters in m.
15, and the soloists in m. 20. The choir will need clear cues as well, since their line overlaps
with the solo part and the rhythmic precision of the choral part can easily be lost. The percussion
should receive a clear stop cue in m. 67 prior to the Hosanna transition. In the transition passage
to the Hosanna section (mm. 67-76), the meter changes to 4/4 (m. 74). Although not indicated,
the ascending arpeggios in the piano are frequently executed with an accelerando through m. 76.
In the final section the conducting returns to three, which may be preceded by a break
following m. 76. Although there is no tempo indication in either score, it is practical to perform
this section in a tempo slower than that of the beginning of the movement. The original
Lagos/Pigal edition has this section indicated as a baguala taripeña,189 and the soloist is marked
a piacere in m. 77. The baguala is, by definition, a slow and serious song, and performance
practice supports the notion of performing this a cappella section slower than the music that
precedes it. The a piacere indication in m. 77 tends to allow the soloists to set their own tempo
in certain recordings, such as the premiere recording, which may well be faster than what the
choir enters with in m. 79. Conductors become caught, then, with the decision of whether to
change the tempo of the choral response in m. 86-7 to match the tempo of the soloists in mm. 83-
4, to whom the choir is responding, or to enter with the original tempo, which may not
correspond with that of the soloists. I recommend taking the entire Hosanna section slowly,
conducted in three except for mm. 79 and 81 where the conducting should be in two, or a small
six pattern if the tempo selected is very slow, in order to accurately execute the duple rhythms.
These duple rhythms are rarely executed as written, perhaps the result of interpreting the a
189
This is evidently a typographical error. It should read baguala tarijeña. Tarija is a city in Bolivia, and is
connected here, in Ramírez’s composition, to this type of baguala.
97
piacere indication in the Pigal score solo part to apply to the choir as well, or the result of
conductors simply choosing an easier rhythm for a less-skilled choir to achieve. In any event, if
conducted correctly the rhythm in this passage should not be too difficult to execute as written.
A decision should be made as to whether or not to cut off the soloists in m. 78, prior to
the choir entering in m. 79, or to overlap the two. The premiere recording chooses the former
while the score indicates the latter. It is almost as if an extra measure should be added to the first
―Alturas‖ (after m. 78) so that it is sustained as it is in mm. 84-5. The revised edition does, in
fact, make the two solo statements the same duration.
In the penultimate measure, the guitar and piano/harpsichord should enter either on beat
three as written, or sometimes they are heard entering on the downbeat of the final measure. The
bass should be cued in on the downbeat of the final measure (all other voice parts are tied), along
with the guitar. The revised edition waits even longer, adding the guitar and piano four beats
after the entire choir finishes. The Carreras recording leaves the guitar and harpsichord
punctuation out entirely, ending with only the choral voices. This was likely a decision that had
to be made because of intonation problems in the choir. In the recording the choir drops nearly a
semitone during the a cappella segment, which would not match well with a final pitched entry
from the guitar and piano.
Sanctus: Rehearsal Issues
The choral part in the Sanctus is limited, particularly in comparison with the two
movements that precede it. It has, however, its own set of challenges. In the first section, scored
for trebles only, choral statements of the thrice-repeated text ―Santo‖ [Holy] overlap with the
solo part. This rapid interplay is characterized by frequent syncopation, and the quick tempo can
make it easy for the choir to be late and lack rhythmic precision. These passages (mm. 24-7 and
98
mm. 36-43) should be executed accurately, yet without sounding accented and unnatural; in a
manner both precise and relaxed, befitting a Carnival celebration and the joyful declamation of
the mass text.190
In these same segments, the choral part most often moves in similar motion and the
descending passages can suffer from intonation problems. The choir may need to envision
smaller intervals in their descents where all voices are moving in the same direction (mm. 24-5,
36-7 and 41-2). The [o] vowel can add to the intonation problems, particularly if it is placed too
far back in the throat. Narrowing the vowel toward an [u] without actually singing an [u] and/or
focusing the resonance of the vowel more forward may be helpful. Maintaining a sense of
direction through the longer notes in mm. 26-7, 38-9 and 41-3 will help intonation as well. The
choir should make an effort to keep a sense of quarter-note pulse through the longer-held notes,
refreshing or renewing the pitch on each quarter note, rather than sitting on a dotted half note and
allowing the intonation to stagnate, as can sometimes be the case.
Rhythm in the final section can be somewhat problematic, and appropriate care should be
taken to ensure a uniform execution (mm. 79-83 and 86-8; see discussion above under ―Sanctus:
Conducting Issues‖). Without a sense of forward motion the choir can easily lose an accurate
sense of pitch, as the entire segment is scored for a cappella voices until the final chord where
the piano/harpsichord and guitar punctuate as if to add the exclamation point to the statement.
The last phrase sung by the choir includes tenors repeating A4 seven times in a row, which is
challenging for most tenors and can easily compound the intonation problems. Tenors should
tune to the basses, who sing an A one octave lower. The conductor may also consider
redistributing the voices in mm. 86-8. If needed the tenor note could, for example, be assigned
190
Accenting the syncopated notes in these passages would also add an undesirable accent to the unstressed syllable
of the text.
99
either to the women in a three-part split, to second altos and first tenors, or given to the altos
while the sopranos divide. In planning rehearsal strategies for this a cappella passage, spend
adequate time addressing intonation. One may recall the 1987 Carreras recording, where the
pitch dropped to such an extent that the final instrumental chords were left out.
The rests written into the choral part (mm. 24-5 and 36-7) should be executed precisely
so that the choir is not late on their re-entry, which can easily happen at this rapid tempo. These
rests should not break up the line as an actual breath would, but should be thought of more as a
brief articulatory lift for the comma. The revised edition eliminates the rests in the choral part
altogether but keeps them in the solo part in mm. 20-1 and 32-3, perhaps to avoid the common
problem of too big a space and a late re-entry (figure 46). The soloists should add a quarter rest
at the end of m. 31; choir and soloists should add a quarter rest at the end of m. 43; soloists
should add a quarter rest on beat two of m. 50 (the Pigal score indicates a breath mark here) and
on beat two in m. 63 where a half rest on beat one could be an option as well. A quarter rest may
be desired between the chords in the transition, at the ends of mm. 69, 71, and 73. A decision
should be made whether to break the phrase after ―viene‖ in m. 80 or to indicate a ―no breath‖
for the choir. 191 Depending on the tempo chosen for the final section, there should be either a
quarter or an eighth rest at the ends of mm. 82 and 85.
191
The latter option would better suit the text.
100
There is no initial dynamic marking included in the Sanctus, but the movement is clearly
meant to be performed at a strong dynamic level in a celebratory fashion appropriate to both the
text and the carnaval rhythm. A crescendo is written in all parts at m. 15 and should build to the
first solo entrance. The first and only dynamic level indication (pp) occurs in the choral parts at
m. 79. There is a crescendo/decrescendo in m. 87 for the guitar and piano. The revised edition
adds a forte in m. 74 followed by a crescendo to m. 76 in the transition, with pp at the end of m.
75 and a decrescendo over the held chord in m. 76.
There are some errors to note in the Sanctus. The text reads ―Josana‖ (mm. 77, 83 and
86), but according to the Lagos/Pigal edition it should read ―Osana,‖ which is pronounced
differently (see discussion in table 4). The guitar part leaves out the last two chords of the
movement (mm. 87 and 88). A tenuto mark is missing in m. 4 over the first E in the string bass
part. This is missing in both the piano-vocal and the instrumental part, but present in the
Lagos/Pigal edition.
101
The 1989 revised edition incorporates some noteworthy changes, which are mentioned in
the body of this rehearsal discussion. It should be noted as well that there are some significant
differences between the two original editions in the Sanctus (the Lagos/Pigal and the Lawson-
Gould), which may be viewed in table 4. A primary difference is the rhythm of the solo part. In
the Lagos/Pigal edition, for example, the first two rhythms in m. 28 and its return at m. 40 are
inverted, and the pickup note in m. 26 and its return at m. 38 is changed from an eighth to a
quarter note (see figure 47). The two dotted quarter notes in mm. 29, 41, 45 and 58 are also
changed to a half note followed by a quarter note, eliminating the syncopation in those measures.
Figure 47. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Sanctus,‖ mm. 26-30
Sanctus: Instrumental Issues
The solo part in the Sanctus includes just one melody line in the original Lagos/Pigal
edition. The adaptation made by the male folk quartet Los Fronterizos in the premiere recording,
however, likely spawned the additional notes seen in the Lawson-Gould edition, including the
smaller (optional) notes below the solo melody line (mm. 44-50; 57-66) as well as the indication
in the solo part at m. 26 that ―the Bass may double this passage an octave lower.‖ The bass voice
in Los Fronterizos sings the passage an octave lower.
The solo line incorporates a great deal of syncopation, which should be sung in a natural
and unaccented manner. Some of this syncopation has been removed from the solo part in the
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revised edition and there are differences in the solo part between the two original editions as
well, as discussed previously.
In the Hosanna section, although the first solo statement is marked a piacere in the
Lagos/Pigal edition, it seems logical that the tempo of the solo part in m. 83-5 (―Osana en las
alturas‖) should match the choral response in mm. 86-8, since the choir responds with the same
melody and text. In this section as well, a conductor may wish to add an extra measure to the
solo, following the first ―Alturas‖ (to add a measure after m. 78 that duplicates m. 85), so that
this statement (mm. 77-8) is held for the same duration as the second solo statement (mm. 83-6).
In such a case, the tied quarter note in the solo part at m. 79 would be eliminated and an overlap
of solo and choral parts (m. 79) would not occur. The 1989 revised edition incorporates a
change of this type, making the two repeated solo statements into passages of equal duration.
As the first section ends and the transition to the Hosanna section begins, the
instrumentalists will need a clear stop cue in m. 67 to ensure they do not continue playing the
pattern they began at the start of the movement. They may also wish to write into their parts ―de
tu Glo-ri-a‖ over mm. 65-7, so as to be aware of the choral text that immediately precedes this
point. A conductor may wish to shorten the downbeat of m. 67 by adding a staccato mark to the
quarter note. It should be noted that there is no rehearsal letter in the instrumental parts at m. 67,
although one may be added if desired (such as ―C2,‖ or ―D‖ if ―D‖ in m. 77 is changed to ―E‖).
As in the Credo, the guitar part in the Lagos/Pigal edition indicates direction marks for
the player that are not present in the Lawson-Gould edition (figure 48; see also ―Edition
Comparison Chart‖ and discussion in ―Credo: Instrumental Issues‖). The Lawson-Gould part is
also missing a glissando for the guitar in m. 73 that is present in the Lagos/Pigal. The
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instrumental part for the guitar omits the last two chords played in this movement (mm. 87-8),
and these chords, present in the piano-vocal score, must be added into the instrumental part.
Figure 48. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Sanctus,‖ m. 15
The string bass part is missing a tenuto over the first E (m. 4). This tenuto is missing in
both the piano-vocal score and in the instrumental part, which was created from the piano-vocal
score, but is present in the Lagos/Pigal edition as well as in all subsequent occurrences in the
Lawson-Gould.
The piano part has a prominent flourish (mm. 74-6) in the transition to the Hosanna
section. Although not indicated, these ascending piano arpeggios are frequently executed with
an accelerando through m. 76. The 1989 revised edition changes the triplet figures to four
sixteenth notes and adds an additional measure, ascending one octave higher than the original
version (figure 49). Conductors should also be aware that in this passage G-naturals are
sometimes omitted and G-sharps used instead, based on an apparent error in the original Pigal
edition that was not corrected in the 1989 revised edition. Without the G-naturals, an element of
folk character created by the presence of subtonic harmonies becomes lost. The premiere
recording retains the G-naturals (mm. 74-5, beat four), and they are present in the Lawson-Gould
edition.
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Agnus Dei: Conducting Issues
The final movement begins with a freely executed piano/harpsichord introduction that
sets the somber mood for the text and music. While this introduction is often not conducted, it
should at the very least be worked out with the keyboardist so that it is played in a manner
appropriate to the character of an estilo and the nature of the text.
The tempo marking of  = ca. 44 is open to some interpretation. Recordings with
Ramírez at the keyboard, including the premiere recording, are often taken much faster. The
estilo is, however, a slow song by nature. If the indicated tempo is to be adhered to, the 6/8
passages would be performed at  = 88. It is evident, however, both by characteristics of the
estilo, in which a high degree of expressive freedom prevails, and by the existing recordings, that
this movement should be somewhat flexible in terms of tempo and rubato. The flexibility is
necessary both to maintain good intonation during extended a cappella passages and to suit the
nature of the estilo, where the sense of meter and pulse is frequently eluded using such devices as
meter changes, triplet figures within a duple meter, and rubato.

192
As with all other examples, the measure numbers refer to the place in the Lawson-Gould score (or the original
Pigal edition, which has the same number of measures), not the revised edition. In this example, there is an
additional measure added in the revised version.
105
If the introduction is conducted, it would be conducted in three. If one chooses to adhere
to the indicated tempo marking, it could be subdivided. The conducting moves to six in m.8,
although if taken significantly faster than indicated, the 6/8 could be conducted in two. It may be
desirable for the soloists to accelerando through their passage in mm. 15-8. If the accelerando is
extensive, these measures would be marked (in two), as a recitative might be conducted. A more
precise tempo must resume in m. 19 as the piano/harpsichord enters, in order for the voice parts
to align with the keyboard part, although rubato may be desired. When the meter returns to 3/4
for the final section, the conducting is once again in three. As before, it may or may not require
a subdivision depending on the tempo selected. This final section in 3/4 is sometimes taken
more quickly than the 6/8 that precedes it, just as the introduction in 3/4 is frequently played
quite rapidly as well. Without any indicated change in tempo, however, a case could certainly be
made for keeping the eighth note consistent among sections and meter changes.
The choir may want to enter early in m. 13, and a left-hand palm toward the choir may be
necessary to ensure that they do not sing until the appointed time. The final soloist passage in m.
37 should be free and likely sung at a slower tempo. A rallentando, although not indicated, may
also be incorporated into the choral part in m. 38.
Agnus Dei: Rehearsal Issues
Whether to hum, as indicated in the score, or to change the hum to an [u] is a decision
that must be made here as also in the Kyrie and the yaraví section of the Gloria. Some type of
modification in the choral part is often needed in this movement, particularly if the men’s section
is not very large. The 2001 revised edition uses [u], an alteration that is certainly not uncommon.
The men’s parts are marked pp, and humming in a low tessitura at a pianissimo dynamic level
106
will likely not project sufficiently, even in a cappella scoring. The conductor may ask the men to
increase the dynamic level and/or change the hums to an [u] as needed.
Intonation can present a challenge in this movement. The majority of the choral music is
a cappella and will need enough forward direction and sense of an inner eighth-note pulse to
maintain accurate pitch. The low range of the men’s parts can add to the problem. As singers
can become blasé with their intonation on repeated notes, the conductor should ensure that each
repeated A in the opening bars of the final section is as high as its predecessor (mm. 31-2 and 33-
4, second soprano and bass, respectively), and that the pitches built around the As are accurate as
well. Other challenges in the movement include the leaps between mm. 10-1 and mm. 26-7
where first tenor and second bass both have a leap of a minor seventh.
Voicing can be problematic in the Agnus Dei. A conductor may wish to split the men’s
section evenly into three-part divisions for mm. 8-14 and mm. 24-30, returning to typical four-
part splits in mm. 19-23. Alternatively, instead of a three-part split a conductor may opt for a
bass split in the three-part harmonies instead of the indicated tenor split. Both editions call for a
tenor split, but the second tenor in three-part harmonies is scored more in a baritone range, and a
particular choir may have more basses than tenors. In the last section, the sopranos split for mm.
31-2, and this passage may be performed as a three-part treble division if desired, just as the
tenor divisi in mm. 33-4 could be performed as a three-part men’s division or as a bass divisi
instead of tenor, assigning the baritones to the second tenor part.
Necessary rests are written in, for the most part, in this movement. The men may want to
breathe in mm. 22-3, where a ―no breath‖ might be indicated. Rests should be added at the ends
of mm. 30, 32, 34 and 36. Depending on the tempo selected, these could be quarter rests or
107
eighth rests. It may be preferable to conduct the final section from mm. 31 to the end in a slow
three pattern, rather than subdividing, and to use quarter rests.
Some expressive dynamics may be desired in the final section as well. The 1989 revised
edition offers an interpretation where the initial statements increase in dynamic level with each
iteration (ppp in m. 31, mp in m. 33, and mf in m. 35) and ends with a decrescendo from pp in
mm. 38-9. It also includes a note that, alternatively, the final two measures may be performed as
a crescendo from ff if desired. These two versions of performing the final measures to conclude
the work present very different interpretations of the text, and Ramírez seemed to welcome such
variety.
There is a mistake in the Lawson-Gould score: the third note in the tenor part at m. 35 is
printed as C5. Both the original and 1989 revised Lagos/Pigal editions show B4, which is what
is heard in the original recording of the work.
The 1989 revised edition does not include a great deal of changes in this movement. The
most significant difference is that it is voiced for full SATB accompaniment rather than three-
and four-part men’s voices. In this re-voicing, the parts are assigned as might be expected. In
general, the first tenor becomes soprano, scored an octave higher, the second tenor becomes alto,
scored an octave higher, the baritone becomes tenor, and the bass part is generally voiced up an
octave from where it appears in the Lawson-Gould score. There are also added dynamics in the
final section as discussed previously, and the solo line in the final three measures is changed,
which will be discussed below.
108
Agnus Dei: Instrumental Issues
The outer movements of Misa Criolla are set to lyrical song styles, and unlike the inner
movements that set dance rhythms, they are more subdued and have little instrumental
involvement. The only instrument in the final movement is the piano or harpsichord, which
introduces the movement and acts as an accompanied interlude between repetitions of the initial
Agnus Dei text. In recordings where Ramírez is at the keyboard, the composer himself plays at
places other than those indicated in the score, playing in a limited fashion through the a cappella
passages. This can be heard in the first recording of the work, where Ramírez plays an E as a
dominant harmony pedal after the soloists sing the downbeat of m. 16, holding it until a tonic
resolution to an A minor chord at the downbeat of m. 18.
There are more dynamic indications in the few measures of the piano introduction to the
Agnus Dei than anywhere else in the piece. It is a unique passage in the work. Yet if performed
on the harpsichord, these crescendos and decrescendos would not be possible. What may be
done on the harpsichord, however, is to include a fair amount of rubato and expressive freedom
(appropriate for the estilo) and to vary the tempo in response to the crescendo and decrescendo
indications. The decrescendo, for example, may be executed as a rallentando, and the crescendo
as an accelerando. Interestingly, m. 6, which contains the same music as m. 2, is the only
measure of the seven introductory measures that does not contain a crescendo or decrescendo. It
might have carried the decrescendo indication that its corresponding measure (m. 2) contains, but
instead calls for a rallentando. A break may be desired in this freely executed introduction after
mm. 1, 3 and 5. The tenuto indications in m. 3 should be noted, as they call for the keyboard
player to bring out the second sixteenth note in each of the groups of three sixteenth notes.
These tenuto marks can be missed or mistaken for a ledger line in the Lawson-Gould edition.
109
They are unmistakable in the Pigal, however, where they are marked above the staff rather than
below. Like the dynamic indications, the harpsichord tenuto could not be effected by an actual
increase in dynamic level but by a slightly longer duration relative to the other notes. The
conductor should be careful to ensure that the keyboard and voice parts remain together in mm.
19-23, a passage that may well involve some degree of rubato.
The solo should be sung in a manner that shows some understanding of the estilo,
described as the ―saddest song in the world.‖193 The text recalls the sacrifice of the Son of God,
calling on Christ in his role as the sacrificial Lamb to have mercy and grant peace through
forgiveness of sins, and accompanies the breaking of the consecrated bread in the Holy
Communion or Eucharist. If performing with two or more soloists, the part will need to be
divided up appropriately. One singer may be assigned to mm. 7-14, while both enter for mm.
15-8, for example. In the last measures of the solo part (mm. 37-9) the melody notes sung are
often different than indicated. In the revised edition, for instance, an ascending melody line
completes the solo part, as sung by José Carreras (see figure 50). If the conductor prefers the
revised version and the tenor does not have a good pianissimo high A to reliably end the work on
a positive note, the pitch of the final note might be changed to an E instead. Keeping in mind
that the 1989 revised edition was scored for performance by a single tenor soloist, if this line is
adopted in a performance with two or more soloists, harmony may be added below the melody.
193
See previous discussion of the estilo in ―V. Agnus Dei: Estilo Pampeano.‖
110
Figure 50. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Agnus Dei,‖ 1989 revised edition, mm. 37-9
Summary and Conclusion
In conclusion, Misa Criolla is an appealing and historically significant work that is quite
approachable in terms of performance feasibility. With some knowledge of the language, dance
rhythms, song styles, and the creole instruments involved, along with an understanding of basic
limitations with the printed scores, an informed performance may be presented that remains true
to the original while presenting a fresh interpretation of the work. Ramírez’s experiences at the
German convent had inspired him to create a work that would celebrate all humanity, and the
far-reaching dissemination of Misa Criolla is making his vision a reality today.
111
APPENDIX 1
TABLE OF NOTABLE WORKS BY ARIEL RAMÍREZ194
Title Genre Year

La Tristecita Zamba 1945
Malambo Malambo 1948
Agua y sol del Paraná Canción del Litoral 1950
Volveré siempre a San Juan Zamba 1950
Campo sin eco 1954
Milonga campera Milonga 1954
Santafesino de veras Canción del Litoral 1954
El Paraná en una zamba Zamba 1955
Esto es el campo… Canción 1956
La última palabra Zamba 1957
El nacimiento del charango 1958
Los Inundados Canción del Litoral 1960
Zamba de Usted Zamba
Misa Criolla 1964
 Kyrie Vidala – Baguala
 Gloria Carnavalito – Yaraví
 Credo Chacarera trunca
 Sanctus Carnaval cochabambino
 Agnus Dei Estilo pampeano
Navidad Nuestra 1964
 La Anunciación Chamamé
 La Peregrinación Huella Pampeana
 El Nacimiento Vidala Catamarqueña
 Los Pastores Chaya Riojana
 Los Reyes Magos Takirari
 La Huida Vidala Tucumana
Los Caudillos Cantata Épica 1965
Mujeres Argentinas 1969
 Gringa Chaqueña Tema de Guarania
 Juana Azurduy Aire de Cueca Norteña
 Rosarito Vera, maestra Zamba
 Dorotea, la cautiva Milonga Pampeana
 Alfonsina y el mar Zamba
 Manuela la tucumana Triunfo
 Las cartas de Guadalupe Canción
194
Obtained from the official website of Ariel Ramírez: Semblanzas Producciones, "Obras destacadas," Sitio Oficial
de Ariel Ramírez, http://www.arielramirez.com/obra.htm (accessed March 1, 2007). Extended works are indicated
in bold print.
112
 Cajita de música criolla
 Provinciano en Buenos Aires
 En casa de Marquita Refalosa
Cantata Sudamericana 1972
 Es Sudamérica mi voz
 Canta tu canción
 Antiguo dueño de las flechas
 Pampa del Sur
 Acércate Cholito
 Oración al sol
 Sudamericano en Nueva York
 Alcen la bandera
15 Estudios para piano 1973
Paris, la libertad Canción 1977
La hermanita perdida Aire de Milonga 1980
Misa por la Paz y la Justicia 1981
Tríptico Mocoví 1983
113
APPENDIX 2
ABOUT THE CREATION OF MISA CRIOLLA (ORIGINAL SPANISH) 195
ACERCA DE LA CREACION DE MISA CRIOLLA

(Texto firmado por Ariel Ramírez)
En Roma había conocido al Padre Antuña, estudioso prelado de Argentina, quien me presentó al
Padre Wenceslao van Lun, un holandés con quien nos entendíamos en un italiano básico pero
eficaz, y al mismo tiempo bastante divertido. Van Lun me llevó a Holanda y desde allí me
recomendó a un convento en Würzburg, una pequeña y hermosa localidad a unos 100 km. de
Franckfurt. Todos los seminaristas hablaban alemán, salvo dos monjitas que estaban a cargo de
la cocina y a quienes el Padre van Lun me presentó para ayudar a comunicarme, pues suponía
que entendían español. La realidad era que las hermanas Elizabeth y Regina Brückner habían
vivido en Portugal, y algo de español entendían, lo cual fue para mí una salvación en todo
sentido: por fin podía dialogar y, por añadidura, desde ese día, empecé a comer con ellas,
directamente en la mesa de trabajo de la cocina.
Frecuentemente, desde la ventana de la cocina, contemplaba el magnífico paisaje semiboscoso,

gloriosamente verde, con una enorme casona que a lo lejos se dibujaba de blanco con las últimas
nieves de la primavera. Tanta belleza me producía sentimientos exultantes y, desde mis jóvenes
años, me parecía estar un paso más arriba de la tierra.
Ellas no compartían mi entusiasmo. No podían olvidar que esa casona y las tierras más distantes
habían sido parte de un campo de concentración donde hubo alrededor de mil judíos prisioneros.
Desde la distancia, las monjitas me contaron, podían imaginar el horror y el miedo. Sólo en voz
muy baja llegaban noticias acerca del frío y del hambre. Una estricta regla castigaba con la horca
-sin más trámite- a cualquiera que ayudara o simplemente tomara contacto con aquellos que
esperaban su trágico destino.
Pero Elizabeth y Regina habían elegido la misericordia y habían sido formadas para el valor, de
modo que, noche tras noche, empaquetaban cuantos restos de comida podían y se acercaban
sigilosamente al campo para dejar su ayuda en un hueco debajo del alambrado.
Durante ocho meses ese paquete desapareció cada día. Hasta que un día nadie retiró el paquete y
tampoco los siguientes, que se fueron acumulando. La casa estaba vacía y los rumores
esparcieron la noticia acerca del traslado de los prisioneros. El temido viaje se había iniciado una
vez más.
Al finalizar el relato de mis queridas protectoras, sentí que tenía que escribir una obra, algo
profundo, religioso, que honrara la vida, que involucrara a las personas más allá de sus creencias,
195
Reprinted from Semblanzas Producciones, "Obras: Misa Criolla," Sitio Oficial de Ariel Ramírez,
http://www.arielramirez.com/obra2.htm (accessed March 1, 2007).
114
de su raza, de su color u origen. Que se refiriera al hombre, a su dignidad, al valor, a la libertad,
al respeto del hombre relacionado a Dios, como su Creador.
Un día de 1954, tal vez del mes de mayo, estando en Liverpool, no puede resistir la tentación de
subir a un barco, el Highland Chefstein, que iba a Buenos Aires donde me esperaban mi hija
Laura, de cinco años y mis viejos, que superaban los setenta. Me había convencido que en dos
meses regresaría al lugar donde ya había decidido afincarme para siempre, pero el destino me
reservaba otro rumbo. En aquel barco que atravesaba el Atlántico hacia el sur, empecé a
rememorar el relato de las hermanitas Brückner y a pensar en toda la solidaridad humana, todo el
amor que había recibido, de parte de gente extranjera con la que apenas podíamos comunicarnos
por el desconocimiento mutuo de nuestras lenguas. Me conmovía pensar en que todo lo que
recibí fue exclusivamente por amor a mi música y a mi persona, hasta que comprendí que sólo
podía agradecerles escribiendo en su homenaje una obra religiosa, pero no sabía aún cómo
realizarla.
Al regresar a Argentina, todo se transformó en mi vida, mi carrera había crecido y mis canciones
comenzaron a ser muy populares, poco a poco comencé a ser Ariel Ramírez... con el tiempo
Europa quedó muy lejos... pero mi pensamiento seguía centrado en la idea surgida en el
Atlántico. En esta búsqueda comencé a reunir información, y es así que tiempo después me
encontré con el Padre Antonio Osvaldo Catena, amigo de la juventud en Santa Fe, mi ciudad
natal, quien fue realmente el que transformó la base de lo que yo había escrito pensando en una
canción religiosa, en una idea increíble: la posibilidad de componer una misa con ritmos y
formas musicales de esta tierra. El padre Osvaldo Catena era en 1963 Presidente de la Comisión
Episcopal para Sudamérica encargada de realizar la traducción del texto latino de la misa al
español, según el Concilio Vaticano de 1963 que presidió SS Pablo VI. Cuando ya tenía
terminados los bocetos y formas del ordinario de la misa el mismo Catena me presentó a quien
realizaría los arreglos corales de la obra: el Padre Segade.
115
APPENDIX 3
MISA CRIOLLA: TEXT AND TRANSLATION
Text Translation
Señor, ten piedad de nosotros. Lord, have mercy on us.
Cristo, ten piedad de nosotros. Christ, have mercy on us.
Text Translation
Gloria a Dios en las alturas Glory to God in the highest
y en la tierra paz a los hombres que ama el Señor. and on earth peace to men loved by God.
Te alabamos, te bendecimos, We praise Thee, we bless Thee,
Te adoramos, glorificamos. We worship Thee, we glorify.
Te damos gracias por Tu inmensa gloria.196 We give Thee thanks for Thy immense glory.
Señor Dios, Rey Celestial.197 Dios, Padre Todopoderoso. Lord God, Heavenly King. God, All-powerful Father.
Señor, Hijo Único, Jesucristo. Lord, Only Son, Jesus Christ.
Señor Dios, Cordero de Dios, Hijo del Padre. Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father.
Tú que quitas los pecados del mundo, Thou who takes away the sins of the world,
ten piedad de nosotros. have mercy on us.
Tú que quitas los pecados del mundo, Thou who takes away the sins of the world,
atiende nuestra súplica. hear our petition.
Tú que reinas con el Padre, Thou who reigns with the Father,
Porque Tú Sólo eres Santo, For Thou, Only, art Holy,
Sólo Tú, Señor, Tú Sólo.198 Only Thou, Lord, Thou Only.
Tú Sólo Altísimo, Jesucristo, Thou Only art the Most High, Jesus Christ,
con el Espíritu Santo, with the Holy Spirit,
en la Gloria de Dios Padre. in the Glory of God the Father.
Amén. Amen.
196
In the original Philips LP notes this line reads ―Todo en esa Gloria‖ [All in this Glory]. Also in the notes to that
recording the subsequent line is omitted.
197
Although ―celestial‖ does not appear capitalized in either of the primary editions, it seems logical that, for the
sake of consistency (in capitalizing the titles of deity), ―Rey Celestial‖ [Heavenly King] be capitalized as well as the
other titles.
198
The LP notes to the 1964 Philips recording reads ―Sólo Tú estás en tu Gloria‖ [Thou alone art in thy Glory],
instead of ―Señor Tú Sólo.‖
116
Text Translation
Padre Todopoderoso, Father All-powerful,
Creador de cielo y tierra; Creator of heaven and earth;
Creo en Dios, y en Jesucristo creo, I believe in God, and in Jesus Christ I believe,
Su Único Hijo, Nuestro Señor,199 His Only Son, Our Lord,
Fué concebido por obra y gracia He was conceived by the work and grace
del Espíritu Santo. of the Holy Spirit,
Nació de Santa María Vírgen, He was born of the Holy Virgin Mary,
Padeció bajo el poder de Poncio Pilato, He suffered under the power of Pontius Pilate,
Fué crucificado, muerto y sepultado. He was crucified, died and was buried.
Descendió a los infiernos; (la-ra, la-ra, la, la, la-ra...) He descended to hell,
Al tercer día, Resucitó de entre los muertos; On the third day, he rose from among the dead;
Subió a los cielos, He went up to the heavens,
Está sentado a la diestra de Dios, He is seated at the right hand of God,
Padre Todopoderoso, desde allí Father All-powerful, from there
ha de venir a juzgar vivos y muertos. He will come to judge the living and the dead.
Creo en el Espíritu Santo, I believe in the Holy Spirit,
Santa Iglesia Católica, The Holy Catholic Church,
La Comunión de los Santos200 The Communion of the Saints
y el perdón de los pecados, and the forgiveness of sins,
Resurreción de la carne y la vida perdurable. The resurrection of the flesh and life everlasting.
Amén. Amen.
Text Translation
Santo, Santo, Santo, Señor Dios del Universo. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of the Universe.
Llenos están los cielos y la tierra de Tu Gloria.201 The heavens and the earth are full of Thy glory.
Osana202 en las alturas! Hosanna in the highest!
Bendito el que viene en el nombre del Señor. Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.
Text Translation
Cordero de Dios que quitas los pecados del mundo, Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world,
Ten compasión de nosotros. Have mercy on us.
Cordero de Dios que quitas los pecados del mundo, Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world,
Dános la paz. Grant us peace.
199
―Único‖ [Only] and ―Nuestro‖ [Our] are capitalized in the Lagos/Pigal edition, but not in the Lawson-Gould.
200
This is capitalized in the Lagos/Pigal score, and in the English version of the Lawson-Gould, but not in the
Spanish text of the Lawson-Gould edition.
201
―Gloria‖ appears capitalized in the Lawson-Gould but not the Lagos/Pigal edition. ―Tu‖ does not appear
capitalized here in either edition, which is inconsistent with previous appearances of the word.
202
The Lawson-Gould score prints ―Josana‖ instead of ―Osana.‖ A discussion can be found under the section
―Edition Comparison Chart.‖
117
APPENDIX 4
MISA CRIOLLA:
INTERNATIONAL PHONETIC ALPHABET (IPA) TRANSCRIPTION
Text, IPA Translation

[se·ɲɔɾ203 ten204 pje·ðað205 ðe no·so·tɾos]206
Cristo, ten piedad de nosotros. Christ, have mercy on us.

[kɾis·to ten pje·ðað ðɛ no·so·tɾos]

[se·ɲɔɾ ten pje·ðað ðe no·so·tɾos]

[glo·ɾja‿a ðjos en las al·tu·ɾas]
[j‿en la tjɛ·ra pas a los om·bɾes ke a·ma‿ɛl se·ɲɔɾ]
203
In this guide I have differentiated between open and closed [e] and [o], as determined by the rules regarding open
and closed syllables. See Arden Hopkin, ―Spanish Diction for Singers‖ in The Art Song in Latin America, Kathleen
L. Wilson (Stuyvesant, NY: Pendragon Press, 1998), 10, 12-3.
204
The consonant t in Spanish is not aspirated as it is in English. A similar example in English may be the t of
―stop.‖ Carlos Castillo and Otto F. Bond, The University of Chicago Spanish Dictionary (NY: Simon & Schuster,
1987), 4-5.
205
The symbols [ð], [ß], and [ɣ] are used to represent softened d, b/v and g, respectively. These consonants are
pronounced hard when initial but softened somewhat when they appear within a breath phrase, with some
exceptions. See Hopkin, 5-6.
206
In Argentina, as in many parts of Latin America, postvocalic s is sometimes aspirated (becoming h) or even
omitted, a practice that may originate with the Andalusian Conquistadores who brought the more relaxed dialect
from southern Spain. Nico Castel, A Singer’s Manual of Spanish Lyric Diction (NY: Excalibur Publishing, 1994),
117-8.
118
Te alabamos, te bendecimos, We praise Thee, we bless Thee,
[te‿a·la·ßa·mos te ßen·de·si·mos]
Te adoramos, glorificamos. We worship Thee, we glorify.

[te‿a·ðo·ɾa·mos glo·ɾi·fi·ka·mos] 207
Te damos gracias por Tu inmensa gloria. We give Thee thanks for Thy immense
[te ða·moz ɣɾa·sjas pɔɾ tu‿im·men·sa ɣlo·ɾja] glory.
Señor Dios, Rey Celestial. Lord God, Heavenly King.

[se·ɲɔɾ ðjos rej se·les·tjal]
Dios, Padre Todopoderoso. God, All-powerful Father.

[djos pa·ðɾe to·ðo·po·ðe·ɾo·so]
Señor, Hijo Único, Jesucristo. Lord, Only Son, Jesus Christ.

[se·ɲɔɾ i·xo u·ni·ko çe·su·kɾis·to]
Señor Dios, Cordero de Dios, Hijo del Padre. Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the
[se·ɲɔɾ ðjos kɔɾ·ðe·ɾo ðe ðjos i·xo ðɛl pa·ðɾe] Father.
Tú que quitas los pecados del mundo, Thou who takes away the sins of the
[tu ke ki·taz los pe·ka·ðoz ðɛl mun·do] world,

[ten pje·ðað ðe no·so·tɾos]
Tú que quitas los pecados del mundo, Thou who takes away the sins of the
[tu ke ki·taz los pe·ka·ðoz ðɛl mun·do] world,
atiende nuestra súplica. hear our petition.

[a·tjen·de nwes·tɾa su·pli·ka]
207
The final s of ―adoramos‖ is pronounced [s] rather than [z] and the initial g of ―glorificamos‖ is pronounced [g]
rather than [ɣ] because of the space between the words, as they appear in the music. If they appeared within the
same breath phrase they would be pronounced as the next line (see ―Te Damos gracias‖) where the final s becomes
[z] and the initial g becomes the softened [ɣ].
119
Tú que reinas con el Padre, Thou who reigns with the Father,
[tu ke rej·nas kon ɛl pa·ðɾe]

[ten pje·ðað ðe no·so·tɾos]

[glo·ɾja‿a ðjos en las al·tu·ɾas]
[j‿en la tjɛ·ra pas a los om·bɾes ke‿a·ma‿ɛl se·ɲɔɾ]
Porque Tú Sólo eres Santo, For Thou, Only, art Holy,

[pɔɾ·ke tu so·lo‿e·ɾes san·to]
Sólo Tú, Señor, Tú Sólo. Only Thou, Lord, Thou Only.

[so·lo tu se·ɲɔɾ tu so·lo]
Tú Sólo Altísimo, Jesucristo, Thou Only art the Most High, Jesus
[tu so·lo‿al·ti·si·mo çe·su·kɾis·to] Christ,
con el Espíritu Santo, with the Holy Spirit,

[kon ɛl es·pi·ɾi·tu san·to]
en la Gloria de Dios Padre. Amén. in the Glory of God the Father. Amen.
[en la ɣlo·ɾja ðe ðjos pa·ðɾe a·men]

Padre Todopoderoso, Father All-powerful,
[pa·ðɾe to·ðo·po·ðe·ɾo·so]
Creador de cielo y tierra; Creator of heaven and earth;

[kɾe·a·ðɔɾ ðe sje·lo‿i tjɛ·ra]
120
Creo en Dios, y en Jesucristo creo, I believe in God, and in Jesus Christ I
[kɾe·o‿en djos j‿en çe·su·kɾis·to kɾe·o] believe,
Su Único Hijo, Nuestro Señor, His Only Son, Our Lord,

[su‿u·ni·ko i·xo nwes·tɾo se·ɲɔɾ]
Fué concebido por obra y gracia He was conceived by the work and grace
[fwe kon·se·ßi·ðo pɔɾ o·ßɾa‿i ɣɾa·sja]
del Espíritu Santo. of the Holy Spirit,

[ðɛl es·pi·ɾi·tu san·to]
Nació de Santa María Vírgen, He was born of the Holy Virgin Mary,
[na·sjo ðe san·ta ma·ɾi·a ßiɾ·çen]
Padeció bajo el poder de Poncio Pilato, He suffered under the power of Pontius
[pa·ðe·sjo ßa·xo‿ɛl po·ðɛɾ ðe pon·sjo pi·la·to] Pilate,
Fué crucificado, muerto y sepultado. He was crucified, died and was buried.
‿i se·pul·ta·ðo]
208
[fwe kru·si·fi·ca·ðo mwɛɾ·to
Descendió a los infiernos; (la-ra, la-ra, la, la, la-ra...) He descended to hell,
[de·sen·djo‿a los in·fjɛɾ·nos la ɾa la ɾa la la la ɾa]
Al tercer día, Resucitó de entre los muertos; On the third day, he rose from among the
[al tɛɾ·sɛɾ ði·a re·su·si·to ðe‿en·tɾe los mwɛɾ·tos] dead;
Subió a los cielos, He went up to the heavens,

[su·ßjo‿a los sje·los]
Está sentado a la diestra de Dios, He is seated at the right hand of God,

[es·ta sen·ta·ðo‿a la ðjes·tɾa ðe ðjos]
208
While the first is the correct stressed syllable, the musical setting places the stress on the second syllable. This
type of non-prosodic text setting is not widespread in Misa Criolla but does occur occasionally throughout the
composition, the majority of cases occurring in the Credo movement.
121
Padre Todopoderoso, desde allí Father All-powerful, from there
[pa·ðɾe to·ðo·po·ðe·ɾo·so dez·ðe a·ʒi] 209
ha de venir a juzgar vivos y muertos. He will come to judge the living and the
[a ðe ße·niɾ a xuz·ɣaɾ ßi·ßos i mwɛɾ·tos] dead.
Creo en el Espíritu Santo, I believe in the Holy Spirit,

[kɾe·o‿en ɛl es·pi·ɾi·tu san·to]
Santa Iglesia Católica, The Holy Catholic Church,

[san·ta‿i·ɣle·sja ka·to·li·ka]
La Comunión de los Santos The Communion of the Saints

[la ko·mu·njon de los san·tos]
y el perdón de los pecados, and the forgiveness of sins,

[j‿ɛl pɛɾ·ðon de los pe·ka·ðos]
Resurreción de la carne y la vida perdurable. The resurrection of the flesh and life
[re·su·rɛ·sjon de la kaɾ·ne‿i la ßi·ða pɛɾ·ðu·ɾa·ßle] everlasting.
Amén. Amen.
[a·men]

Santo, Santo, Santo, Señor Dios del Universo. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of the
[san·to san·to san·to se·ɲɔɾ ðjoz ðɛl u·ni·ßɛɾ·so] Universe.
Llenos están los cielos y la tierra de Tu Gloria. The heavens and the earth are full of Thy
[ʒe·nos es·tan los sje·los i la tjɛ·ra ðe tu ɣlo·ɾja]210 glory.
209
In Argentina ll is generally pronounced [ʒ] (not [j]). It is sometimes even softened toward an unvoiced [ʃ]. This
applies to pronunciation of work’s title as well (―Criolla‖). See Castel, 119 and Castillo, 37.
210
When divided musically into three separate notes or syllables, as in mm. 66-7, ―gloria‖ is pronounced [ɣlo·ɾi·a],
without the [j] glide.
122
Osana en las alturas!211 Hosanna in the highest!
[o·sa·na‿en las al·tu·ɾas]
Bendito el que viene en el nombre del Señor. Blessed is he that comes in the name of
[ben·di·to‿ɛl ke ßje·ne‿en 212
ɛl nom·bɾe ðɛl se·ɲɔɾ] the Lord.

Cordero de Dios que quitas los pecados Lamb of God who takes away the sins
[kɔɾ·ðe·ɾo ðe ðjos ke ki·taz(s)213 los pe·ka·ðoz]
del mundo, of the world,

[ðɛl mun·do]
Ten compasión de nosotros. Have mercy on us.

[ten kom·pa·sjon de no·so·tɾos]
Cordero de Dios que quitas los pecados Lamb of God who takes away the sins
[kɔɾ·ðe·ɾo ðe ðjos ke ki·taz(s)214 los pe·ka·ðoz]
del mundo, of the world,

[ðɛl mun·do]
Dános la paz. Grant us peace.

[da·nos la pas]
211
The Lawson-Gould score uses ―Josana,‖ which would be pronounced differently, while the Lagos/Pigal score has
―Osana.‖ The original recording performed ―Osana.‖
212
The separate note necessitates a glottal on ―en,‖ in spite of the elision.
213
Since a voiced consonant follows in the same phrase group, the final s would be pronounced as [z]; however, the
separation created in the musical phrase of Ramírez’s setting undermines this, requiring an [s] instead.
214
Ibid.
123
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Aretz, Isabel. El folklore musical argentino, 3d ed. Buenos Aires: Ricordi Americana, 1952.
________. Música tradicional argentina: Tucumán, historia y folklore. Buenos Aires: Univ.
Nacional de Tucumán, 1946.
________. Música prehispánica de las altas culturas andinas. Buenos Aires: Lumen, 2003.
Arizaga, Rodolfo. Enciclopedia de la música argentina. Buenos Aires: Fondo Nacional de las
Artes, 1971.
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42-7.
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argentino.‖ Latin American Music Review (Revista de música latinoamericana) 8, no. 1
(Spring 1987): 94-111.
________. ―Argentina.‖ In The Garland Handbook of Latin American Music, ed. Dale Olsen.
NY: Garland Publishing, 2000.
Carrizo, Juan Alfonso. Historia del folklore argentino. Buenos Aires: Instituto Nacional de la
Tradición, 1953.
Castel, Nico. A Singer’s Manual of Spanish Lyric Diction. NY: Excalibur Publishing, 1994.
Castillo, Carlos, and Otto F. Bond. The University of Chicago Spanish Dictionary. NY: Simon
& Schuster, 1987.
Cortazar, Augusto Raul. Gran manual de folklore. Buenos Aires: Editorial Honegger, 1964.
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argentinas. Buenos Aires: Ricordi Americana, 1968.
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Ateneo‖ Editorial, 1954.
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1951.
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hispanoamericana, ed. Emilio Casares Rodicio. Madrid: Sociedad General de Autores y
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Nación, 1952.
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127
SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY
(organized chronologically by performance date)
Ramírez, Ariel. Misa Criolla. Jesús Gabriel Segade, dir. Philips LP 6527 136, 1964.
________. Misa Criolla; Misa Flamenca. Jesús Gabriel Segade, dir. Philips/Polygram CD 814
055-2, 1986 (1964).
________. Misa Criolla: Los Fronterizos. Oscar Cardozo Ocampo, dir. Microfón/Sony Music
CD 2-478863, 1996 (1977).
________. Misa Criolla: Chants et danses en Amérique Latine. Enzo Gieco, dir. Universal
Classics France CD 476 8486, 2005 (1978).
________. Misa Criolla; Navidad Nuestra; José Carreras. José Luis Ocejo and Dámian
Sanchez, dirs. Philips CD 420 955-2, 1988 (1987).
________. José Carreras Collection: Arias & Misa Criolla. Jesús Gabriel Segade, dir. Arthaus
Musik DVD 101 405, 2006 (1990).
________. Misa Criolla. Alberto Balzanelli, dir. Zamba Quipildor. Éditions Milan CD 50504
642 940-2, 1997 (1991).
________. Misa Criolla A Cappella (Creole Mass). Heikki Peltola and Jesús Gabriel Segade,
dirs. Naxos CD 8.551042 F, 1997.
________. Misa Criolla: Mercedes Sosa. Ricardo Hagman, dir. Universal CD 546 741-2, 1999
(1998).
________. Misa Criolla and More Music from the South American Folk Tradition. Robert de
Cormier, dir. Albany Records CD TROY746, 2005 (2001).
________. Celebrating Sacred Rhythms: Navidad Nuestra; Misa Luba; Misa Criolla.
Joseph Holt, dir. Naxos CD 8.557542, 2006 (2004).
128

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U

This work and its defense approved by:

Approval of the electronic document:

Committee Chair signature: Dr. Earl Rivers

A document submitted to the

of the University of Cincinnati

in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the degree of

DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS

in the Ensembles and Conducting Division

of the College-Conservatory of Music

Aaron Paul Mitchell

B.M., Brigham Young University, 2000

M.M., Temple University, 2004

Committee Chair: Dr. Earl Rivers

questions about the viability of the available printed score.

(Foundation of Argentine Music in Holland), Marcelo Gasio (Warner-Chappell of Argentina),

instrumental parts for Lawson-Gould), and many others.

Earl Rivers (University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music [CCM]), who administers

Choir of Pittsburgh), Joseph Colaneri (Metropolitan Opera), Raymond Harvey (Kalamazoo

great choral-orchestral masterworks.

he did. I recall a one-on-one discussion we had where he very seriously encouraged me to

TABLES ........................................................................................................................................... xiv

1. ARIEL RAMÍREZ AND HIS MISA CRIOLLA ............................................................................... 1

2. MISA CRIOLLA: FOLK ELEMENTS..............................................................................................9

3. MISA CRIOLLA: EDITIONS AND INSTRUMENTS ................................................................... 31

4. MISA CRIOLLA: CONDUCTING AND REHEARSAL ISSUES ................................................. 59

1. Table of Notable Works by Ariel Ramírez ......................................................................... 112

BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................ 124

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................... 128

Figure 1. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Kyrie,‖ mm. 1-13 ..................................................... 12

Figure 2. Vidala ―Miembros tripódicos‖ ................................................................................. 14

Figure 3. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Kyrie,‖ mm. 10-6 ..................................................... 15

Figure 4. A baguala melody from northwestern Argentina ..................................................... 15

Figure 5. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Kyrie,‖ mm. 30-3 ..................................................... 15

Figure 6. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Kyrie,‖ mm. 1-4 ....................................................... 16

Figure 7. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Kyrie,‖ mm. 30-3 ..................................................... 17

Figure 8. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Gloria,‖ mm. 9-12 .................................................... 18

Figure 12. ―La tórtola‖ (of Cuzco), a yaraví melody ............................................................... 21

Figure 17. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Credo,‖ mm. 120-3................................................. 22

Figure 21. ―Salta,‖ estilo melody ............................................................................................ 26

Figure 41. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Credo,‖ mm. 20-4................................................... 92

Figure 43. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Credo,‖ mm. 13-4................................................... 93

Figure 44. Rhythmic base of a typical chacarera .................................................................... 94

Figure 45. Bombo rhythms of a chacarera trunca ................................................................... 94

Figure 48. Ariel Ramírez, Misa Criolla, ―Sanctus,‖ m. 15 .................................................... 104

Table 1. Leadership positions held by Ariel Ramírez ................................................................ 4

Table 2. Song styles and dance rhythms in Misa Criolla......................................................... 11

Table 3. Comparison of selected editions ............................................................................... 33

Table 5. Instrumental part rehearsal letters ............................................................................. 46

ARIEL RAMÍREZ AND HIS MISA CRIOLLA

Aparicio, a musician with an extensive knowledge of Argentine culture.3 In 1943 he was

independent and my father was an active radialista, so I was out of a job.‖ 5

performing numerous concerts.6 He continued to pursue his Argentine roots, performing

perform concerts in Latin America and Europe.10

different name in France.

more than three hundred.14 A table of selected works appears as Appendix 1.

Genesis and History of Misa Criolla

would earn him international fame: 15

ABOUT THE CREATION OF MISA CRIOLLA (text signed by Ariel Ramírez)