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

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

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 Municipalities of Guatemala, municipality (population 68,819 at 2018 census) in the Guatemalan department of Alta Verapaz. It is located approximately 29 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 (), 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 Guatemala City. A ...

, 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 B ...

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 (figu ...

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 tacti ...

San Juan Chamelco San Juan Chamelco is a town and a municipality in the Guatemalan department of Alta Verapaz. The municipality is situated at 1,350 metres above sea level and covers an area of 228 km2. The annual festival is on June 24. At the 2018 census, th ...

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

Guatemala City Guatemala City (, also known colloquially by the nickname Guate), is the Capital city, national capital and largest city of the Guatemala, Republic of Guatemala. It is also the Municipalities of Guatemala, municipal capital of the Guatemala Depa ...

, 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 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 ...

and Quetzaltenango Departments. 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 a municipality and namesake department in western Guatemala. The city is located in a mountain valley at an elevation of above sea level at its lowest part. It may reach above ...

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, an ...

, he spent the last years of his life in the

Polochic River The Polochic River () is a river in eastern Guatemala. The 194 kilometers long river 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 ...

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