From enduring extreme poverty and personal hardship to creating a piece that would captivate audiences around the world (and beyond!), Joaquín Rodrigo’s life and work are an inspiring testament to the power of music. Read on for six fast facts about the composer of the iconic Concierto de Aranjuez.
1. He Turned Adversity Into Art
Joaquín Rodrigo faced challenges most of us can’t imagine. At just three years old, he lost his sight due to diphtheria, a disease that nearly claimed his life. Despite his blindness, Rodrigo found strength in music, later stating that his loss of sight fueled his creativity. According to his daughter Cecilia, Rodrigo maintained that “it was blindness which led him to music, giving him a greater inner world, and that he would probably not have been a musician without it.”
2. His Creative Process Was Extraordinary
Rodrigo composed every piece in Braille, then dictated each note, bar, and alteration to a copyist, who transcribed it for him. It was a painstaking process, but didn’t slow him down—his output was prolific and his symphonies are complex!
3. He Was Not a Guitarist
He composed a guitar concerto that is not only the instrument’s most popular, but is also one of the most beloved works of the 20th century, yet he wasn’t a guitarist. He was a pianist who wrote mostly vocal, piano, and orchestral music.
4. Concierto de Aranjuez Wasn’t Always a Hit
When Concierto de Aranjuez premiered in Spain in 1940, it met with a lukewarm reception. Fast forward to today and it’s one of the most recognized and performed Spanish compositions worldwide, with royalties earned bested only by The Macarena and Ricky Martin’s Maria.
5. It Crossed Musical Frontiers
Rodrigo’s masterpiece has been reimagined by everyone from jazz icon Miles Davis (Sketches of Spain) to Chick Corea (Spain), Placido Domingo, and even Spinal Tap (Break Like the Wind). Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin even took it to the moon during their historic Apollo 11 mission in 1969. It’s an intergalactic hit!
6. A Devoted Family Man
Rodrigo’s compositions include easy pieces for children, including El Album de Cecilia, which he dedicated to his daughter. According to the New York Times, he woke his daughter and grandchildren seven days a week playing Bach preludes.
Guitar virtuoso Meng Su performs Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez on MOZART SERENITY, on Saturday, February 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, February 2 at 4 p.m. at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. Single tickets start at $50 and at $25 for students 25 and under, and include a free 30-minute pre-concert talk starting one hour before the performance. Buy tickets online or call or visit the Lesher Center Ticket Office at 925.943.7469, Wed – Sun, 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m.
