The Story Behind Andres Contrabandista: Oscar Navarro's Tribute To His Grandfather (PDF 19)
Andres Contrabandista: A Musical Tribute to Oscar Navarro's Grandfather
Andres Contrabandista is a pasodoble composed by Oscar Navarro, a Spanish composer and clarinetist. It was premiered in 2012 by the Symphonic Band of the Superior Conservatory of Music "Oscar Espla" of Alicante, conducted by Joan Iborra[^1^]. The piece is dedicated to Navarro's grandfather, Andres, who was a smuggler during the Spanish Civil War and the post-war period[^2^].
The Story Behind Andres Contrabandista: Oscar Navarro's Tribute to His Grandfather (PDF 19)
The pasodoble is a musical genre that originated in Spain and is typically played at bullfights, festivals and parades. It has a lively tempo and a characteristic rhythm that alternates between 2/4 and 6/8 meters. Navarro's Andres Contrabandista follows this tradition, but also incorporates elements of Spanish folklore and history, such as the use of modal scales, flamenco guitar effects, castanets and percussion instruments[^3^].
The piece begins with a fanfare that introduces the main theme, played by the brass section. This theme represents the smuggler's courage and adventurous spirit. The theme is then repeated by the woodwind section, with variations and embellishments. The second theme, played by the saxophones and clarinets, is more lyrical and expressive, and reflects the smuggler's love for his family and homeland. The two themes are then combined and contrasted in different sections of the band, creating a dynamic and colorful musical dialogue. The piece ends with a triumphant recapitulation of the main theme, followed by a coda that features a solo clarinet playing a virtuosic cadenza[^4^].
Andres Contrabandista is one of Navarro's most popular and performed works, along with Maria Teresa Lacruz, another pasodoble dedicated to his grandmother. It showcases Navarro's talent as a composer and a clarinetist, as well as his admiration for his grandfather's legacy. The piece is available in PDF format for download from Navarro's official website.
If you want to learn more about Oscar Navarro and his music, you can visit his website or follow him on social media. You can also listen to his recordings on Spotify or YouTube. You can also watch a video of the premiere performance of Andres Contrabandista by clicking on the link below.
Andres Contrabandista - Oscar Navarro - YouTube
Oscar Navarro is one of the most prominent and prolific composers of contemporary wind band music. He was born in Novelda, Alicante, in 1981. He began his musical studies at the age of eight, playing the clarinet. He later studied composition and conducting at the Superior Conservatory of Music of Murcia and the Royal Conservatory of Music of Madrid. He also studied film scoring at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He has won several awards and scholarships for his compositions, such as the Jerry Goldsmith Award, the Global Music Award and the BMI Film Scoring Scholarship.
Navarro's music is influenced by his Spanish roots, as well as by classical, jazz, pop and film music genres. He has composed more than 50 works for wind band, orchestra, chamber ensemble and solo instruments. Some of his most famous works include The Fly (a clarinet concerto), Downey Overture (a tribute to his mentor Bruce Broughton), Legacy (a symphony for band), Paradise (a saxophone concerto) and Exodus (a symphonic poem). He has also composed music for films, documentaries, video games and musicals.
Navarro's music has been performed by prestigious ensembles and soloists around the world, such as the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Spanish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra, the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, the US Army Band "Pershing's Own", the Dallas Wind Symphony, the Cincinnati Wind Symphony, the World Youth Wind Orchestra Project and many others. He has also conducted his own music in several countries, such as Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Japan, China and the United States.
Navarro is currently based in Los Angeles, where he works as a composer and a clarinetist. He is also a professor of composition and orchestration at the Berklee College of Music in Valencia. He is a Yamaha artist and a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and the Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL). He is also the founder and director of the Oscar Navarro Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports young musicians and composers. 04f6b60f66