Ataúlfo Argenta

{{Original research|section|date=February 2008}}

{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2008}}

Argenta was born in Castro Urdiales, a coastal town in Cantabria, where his father was a railroad stationmaster. After his family moved to Madrid in 1925, he enrolled in the Madrid Royal Conservatory, studying under Manuel Fernández Alberdi.{{cite magazine | first = Miguel Ángel | last = Chica | magazine = El Diario | title = Ataúlfo Argenta, una historia sobre el talento | date = 2 December 2017 | url=https://www.eldiario.es/cantabria/cantabros-con-historia/ataulfo-argenta-historia-talento_132_3035105.html | access-date = 24 July 2024}}

Argenta began to conduct the Orquesta Nacional de España (Spanish National Orchestra) more often. In January 1946, his radio contract was not renewed. In 1946, the SNO had begun a search for a replacement for Bartolomé Pérez Casas, the aging conductor of the SNO. The candidates included Franz von Hoesslin, and Argenta renewed his acquaintance with von Hoesslin, who later died in a plane crash. Argenta later became the SNO’s assistant conductor, and in November 1946, the SNO's second conductor. On 2 January 1947, he was named joint director of the SNO, and conducted 80 concerts with the orchestra in one year.{{cite magazine | url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,806721,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222111822/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,806721,00.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=December 22, 2008 | title=Floodlights on the Alhambra | magazine=Time | date=1953-07-13 | access-date=2009-03-22}}

In 1950, Argenta and Juana had their fifth and last surviving child, another girl. They settled in Los Molinos. In November 1950, Argenta conducted the Paris Conservatory Orchestra for the first time and continued to direct them regularly until his death. Also in 1950, Argenta began to conduct a series of recordings of zarzuelas for the Alhambra record label. He eventually made over 50 zarzuela recordings, and recordings of zarzuela selections.{{cite magazine | url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,817870,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222115641/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,817870,00.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=December 22, 2008 | title=New Records | magazine=Time | date=1953-02-02 | access-date=2009-03-22}} He conducted the soundtrack for the film La Cancion de Malibran, which premiered in October 1951.

On 15 February 1954, an article written by Argenta was published in the Madrid arts magazine Ateneo. It strongly criticized the Spanish musical scene under Franco, including criticism of Joaquin Rodrigo. Rodrigo himself responded in print. The resulting controversy forced Argenta to apologize for the article,{{cite magazine | url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,857408,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101116225646/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,857408,00.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=November 16, 2010 | title=Comradely Criticism | magazine=Time | date=1954-03-15 | access-date=2008-02-15}} and caused a rupture in Argenta's relationship with Rodrigo. He made his first appearance with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (OSR) in 1954, which led to several later commercial recordings for Decca.

During the night of 21 January 1958, he died of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning at Los Molinos, Madrid.

In January 2008, the 50th anniversary of Argenta's death was commemorated in Spain with concerts, exhibitions and conferences,[https://archive.today/20120701144404/http://actualidad.terra.es/cultura/articulo/exposicion_argenta_cantabria_2193516.htm Exposición, concierto y conferencias recuerdan Argenta en su Cantabria natal], EFE, January 21, 2008. Retrieved 15 February 2008 as well as the publication of two biographies.Salvador Arias Nieto, Ataúlfo Argenta Una batuta para la historia, Aula de Cultura La Venencia, 2008; Juan González-Castelao, Ataúlfo Argenta (1913-1958): estudio biográfico, analítico e interpretativo , forthcoming June 2008

The bulk of Argenta's recorded legacy consists of recordings of over 50 zarzuelas with Alhambra (Spanish Columbia).{{cite journal | last=Morrison | first=Robert R. | title=Zarzuelas on Records | journal=Hispania | volume=42 | issue=1 | pages=81–83 | date=March 1959 | doi=10.2307/334703 | publisher=American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese | jstor=334703}} He also was to record perhaps as many as 80 classical pieces, many for Decca,Many of these Decca and Alhambra recordings have been released on CD, most notably, Great Conductors of the 20th Century: Ataulfo Argenta (EMI Classics 75097) and The Complete Decca Recordings of Ataúlfo Argenta, 1953-1957 (Decca 4757747/5) such as Hector Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique with the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra. For example, his famous stereophonic demonstration record España!, with the London Symphony Orchestra, made at Kingsway Hall in January 1957, featured Spanish-themed music by mostly non-Spanish composers. Other recordings include Manuel de Falla's El amor brujo with Ana María Iriarte, Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez with Narciso Yepes, Falla's Nights in the Gardens of Spain with Gonzalo Soriano, and more obscurely, his recordings of Francisco Escudero and Maurice Ohana. RTVE-Musica released a four CD set in 1997 of radio broadcasts featuring Argenta accompanying violinist Arthur Grumiaux in sonatas of Beethoven and Brahms, leading Yehudi Menuhin in the latter's violin concerto (SNO) and Martin Imaz in Francisco Escudero's piano concerto (BRSO), as well as orchestral works of Beethoven (SNO), and with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, works of De Falla, Tchaikovsky, Smetana, and Strauss.

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book

| last = González-Castelao

| first = Juan

| author-link= Juan González-Castelao

| title = Ataulfo Argenta. Claves de un mito de la dirección de orquesta

| publisher = ICCMU

| year = 2008

| location = Madrid

| isbn = 978-84-89457-13-3}}

• {{cite book

| last = Fernandez-Cid

| first = Antonio

| title = Ataulfo Argenta

| publisher = University of Cantabria

| year = 2003

| location = Santander

| isbn = 84-8102-336-1}}

• {{cite book

| last = Fernandez-Cid

| first = Antonio

| title = Ataulfo Argenta

| publisher = Ministerio de Educacion y Ciencas

| year = 1971

| location = Madrid

}}

• {{cite book

| last = Wade

| first = Graham

| title = Joaquin Rodrigo: A Life in Music Travelling to Aranjuez 1901-1939

| publisher = GRM

| year = 2006

| location = UK

| isbn = 978-1-901148-08-4}}

• {{cite journal

| author = ABC Madrid

| title = ABC

| version = Daily Editions

| location = British Library

| date = 1940–1958

| type = microfilm

}}

• {{cite journal

| author = Arriba Madrid

| title = Arriba

| version = Daily Editions

| location = British Library

| date = 1940–1958

| type = microfilm

}}

• {{cite journal

| author = Ateneo Madrid

| title = Ateneo

| version = Twice Monthly Editions

| location = Ateneo Digital Library

| date = 1952–1955

| type = digital

}}

• {{cite journal

| author = Radiotelevision Espanola

| title = Ataulfo Argenta

| version = Biografias

| location = Instituto de Cervantes

| type = Videocassette

}}

• {{cite journal

| author = Ataulfo Argenta

| title = Various Recordings

| location = British & Spanish National Libraries' Sound Archives

| date = 1947–1958

| type = Vinyl & CD

}}

• [http://ataulfoargenta.com/biography/ Biography] and [http://ataulfoargenta.com/biografia/cronologia/ Timeline] on www.ataulfoargenta.com, the official web site of Ataúlfo Argenta (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 February 2008.
• Entry for [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=41:10553~T0 Ataulfo Argenta]{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} on Allmusic. Retrieved 15 February 2008.
• [http://www.fundego.com/cultural/artcult/pintura/alvepeq3.jpg Portrait of Ataúlfo Argenta] painted by the Cantabrian artist Gerardo de Alvear (1887–1964). Retrieved 15 February 2008.
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20081120062012/http://ocne.mcu.es/descargas/OCNE_3CICLOIII.pdf Juan González-Castelao, Biography of Ataúlfo Argenta in the Orquesta Nacional de España programme for «Homenaje a Ataúlfo Argenta», January 25, 26, 27, 2008, pp. 5-12]

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{{succession box | title=Principal Conductor, Orquesta Nacional de España | before=Bartolomé Pérez Casas | years=1947–1958 | after=Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos

}}

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{{Spanish National Orchestra principal conductors}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Argenta, Ataulfo}}

Category:1913 births

Category:1958 deaths

Category:People from Castro Urdiales

Category:Musicians from Cantabria

Category:Spanish male conductors (music)

Category:Madrid Royal Conservatory alumni

Category:20th-century Spanish conductors (music)

Category:20th-century Spanish male musicians