The complete name is Luis Sandi Meneses. Born February 22, 1905 in Mexico City, the only child of Genaro Sandi and María Meneses. Sandi did not attend public primary school, but was privately tutored by his mother's sister, Manuela Meneses, who was a public school teacher. Between the ages of six and fourteen Sandi lived in Tacubaya, a suburb of Mexico city. As his interest in music increased, at the age of fifteen Sandi entered the National Conservatory of music where he studied violin with José Rocabruna, an eminent Spanish violinist. Sandi studied voice with Elvira González, and composition with Estanislao Mejía (b. 1882) a nationalist. Sandi also had a composition workshop with Carlos Chávez with whom he studied instrumental conducting.
Luis Sandi conducted in various instances Orquesta Sinfónica de México and Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional. At one time, he focused on composition. From his production, opera Carlota (libretto by Francisco Zendejas) and Bonampak ballet stand out. His continuous contact with Coro de Madrigalistas (which he founded in 1938) made him compose and arrange a wide range of choral works. He is author of many books for music alumni. Sandi was also member of International Music Council of UNESCO, for 1963-1966 period, and member of Consejo Interamericano de Música.
Instrumental
Solos
Fátima (suite galante) (1948) (6') - guit.
Sonata para violín (1969) (10')
Miniatura (1995) (3') - viola
Duos
Pastoral - oboe, piano
Aire antiguo (1927) (13') - violin and piano
Canción erótica (1927) (4') - violin and piano
Hoja de álbum (1956) (4') - violoncello and piano
Hoja de álbum no.2 (4') - viola and piano
Sonatina para violoncello y piano (1959) (5')
Suite para oboe y piano (1982) (12´)
Sonata para oboe y violoncello (1983) (11')
Trios
Tres momentos (1978) (6') - violín, violoncello y piano
Variación para tres flautas dulces (1979) - fl
Quartets
Cuarteto para instrumentos de arco (1938) (9')
Cuatro momentos (1961) (5')
Cuatro piezas (1977) (5') - flautas dulces
Quintets
Quinteto (1960) (6') - flute, clarinet, trumpet, violin and violoncello
Chamber orch.
Suite de la hoja de plata (1939) (12')
Cinco gacelas (1968) (8')
Trenos in memoriam Carlos Chávez (1978) (6')
Sinfonía mínima (1978) (8')
Symphonic orch.
Los cuatro coroneles de la reina (1978) (7') - (vers. orch.)
Sonora (1933)
Suite banal (1936) (10')
La angostura (1939)
Norte (1940)
Tú Fú (1956)
Segunda Sinfonía (1979)
Symphonic orch. and soloist
Concertino (1944) (7') - flauta y orq.
Poemas de amor y muerte (1966) (9') - voice and orch. Text: Greek epigraphs
Il cántico delle creature (1971) (10') - voice and orch. Text: Sn. Francisco de Asis
Ajorca de cantos floridos (1977) (6') - voice and orch. Text: Nahuatl poetry
Ballet
Día de difuntos (1938) (8') - orch.
Coatlicue (1949) (12') -orch.
Bonampak (1951) (20') -orch.
Vocal
Operas
Carlota (1947) (30') Libretto: Francisco Zendejas Gómez
La señora en su balcón (1954) (45')
Voice and piano
¡Oh, luna!
Las cuatro coronelas de la reina (1928) (7') - Text: Amado Nervo
Madrigal (1936) (2') - Text: Amado Nervo
Diez hai-kais (1933) (4') - Text: José Juan Tablada
Canción obscura (1934) (3') -
Diez hai-kais para canto y piano (1947) - Text: José Juan Tablada
Canción de la vida profunda (1947) (5') - Text: Porfirio Barba Jacob
Cuatro cannciones de amor (1955) (7') - Text: Rafael Alberti; Ramón López Velarde; anonymous
Poemas del amor y de la muerte (1963) (6') - Text: Omar Khayyam; Greek epigraphs
Destino (1968) (5') - Text: Isabel Farfán Cano
Cinco poemas de Salvador Novo (1975) (3')- soprano, mezzo y piano
