简介：In1866,ArgentinianpoliticianandwriterErnestodelCampohadachancetoseeaperformanceofCharlesGounod'soperaFaustinBuenosAires.TheexperienceinspiredhimtowriteatalecalledElFaustocriollo(TheCreoleFaust),whichfeaturedagauchotellingafriendaboutwatchingaperformanceofFaustinBuenosAires.ThegauchoindelCampo'staleisplainlybothcaptivatedandconfusedbythetheater,theproductionandthemusicitself,andhedescribestheperformanceinhumorousterms.DelCampo'sworkwasimmenselypopularinArgentina,andbecameaclassicofArgentiniangaucholiterature.In1943,AlbertoGinasterawasinthemiddleofhisnationalistperiod,havingalreadywrittenworksliketheArgentinianDancesandtheSongsofTucamanwhichcelebratedthemelodiesandrhythmsofArgentinianfolkmusic.ElFaustocriolloseemedanaturalsubjectforGinastera,andsohewroteOvertureforTheCreoleFaustinwhichponderousEuropeanmusic(basedpartiallyonafewthemesfromGounod'sopera)competeswithboisterousArgentinianmusic,withdelightfulresults.Imposingchordsopentheoverture,followedbyalow,forebodingstringmelody.Thismelodymovesgraduallyintoahigherregister,andbecomesfasterandfaster,untilwithoutwarningtheorchestrabreaksoutintoahigh-spiritedArgentiniandance.Fortherestoftheoverture,Ginasteracontraststhetwostylesofmusic.TheEuropeanmusicisgenerallywrittenformassedstringsandheavybrass,whiletheArgentinianmusicemphasizeswoodwindsandexoticpercussion.Thus,whenGinasterabringsthewoodwindsintoafugatothathadformerlybeenforstringsalone,wecansensethatthemusicwillmoveintotheArgentinianmodesoon.Thetwomusicscontinuetoyieldunexpectedlytoeachotheruntilthework'send,whenthebigopeningchordscomebackandgivewayonelasttimetoaspiriteddancethatclosesthework.Ginastera'sOvertureforTheCreoleFaustisaskillfulworkthatstaysclosetotheexuberantspiritofitsoriginaltext.…