Manuel Gregorio Tavárez Ropero (November 16, 1843 – July 1, 1883), was a Puerto Rican classical and

danza Danza is a musical genre that originated in Ponce, a city in southern Puerto Rico. It is a popular turn-of-the-twentieth-century ballroom dance genre slightly similar to the waltz. Both the danza and its cousin the contradanza are sequence danc ...

composer. He has been called "The Chopin of

America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Early years

Tavárez was born in

San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan ( , ; Spanish for "Saint John the Baptist, John") is the capital city and most populous Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in the Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the ...

, the son of a French father and a Puerto Rican mother. San Juan was the city where he first began his musical studies. His first musical mentors were José Cabrizas and Domingo Delgado. Tavárez was a student of Gonzalo de J. Núñez (1850 – 1915), whose students also included the internationally known musicians and composers Juan Morel Campos and

Arístides Chavier Arévalo Arístides Chavier Arévalo (3 September 1867 –1942) was a Puerto Rican pianist, modernism composer, musicologist and music author from Ponce, Puerto Rico. Early years and schooling Chavier Arévalo was born in Ponce on 3 September 1867. In ...

. Tavárez became an accomplished pianist at an early age. He was able to enroll and study music in the

Music Conservatory of Paris Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all human societies. Definitions of musi ...

at the age of 15 with a scholarship granted by "The Economic Society of Friends of Puerto Rico" (La Sociedad Económica Amigos del Pais). Tavárez studied under the guidance of Auber and D'Albert. While in France, Tavárez suffered a stroke which left his hand partially paralyzed. Tavárez returned to Puerto Rico because of his health problems. He settled down in Ponce where he gave piano lessons. He was able to overcome his health problems and began to put on musical concerts of his compositions.Music of Puerto Rico
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"Father of the Puerto Rican Danza"

Tavárez is considered to be Puerto Rico's first Romantic era composer. He also composed music in other genres as well. Among his best known works was the funeral march ''Redención'' (Redemption), dedicated to the memory of

José Campeche José Campeche y Jordán (December 23, 1751 – November 7, 1809), is the first known Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican visual artist and considered by art critics as one of the best rococo artists in the Americas. Campeche y Jordán loved to use ...

; the rhapsody ''Souvenir de Puerto Rico'', and his

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''Recuerdos de Antaño'' (Remembrance of Yesteryear) and what is considered his greatest work, the danza ''Margarita''. The music created by Tavárez would always be recognized as an integral part of Puerto Rican culture. Tavárez is known as the "Father of the Puerto Rican Danza". Among his most distinguished disciples was the composer Juan Morel Campos. His daughter Elisa Tavárez would also become an accomplished pianist.

Death

Manuel Gregorio Tavárez Ropero died on July 1, 1883, in the city of

Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce ( , , ) is a city and a Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The most populated city outside the San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan metropolitan area, Ponce was founded on August 12, 1692Some publ ...

. He was 39 years old.

Selection of Danzas by Tavárez

The following is a list of some of Tavárez's Danzas: *La Sensitiva (The sensitive one) *La Margarita *Recuerdos de Antaño (Remembrance of Yesteryear) *Redención (Redemption) *Souvener de Puerto Rico *Un Recuerdito (A small remembrance)

Honors and recognitions

Tavárez has been honored by the Government of

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

with the naming of public buildings and institutions after him. In San Juan, there is a theater named after him. His music can still be appreciated in concerts today. In Ponce, he is recognized at the Ponce Park of the Illustrious Ponce Citizens.''Music.''
Travel Ponce.com. Retrieved October 3, 2013.

References

External links

Revista Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tavarez, Manuel Gregorio 1843 births 1883 deaths Puerto Rican composers Puerto Rican male composers Puerto Rican people of French descent Burials at Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro Musicians from Ponce 19th-century composers 19th-century male musicians 19th-century Puerto Rican musicians