Rafael Álvarez Ovalle: Biography and Main Contributions

Rafael Álvarez Ovalle was a Guatemalan musician and composer born on October 24, 1858 in San Juan Comalapa. He died at the age of 88, on December 26, 1946, in Guatemala City.

Álvarez stood out for mastering several musical instruments, among them the flute, the guitar, the piano and the violin.

In addition, in his career as a composer highlights his authorship of the national anthem of Guatemala.

Throughout his life he received a great number of tributes from the government of the country, as well as several awards and recognitions.

After his death, the government of Guatemala decreed the national mourning and paid his funeral.

Biography

Rafael Álvarez Ovalle was born in the city of San Juan Comalapa in 1858. His father, Rosendo Álvarez, was the director of the music school of his city; he was the first to start educating him in music.

When his father died in 1874, Rafael replaced him as music director of the school of Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa, where he was working since 1871. During this time Rafael married Anita Minera de García, with whom he had 8 children.

Later, in 1879, he went to the capital of Guatemala to continue his musical studies and learned to play the flute and the pícolo quickly.

In this period he also started playing in the Marcial Band under the direction of Emilio Dressner, who saw his potential and set out to help him.

Under the tutelage of Dressner, Rafael began to learn harmony and instrumentation, and began to create his first compositions. This relationship lasted until 1885, when Dressner returned to Germany.

In 1887 Rafael participated in a contest to choose the music of the national anthem of Guatemala.

In this edition of the contest the lyrics of Ramón Pereira Molina had been chosen, and the score chosen to accompany it was that of Rafael Álvarez. At this time the composer was only 28 years old.

However, the result of this contest was never made official, so several years later, in 1896, a contest was opened to choose music and lyrics for the anthem.

Although the chosen lyrics were different (this time written by an anonymous author), Rafael Álvarez won again with his music.

The election of the hymn became official in February of 1897, and this one was interpreted for the first time in March of that year in the theater Columbus: the students of the National Conservatory of Guatemala sang it directed by Rafael.

During his life the composer founded several orchestras, among them the Central American School and the female orchestra of the Instituto Normal Central for Señoritas Belén.

He received several tributes throughout his life, and after his death the government declared a national day of mourning.

Contributions

One of his most outstanding contributions was his great work to spread the typical Guatemalan music.

It also highlights the composition of the music of the national anthem of Guatemala, and other Guatemalan waltzes and sones of great importance for this country.

In addition, f He played several orchestras throughout his life, integrating young people and promoting the importance of musical education in Guatemala.

As a teacher The National Conservatory of Music, Rafael Álvarez had a strong influence on the students and was the precursor of the formation of several musical groups, always with the main purpose of propagating the music of Guatemala.