(b. 1948, San José).
Costa Rican composer of mostly orchestral, chamber, choral, vocal, and piano works that have been performed in the Americas, Europe and elsewhere.
Prof. Alfagüell studied composition and piano at the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica in Heredia from 1966–76. He then had postgraduate studies in composition with Brian Ferneyhough and Klaus Huber at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg in Freiburg im Breisgau from 1976–80.
Among his numerous honours are the Premio Nacional en Composición from the government of Costa Rica (1982, for Sonata para la mano izquierda, Op. 14 and Episodios sinfónicos, Op. 19; 2001, for Sonata quasi un claro de luna, Op. 111; 2007, for Concierto para la mano izquierda y orquesta [concerto no. 3], Op. 145). He has also received the Premio Ancora in San José (1975, for Trío, Op. 5) and the Premio Jorge Volio from the Colegio de Licenciados y Profesores in San José (1985, for Otra piecita posterior a Beethoven, Op. 22; 2002, for Otra sinfonía de despedida, Op. 102). In addition, his Diálogo guerrero místico, Op. 15 was selected for performance at the Tribuna Musical de América Latina y el Caribe in Rio de Janeiro (1985). His music has been performed in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Italy, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Togo, Uruguay, the USA, and Venezuela.
He has taught analysis of 20th-century music, creative music, music appreciation, and music history as a professor at the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica since 1975.
SELECT LIST OF WORKS (note that occasionally more than one work carries the same opus number; these works share material, a trait in common with works having 'a' or 'b' in the opus number, but these similarities are not mentioned in each listing)
STAGE:
Cocorí (ballet in 2 acts), Op. 30, 1987
Operativo TN...T (zarzuela in 2 acts, libretto by Alberto Cañas Escalante), Op. 88, 1997
Pedro nada más (opera in 4 scenes, libretto by Mario Benedetti), Op. 140, 2002
Pablo José (opera in 2 acts, libretto by Roxana Campos), Op. 150, 2004
Fábula del bosque (opera, libretto by Fernando Centeno Güell), Op. 173, 2006–07
ORCHESTRAL:
Episodios sinfónicos, large orchestra, Op. 19, 1982
Once Proporciones, string orchestra, Op. 21, 1983
Sinfonía vocal y participativa, mezzo-soprano, speaker, choruses, orchestra, Op. 40, 1989
Sinfonía vocal y participativa, mezzo-soprano, speaker, mixed chorus, orchestra, Op. 41, 1989
Sinfonía Coral Morazán, mezzo-soprano, baritone, mixed chorus, large orchestra, Op. 57, 1992
Otra sinfonía de despedida (texts from indigenous sources from Costa Rica, Fernando Centeno Güell), soprano/mezzo-soprano, speaker, small orchestra, Op. 102, 1998
Dúo concertante, 2 timpani, large orchestra, Op. 108, 1999
Concierto de temporal, violin, large orchestra, Op. 115, 2000
Mo (cuento sinfónico, text by Lara Ríos), speaker, small orchestra, Op. 120, 2001
Sinfonía Coral, Móvil Participativa, any number of voices, large orchestra, Op. 125, 2001
Oratorio Collage (text by Jorge Debravo), soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone, mixed chorus, orchestra, Op. 147, 2003
Concierto para piano y orquesta (concerto no. 1), piano, small orchestra (flute, 2 clarinets, 4 or more guitars, strings), Op. 131, 2001 (also version for piano, small orchestra [flute, 2 clarinets, 2 guitars, string quartet, double bass], Op. 131a, 2001)
Concierto para la mano izquierda y orquesta (concerto no. 2), piano left hand, small orchestra, Op. 145, 2003
Concierto doble (concerto no. 3), cello, piano, small orchestra (12 players), Op. 152, 2004
Sinfonía (de Temporal), large orchestra, Op. 160, 2005
Móvil con cierto temporal (concerto no. 5, text by Emilia Prieto), male falsetto voice, piano, variable orchestra, Op. 163, 2005
Concierto, French horn, small orchestra (harp, timpani, marimba, tubular bells, strings), Op. 168, 2005
Concierto (concerto no. 4), piano, orchestra, Op. 162, 2006
CHAMBER MUSIC:
Preludio, Fuga y Postludio, any 4 voices/players, Op. 3, 1971
Trío, violin, cello, piano, Op. 5, 1972–75
Motete, any 3 voices/players, Op. 9, 1979
Cuarteto para arcos, string quartet, Op. 10, 1979
Diálogo guerrero místico, Op. 15, 1981
Cuarteto para arcos, string quartet, Op. 20, 1982
Elegía, 5 trumpets, Op. 43, 1990
Cinco Estructuras de Temporal, speaker, flute, clarinet, piano, Op. 58, 1992
Puente marimba, marimba, Op. 71, 1994
Dos Retratos de José Martí, baritone, bassoon, guitar, marimba, Op. 71a, 1995
Sonatina para flauta de amor y timbal, alto flute, timpani, Op. 110, 2000
Siete Sonatinas, violin, piano, Op. 117, 2001
Sonatina, 2 marimbas (4 players), Op. 118, 2001
Sonata de temporal para marimba, Op. 127, 2001
TríOpus 146 (participation piece; all performers and audience also speak text by Humberto Ak'abal), double bass, piano, percussion, audience, Op. 146, 2003
Dúo, violin, güiro (+ rainstick, wave drum), Op. 149, 2003
Concertante para dos cuartetos de arcos y contrabajo obligado, double bass obbligato, ensemble (2 string quartets), Op. 154, 2004
Sonata para violín y guitarra, guitar, violin, Op. 165, 2005
Impromptu, violin, Op. 171, 2005
CHORAL:
Coral figurado (text from the Lauda a la Trinidad [13th century]), 2 male voices, trumpet, violin, bass guitar, Op. 1, 1969
Cantata navideña latinoamericana (texts from indigenous sources from Costa Rica), mixed chorus, Op. 6, 1976
Ofertorio (text from the Misa Campesina Nicaragüense), any 3 voices, Op. 8a, 1978
Ocho Montepulcianones, mixed chorus, Op. 9, 1978
Cantata sacrílega (texts from indigenous sources from Costa Rica), mixed chorus, ensemble, Op. 12, 1979
Motetes místicos y obscenos (texts from the Dies Iræ, indigenous sources from Costa Rica), mixed chorus, Op. 11, 1979–80
He guardado, Cañas dulces, mixed chorus, Op. 13, 1981
Tríptico fúnebre, mixed chorus, ensemble, Op. 27b, 1986
Suite Cocoralí, mixed chorus, Op. 29, 1987
Misa I, 'Poliecuménica', mixed chorus, Op. 31, 1988
Once Cánones, mixed chorus, Op. 32, 1988
44 Cánones (texts from indigenous sources from Costa Rica), mixed chorus, Op. 44, 1989
Button, mixed chorus, Op. 48, 1991
Dos Cánones que son para perder el sueño, mixed chorus, Op. 51, 1991
Canciones poéticas y populares para Mario José, 2 female voices, Op. 52, 1991
Siete Estudios interválicos para Irene, mixed chorus, Op. 53, 1991
Ocho Estudios interválicos para Carmen María, mixed chorus, Op. 54, 1991
Motete, male chorus, Op. 58, 1992
Once Oraciones (texts by Beata María Romero, indigenous sources from Costa Rica), equal chorus, Op. 62, 1993
VOCAL:
Canción ingrata, female voice, Op. 18, 1982
Cinco Canciones costarrecientes, voice, violin, piano, Op. 23, 1984
Por los caminos del cuento y la aventura, voice, ensemble, Op. 24, 1985
Agnus Dei, soprano, French horn, 2 trumpets, trombone, tuba, harp, organ, Op. 26, 1985
Serenata (text by Juan Rulfo), soprano, piano, Op. 33, 1989
30 Canciones para la patria de ayer y mañana, voice, piano, Op. 81, 1996
Siete Canciones amerindias (texts from indigenous sources from Costa Rica), soprano, piano, Op. 165a, 2005
Siete Canciones amerindias (texts from indigenous sources from Costa Rica), soprano, large orchestra, Op. 166, 2005
PIANO:
Homenaje a Beethoven, Op. 4, 1970
Preludio, Villancico y Coral, Op. 7, 1976
Sonata para la mano izquierda, piano left hand, Op. 14, 1982
Siete Invenciones para la mano izquierda, piano left hand, Op. 16, 1982
Siete Valses corriente, Op. 17, 1982
Otra piecita posterior a Beethoven, Op. 22, 1984
Sonata, Op. 28, 1987
Sonata para la mano izquierda, piano left hand, Op. 46, 1990
Cinco Sonatas, Op. 49, 1990–91
Siete Piezas para perder el tempo, piano 4 hands, Op. 51a, 1991
Sonatina, Op. 59, 1992
95 Estudios de temporal, Op. 59, 1992
32 Vagabunderías para piano bien temperamental, Op. 63, 1993
Sonata quasi un claro de luna, Op. 111, 2000
Estudios corales e Intermezzos, Op. 143, 2003
Doce Piezas para los 12 años de Irene Alfaro Méndez, Op. 144, 2003
Quince Piezas, Op. 154a, 2004
Sonata, Op. 168c, 2005
ORGAN:
30 Meditaciones, Op. 66, 1994
Libro para órgano, Op. 105, 1998
Libra II para órgano, Op. 170, 2005