Brazil

Heitor Villa-Lobos Bachianas brasileiras Bachianas brasileiras is a set of nine pieces for various instrumental and vocal groups, in which a contrapuntal technique in the manner of Bach is applied to themes of Brazilian origin. Each of his twelve symphonies alludes to a historic event or place.

Chile

Pedro Humberto Allende La Voz de las Calles La Voz de las Calles is a symphonic poem inspired by local merchants’ yells throughout the streets. The work is considered a national exaltation of Chile through music and it premiered at El Teatro Unión Central de Santiago.

Columbia

Guillermo Uribe Holguín  Tres Danzas (Three Dances) Born in Bogotá in 1880, Holguín is perhaps one of Colombia’s most important cultural figures of his time. He composed in many genres and founded the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia. His Tres Danzas represents one of his finest orchestral works.

Uruguay

Pedro Ipuche Riva Concierto para piano y orquesta This concierto for piano and orchestra is one of Riva’s most well-known works. Perhaps one of the most famous Uruguayan composers, Riva became instrumental in establishment of classical music in Uruguay throughout the twentieth century.

Netherlands

Louis Andriessen De Staat De Staat is a large choral work based on Plato’s Republic, sung in the original Greek.

Mexico

Carlos Chávez  Sinfonia No. 2, “Sinfonía india”  “Chávez’s music is unmistakably Mexican in its melodic patterns and rhythmic inflections. From indigenous Mexican music he took the uses of percussion, straightforward rhythms, and old forms of harmony and melody.” (Britannica Online)

Costa Rica

Luis Diego Herra Pieza para Teclado Luis Diego Herra, a modern Costa Rican composer, represents the recent revitalization of classical music in Costa Rica. His “Pieza para Teclado” is a piano composition.

Greece

Manolis Kalomiris  Greek Folk Dance Manolis Kalomiris founded the Greek National School of Music and was one of the most prominent Greek composers of his time. He admired the likes of Richard Wagner and Rimsky-Korsakoff, and he used Greek fold rhythms throughout his compositions. His “Greek Folk Dance” is an example of this trend.

France

Gabriel Faure Requiem The best known of Fauré’s large works, the Requiem contains the famous soprano aria Pie Jesu. Most of the text is in Latin and the composer follows a French Baroque tradition. While only slightly altering the texts of the Introit, Kyrie, Pie Jesu, Agnus Dei, and In Paradisum, Faure dramatically changed the text of the Offertory.

Nigeria

Fela Sowande  Akinla Considered the “father of modern Nigerian art music,” Sowande is the most famous African composer of works in the classical genre. His “Akinla” is a work for chamber orchestra and shows his prowess in composition.

Germany

Richard Wagner  Die Walküre  An opera in three acts, Die Walküre is the second of the four operas that form Wagner’s cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen. The opera is based on Norse mythology and it’s most popular excerpt is the famous “Ride of the Vakyries.”

Algeria

El Hadj M’Hamed El Anka Lahmam Li Rabito Perhaps the most popular Algerian composers and musicians of classical music, El Hadj became known as “The Grand Master of Andalusian classical music.” “Lahmam Li Rabito” is one of his most popular works and clearly shows Andalusian influences.

Argentina

Alberto Ginastera  Don Rodrigo  Don Rodrigo is an opera in three acts to an original Spanish libretto by Alejandro Casona. Plácido Domingo had his international breakthrough by singing the title role at the US premiere of the opera by the New York City Opera.

Switzerland

Frank Martin Le Vin herbe Le Vin herbe is an oratorio based on transcendent erotic themes. Finished in 1940, Frank Martin relates in music the Tristan and Isolde story as told in Joseph Bedier’s novel.

Belgium

César Franck  Symphony in D minor The most famous orchestral work composed by the 19th century Belgian César Franck, the work took two years to complete and premiered at the Paris Conservatory in 1889, just a year before the composer’s death.

United States

Aaron Copland Billy the Kid Aaron Copeland composed the music for this ballet based on the legend of Billy the Kid. The music evokes the image of the American West and prairie life. The ballet was so popular when it debuted that Copland extracted a concert suite from the larger work. This is the form most frequently heard today.