Rodolfo Narciso Chavarría (4 March 1901- 3 October 1968) was a marimba player and composer from

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

Biography

He was born in the city of

San Cristóbal Verapaz San Cristóbal Verapaz () is a town, with a population of 20,961 (2018 census), and a municipality in the Guatemalan department of Alta Verapaz. It is located approximately 29 km from Cobán, the capital of Alta Verapaz and about 210 km ...

, and his parents were Vicente Adolfo Narciso Peláez and Gudelia Chavarría. He attended the Public Elementary school at his home town, and started his musical studies along with his brother Victoriano with their father, and then attended classes with professor Adolfo Tercero Paz. Having perfected his marimba skills, he played mainly in

Cobán Cobán ( kek, Kob'an), fully Santo Domingo de Cobán, is the capital of the department of Alta Verapaz in central Guatemala. It also serves as the administrative center for the surrounding Cobán municipality. It is located 219 km from Guat ...

, Petén and

Belice The Belice, , is a river of western Sicily. It is about long. From its main source near Piana degli Albanesi it runs south and west for as the Belice Destro ("right Belice") until it is joined near Poggioreale by its secondary branch, the Be ...

in the 1920s. At his 20 years of age he had already several compositions of his own. He was also a public servant, being

Panzós Panzós () is a town, with a population of 22,068 (2018 census), and a municipality in the Guatemalan department of Alta Verapaz. On 29 May 1978, the village of Panzós was the site of a massacre in which between 30 and 106 local inhabitants (fi ...

mayor in 1935 and municipal secretary in

Tactic Tactic(s) or Tactical may refer to: * Tactic (method), a conceptual action implemented as one or more specific tasks ** Military tactics, the disposition and maneuver of units on a particular sea or battlefield ** Chess tactics ** Political tact ...

San Juan Chamelco San Juan Chamelco is a town, with a population of 13,264 (2018 census),Citypopulation.de
Population of cities ...

and his native San Cristóbal Verapaz. He worked in the Guatemala Post Office central in

Guatemala City Guatemala City ( es, Ciudad de Guatemala), known locally as Guatemala or Guate, is the capital and largest city of Guatemala, and the most populous urban area in Central America. The city is located in the south-central part of the country, nest ...

, in radio Morse, and was manager of the I.D. department in the Guatemala City municipality.

Death

Narciso Chavarría died on 3 October 1968 and he was buried in the cemetery of

, next to his mother, brothers and wife.

Compositions

His compositions of a very rare ingenuity and virtuoso level, and they have reimaned as the best ones for marimba in both

Alta Verapaz Alta Verapaz () is a Departments of Guatemala, department in the north central part of Guatemala. The capital and chief city of the department is Cobán. Verapaz is bordered to the north by Petén (department), El Petén, to the east by Izabal ...

and

Quetzaltenango Department Quetzaltenango is a department in the western highlands of Guatemala. The capital is the city of Quetzaltenango, the second largest city in Guatemala.Rouanet et al 1992, p.14. The department is divided up into 24 municipalities. The inhabitants in ...

s. He also composed sacred music, such as Mass and Funeral pieces. His composition ''Ruiseñor Verapaz'' has a piccolo solo whose skills and virtuoso rivals those of ''Clarineros'', ''Fiesta de pájaros'' of Jesús Castillo and ''Ave Lira'' of Luis Delfino Bethancourt. Narciso Chavarría was a close friend of his colleague Domingo Bethancourt, to whom he dedicated his compositions ''Corazón voluntario'' (English: Voluntary Heart) and ''Chimax''. These two pieces were widely distributed in

Quetzaltenango Quetzaltenango (, also known by its Maya name Xelajú or Xela ) is both the seat of the namesake Department and municipality, in Guatemala. The city is located in a mountain valley at an elevation of above sea level at its lowest part. It may ...

thru Radio TGQ by Bethancourt and his «Marimba Ideal». Rodolfo Narciso Narciso Chavarría was an extremely prolific composer, who wrote more than two hundred and seventy pieces in his catalog. Having loved his native

Alta Verapaz Department Alta Verapaz () is a department in the north central part of Guatemala. The capital and chief city of the department is Cobán. Verapaz is bordered to the north by El Petén, to the east by Izabal, to the south by Zacapa, El Progreso, and Ba ...

, he spent the last years of his life in the

Polochic River The Polochic River () is a river in eastern Guatemala. It flows eastwards through a deep valley and flows into Lake Izabal at . The river is navigable for to Panzós. It was used many years ago to transport coffee and timber, but most commercial ...

valley which inspired him his famous fox-blues ''Río Polochic''. * ''Río Polochic'', fox-blues * ''Ruiseñor Verapaz'', capriccio * ''Reflejos de luna en el lago'', concert waltz * ''Josecito'', guarimba * ''Gilberto Leal'', pasodoble * ''Tezulutlán'', blues * ''Clavel tinto'', foxtrot * ''Corazón voluntario'', march (1938) * ''Chimax'', march (Op. No. 278, 1946) * ''Garza de la mañana'' (Op. 289,1945)

Notes and references

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Narciso Chavarria, Rodolfo 1901 births 1968 deaths Guatemalan composers Male composers 20th-century Guatemalan people 20th-century male musicians

Biography

Death

Compositions

See also

Notes and references

References