The final product of this thesis is a high-quality recording of selected piano works by Juan Francisco García. Juan Francisco García (1892-1974), a Dominican composer, was a prominent figure in the classical music scene of the Dominican Republic during the first half of the twentieth century. As a pioneer who fostered the nationalistic musical movement in the Dominican Republic, García sought to create compositions that sounded authentically Dominican. Garcia accomplished this goal through his piano works, which are distinctly expressive, and abridged compositions exhibiting beautiful lyrical melodies and attractive rhythmic qualities.
García’s piano music displays a rich variety of compositional approaches. In his early works he employed a traditional classical language, followed by impressionist and modern techniques in his later compositions. Regardless of compositional style, his piano compositions integrate various elements of Dominican folk music and dances; their programmatic and dancing nature call for an imaginative and expressive playing.
The chosen pieces for this project are fine examples of Garcia’s style and show the journey of his development as a composer. This recording includes the following three piano suites: Fantasía Indígena para Piano, Suite de Impresiones para Piano and Suite para Piano, as well as seven shorter pieces: Capricho Criollo no. 1, Capricho Criollo no. 2, Quisqueyana: Capricho, Recuerdo Grato: Danza Criolla, Yo me Enceleré: Danza- Merengue, Sambumbia and Ruego: Vals al Estilo Criollo. This recording is the first consisting entirely of piano compositions by García. As a Dominican pianist, I aspire to advance and revive the interest in García’s piano works as well as to present Dominican piano music to both musicians and audiences worldwide.