Castellanos: Santa Cruz de Pacairigua

Evencio Castellanos belonged to the generation of Venezuelan composers who established a new nationalistic style in the first half of the 20th century. One of his best known works, Santa Cruz de Pacairigua pays homage to the construction of a church in Guatire, near Caracas, quoting popular dance rhythms and melodies, as well as a Venezuelan medieval carol. El Río de las Siete Estrellas (The River of the Seven Stars), inspired by a poem about the Orinoco River, describes events of pre-colonial Venezuelan history leading up to the country’s independence in 1821. The Suite Avileña, a compilation of scenes alluding to the coastal mountain of El Ávila, borrows from popular songs and Christmas carols, and features the cuatro (a four-stringed version of the European classical guitar) and maracas, two of the most typical Venezuelan folk instruments.