Leo Brouwer

Early years

Brouwer was born in Havana. When he was 13, he began classical guitar with the encouragement of his father, who was an amateur guitarist. His teacher was Isaac Nicola, who was a student of Emilio Pujol, who was himself a student of Tárrega. When he was 17, he performed publicly for the first time and began composing.

Brouwer went to the United States to study music at the Hartt College of Music of the University of Hartford, and later at the Juilliard School, where he studied under Vincent Persichetti and took composition classes with Stefan Wolpe.

In 1970 Brouwer played in the premiere of El Cimarrón by Hans Werner Henze in Berlin. Together with Morton Feldman, he was awarded a 1972 scholarship by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) being guest composer and lecturer of Academy of Science and Arts of Berlin. In Germany Brouwer also recorded a number of LPs for Deutsche Grammophon.

Composing and performing

In his early compositions, Brower remained close to the rhythms of Cuban music, while later he was drawn to aleatoric music. He has written for guitar, piano, and percussion, and has composed orchestral works, ballet, and music for more than one hundred movies. For a guitar competition in Hungary in 1979, he wrote a composition that employed 200 guitarists. He is known for a series of studies called the Etudes Simples. He transcribed Beatles songs for classical guitar and composed music for the movie Like Water for Chocolate.

During the 1960s and 70s, he became interested in the music of modernist composers such as Luigi Nono and Iannis Xenakis, using indeterminacy in works such as Sonograma I. Other works from this period include the guitar pieces Canticum (1968), La espiral eterna (1971), Parábola (1973) and Tarantos (1974). More recently, Brouwer's works have started leaning towards tonality and modality. The solo guitar works El Decamerón Negro (1981) the Sonata (1990; for Julian Bream) and Paisaje cubano con campanas (1986) exemplify this tendency.

He has performed and recorded works by Sylvano Bussotti, Hans Werner Henze, Maurice Ohana, Cristóbal Halffter, Leni Alexander, Cornelius Cardew, Heitor Villa-Lobos, etc.

Brouwer's playing career ended in the early 1980s due to an injury to a tendon in his right hand middle finger.

Other activities

He has been a conductor for many symphony orchestras, including the BBC Concert Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Cordoba Symphony in Spain.

Brouwer is involved in the Concurso y Festival Internacional de Guitarra de la Habana (International Guitar Festival of the Havana). He travels often to attend guitar festivals throughout the world, and especially to other Latin American countries.

Brouwer is a member of the Communist Party of Cuba. He has held a number of official posts in Cuba, including the Cinema Institute of Cuba's music department.

Brouwer is the great-uncle of Al Jourgensen of Ministry fame. Brouwer is the brother of Al's maternal grandfather.

Solo guitar

1955 Suite No. 1 Antigua

1955 Suite No. 2

1956 Preludio

1957 Danza Característica "Quítate de la Acera"

1956 Dos temas populares cubanos

Canción de cuna (Berceuse), after Drume negrita by Emilio Grenet

Ojos Brujos, after a criolla by Gonzalo Roig

1956 Piezas sin títulos I–II

1959 Fuga No. 1

1959 Tres Apuntes

1962 Dos aires populares cubanos

Guajira criolla

Zapateo cubano (Zapateado)

1962 Pieza sin título III

1962 Tres piezas latinoamericanas

Danza del Altiplano

Canción Triste (after Carlos Guastavino)

Tango (after Astor Piazzolla)

1964 Elogio de la Danza

1968 Canticum

Eclosion

Ditirambo

1968 Un Dia de Noviembre

1971 La Espiral Eterna

1973 Parábola

1973 Estudios Sencillos (Nos. 1–10)

1974 Tarantos

1975 Cadences

1981 El Decamerón Negro (Dedicated to Sharon Isbin)

1981 Preludios Epigramáticos No. 1–6

1984 Variations on a Theme of Django Reinhardt

1986 Paisaje Cubano con Campanas

1990 Sonata (dedicated to Julian Bream)

• Fandangos y boleros • Sarabanda de Scriabin • Toccata de Pasquini

1993 Rito de los Orishás

1996 Hika: In Memoriam Toru Takemitsu

1996 Hoja de album

1996 Paisaje Cubano con Tristeza

1999 An Idea (Passacaglia por Eli)

2000 Viaje a la Semilla

2001 Nuevos Estudios Sencillos No. 11–20

2004 La Ciudad De Las Columnas (Variaciones sobre "Pieza sin Título Nº1")

2007 Cantilena de los bosques (dedicated to Roberto Fabbri

2007 Paisaje Cubano con fiesta

2007 Sonata del Caminante (Dedicated to Odair Assad)

2012 Sonata del Decamerón Negro (Dedicated to Kostas Kotsiolis)

2013 Sonata del Pensador (dedicated to Ricardo Gallén)

Guitar duo

1957–58 Micro piezas I–IV – Hommage à Darius Milhaud

1958 Micropieza V

1958 Tríptico

1973 Per Suonare a Due

1978 Música incidental campesina

2009 Sonata de Los Viajeros

Guitar quartet

Canciones remotas

Toccata para cuatro o más guitarras

Toccata

Paisaje Cubano Con Rumba

Paisaje Cubano con lluvia

Guitar & orchestra

1958 Tres danzas concertantes

1979 Acerca del cielo, el aire y la sonrisa

1983 Retrats Catalans

1985 From Yesterday to Penny Lane

1995 Concierto Omaggio a Paganini (concerto for guitar and violin)

Guitar and string quartet

1958 Quintet for guitar and string quartet

Guitar concertos

1972 Concierto num. 1

1981 Concierto num. 2 "de Lieja"

1986 Concierto num. 3 "Elegiaco"

1987 Concierto num. 4 "de Toronto"

1991–92 Concierto num. 5 "de Helsinki"

1997 Concierto num. 6 "de Volos"

1998 Concierto num. 7 "de La Habana"

1999 Concierto num. 8 "Concierto Cantata de Perugia" (for chorus, guitar, and orchestra)

2002 Concierto num. 9 "de Benicassim"

2003 Concierto num. 10 "Book of Signs" (for two guitars)

2007 Concierto num. 11 "de Requiem (In memoriam Toru Takemitsu)"

Orchestral

1964 Sonograma II

1965 Arioso (Homenaje a Charles Mingus), for jazz combo and orchestra

1967 Tropos

1967–69 La tradición se rompe..., pero cuesta trabajo

1970 Exaedros III, for percussionist and 2 orchestral groups

1972 Balada, concierto para flauta y orquesta de cuerdas, for flute and orchestra)

1972 Concierto para violín y orquesta, for violin and orchestra

1972 Controversia (Sonograma IV)

1972 El gran zoo (Guillén), for narrator, horn solo, and orchestra

1964 Sonograma IV, for two orchestral groups

1977 Anima Latina (Madrigali guerrieri ed amorosi)

1979–81 Canción de gesta, for percussion and wind orchestra

1983 La guerra de las galaxias, orchestral suite on themes by John Williams

1984 Canciones remotas, for string orchestra

1992 Wagneriana, for string orchestra

1996 Lamento por Rafael Orozco, for clarinet and string orchestra

Vocal

1960 Elegía a Jesús Menéndez, for chorus and orchestra

1961 Son Mercedes, for mixed chorus

1964 Canciones Amatorias, for mixed chorus

1969 Cantigas del tiempo nuevo, for children's chorus, actors, and ensemble

1970 Cantos yorubá, for baritone, flute, cello, percussion, and piano

1973 Es el Amor quien ve..., for high voice and ensemble

1975 Cantata de Chile, for male chorus and orchestra

Chamber and solo instrumental

Piano trios

1983 Manuscrito antiguo encontrado en una botella

1992 Sonata, sones y danzones

2000–2007 Cuadros de otra exposición

2007 El triángulo de las Bermudas

2011 El Oráculo de Ifá

String quartets

1961 Cuarteto de cuerdas num. 1 – a la memoria de Bela Bártok

1968 Cuarteto de cuerdas num. 2 – Rem tene verba sequentur

1991–97 Cuarteto de cuerdas num. 3

Other chamber

1957 Finale, for guitar and string quartet

1957 Homenaje a Manuel de Falla, for flute, oboe, clarinet, and guitar

1959 Dos bocetos, for piano solo

1959 Música, ballet scene for dancer, guitar, piano, and percussion

1960 Fuga cervantina, for piano solo

1960/1994 Sonata para cello solo

1961 Fanfarria de celebración, for flute solo

1962 Variantes, for a percussionist

1963 Sonograma I, for prepared piano

1964 Trio No. 2, for oboe, clarinet, and bassoon

1965 Dos Conceptos del Tiempo, for ensemble

1966 Conmutaciones, for percussion (2 players) and prepared piano

1968 El reino de este mundo, for wind quintet

1968 Epigramas, for violin and piano (or cello and piano)

1969 Exaedros I–II, for 6 instruments or any multiple of 6 instruments

1970 Per suonare a Tre, for flute, viola, and guitar

1970 Sonata piane forte, for piano and tape

1970 Varias maneras de hacer música con papel, for three or four groups of musicians

1972 Basso Continuo I, for clarinet and tape, or 2 clarinets

1972 Ludus metalicus, for saxophone quartet

1974 Metáforas del amor, for guitar and tape

1974 Música para tres pianos, for three pianos

1974 Oda a la alegría, for guitar, piano, and percussion

1982 La región más transparente, for flute and piano

1985 Los negros brujos se divierten, for ensemble

1989 Paisaje cubano con ritual, for bass clarinet and percussion

1990 Divertimento (minuetto mozartiano), for two flutes, timpani, and strings

1997 Paisajes, retratos y mujeres, for flute, viola, and guitar

1999 La Vida Misma, for piano, violin, cello, and percussion

1999 Los pasos perdidos, for double bass and percussion

2009 Mitología de las Aguas (Sonata No. 1 for flute and guitar)

Film scores

1960: Historias de la revolución

1965: Vaqueros del cauto

1966: Papeles son papeles

1966: La muerte de un burócrata

1967: Las aventuras de Juan Quin Quin

1968: LBJ

1968: Hanoi, martes 13

1968: Memorias del subdesarrollo

1968: Lucía

1969: Despegue a las 18:00

1971: La bataille des dix millions

1972: Una pelea cubana contra los demonios

1973: El extraño caso de Rachel K

1973: El hombre de Maisinicú

1975: Abril de Vietnam en el año del gato

1975: Ustedes tienen la palabra

1976: Un día de noviembre

1976: La cantata de Chile

1976: La última cena

1977: Mi hermano Fidel

1977: Destino manifiesto

1978: Son o no son

1978: El recurso del método

1979: No hay sábado sin sol

1979: The survivors (Los sobrevivientes)

1979: La viuda de Montiel

1980: La guerra necesaria

1982: Una y otra vez

1983: Tiempo de amar

1983: Los refugiados de la cueva del muerto

1983: Alsino y el cóndor

1983: La rosa de los vientos

1983: Cecilia

1983: Hasta cierto punto

1984: La segunda hora de Esteban Zayas

1985: Cuando una mujer no duerme

1985: Wild Dogs (Jíbaro)

1985: Amada – a woman from Havanna

1986: Tiempo de morir

1992: Like Water for Chocolate

1995: Un héroe se hace a patadas

1998: Mátame mucho

2002: Ficción sin ficción

2003: Memorias de Lucía

2004: Lucía y el tiempo

2004: La persistencia de la memoria

2005: Kordavision

Documentaries

Leo Brouwer–Irakere (1978), written and directed by Jose Padron

Leo Brouwer (2000), written and directed by Jose Padron