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Music of Federico Garcia Lorca (1899-1936)
Canciones Populares Antiguas

Gina Sikora (soprano) Stephen B. Wilson (piano) 


   [1-3] Introductions and History                                     
   [4]    Anda, Jaleo ........................................................................................ 2:43
   [5]    Los Cuatro Muleros............................................................................ 2:15 
   [6]    Las Tres Hojas ................................................................................... 2:09

   [8]    Los Mozos de Monleon ..................................................................... 5:27
   [9]    Las Morillas de Jaen .......................................................................... 2:40
 [10]    Sevillanas del siglo XVIII ................................................................... 3:22

 [12]    El Cafe de Chinitas	 ....................................................................... 4:04
 [13]    Nana de Sevilla .................................................................................. 3:56
 [14]    Romance pascual de los Pelegrinitos ............................................ 3:46

 [16]    Romance de Don Boyso ..................................................................... 5:39
 [17]    Los Reyes de la Baraja ....................................................................... 1:23

 [19]    Zorongo gitano ..................................................................................... 3:36

 Total playing time 51:34
Los Cuatro Muleros: (CD Track 5 Sample)

Federico Garcia Lorca

Federico Garcia Lorca was born in 1898 in a small town a few miles from Granada, and spent his youth in this region of Andalucia in Spain.He attended the University of Granada as a student of law, but failed several courses, being distracted by his true interests: writing poetry, painting, playing the piano, reading 19th century Spanish Romantics as well as Shakespeare and the classic dramas of Spain and Greece.

García Lorca moved to Madrid in 1919, and made his new home in the "Residencia de estudiantes." Here he joined a generation of artists who would revolutionize Spanish culture. The painter Salvador Dalí lived there, as did filmmaker Luis Bunuel. So too did many of the young poets who would become members of the Generation of '27.

In the 1920s, Garcia Lorca published poetry, his plays were performed, he had an exhibition of his paintings in Barcelona, and compiled the Canciones Populares Antiguas or ancient popular songs that are the subject of this recording. It was a time of Garcia Lorca's greatest success.

In the 1930s, Garcia Lorca showed an increasing focus on social issues. Although he was apolitical, when asked about his political affiliations he would respond, "I am on the side of the poor."

Unfortunately, the Fascists in Spain were truly political.

In August 1936, at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, Federico Garcia Lorca was taken to an isolated spot not far from Granada, which in Arabic is called "the spring of tears". There, he was executed by the followers of Francisco Franco. To this day, no one knows where his body rests.

Stephen B. Wilson (piano)

Stephen B. Wilson earned his Doctor of Arts degree in conducting from Ball State University in 1983 and joined the faculty of SUNY Cortland in 1985. A former chair of the Department of Music, he teaches choral ensembles, music theory, and conducting. In 1992 he received the prestigious Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. He has performed as pianist and conductor for musical theater, ballet, and opera productions since 1970. His many choral and vocal arrangements have been performed all over the country. For nearly twelve years Dr. Wilson has been the organist and choir director at Preble Congregational Church.

Gina Sikora (soprano)

Ms. Sikora (Roxana Mori) studied voice in her native Perú with the famous coloratura soprano Lucrecia Sarria. At the age of 16 she began to sing professionally with the international company of zarzuelas and operettas under the direction of Faustino García, touring South America. Her zarzuela repertoire included about 40 zarzuelas, operettas and revistas. At 18 she received the prestigious "Pluma de Plata" award for outstanding performances presented by the circle of journalist . After arriving in the US, she studied music at Stony Brook University. Since coming to Cortland, she has studied voice with Marion Hanson. Dr. Sikora has appeared as soloist with the Choral Union under the direction of Stephen Wilson performing Haydn's The Creation, Handel's Messiah, Rossini's Stabat Mater, Bach's Magnificat, Fauré's Requiem, J. Rutter's Magnificat and Saint Saen's Christmas Oratorio. She earned her doctorate in comparative literature at Binghamton University. Her most recent performances were with Stephen Wilson in San José, Costa Rica (where she presented this program of Piazzolla's vocal tangos for Veritas University), in New York City the zarzuela Luisa Fernanda. She has also presented a concert of Tango for the new Center for the Arts in Homer, a concert at the Ithaca Festival and a mini-concert in Cortland for the Arts in the Park, at the end of July 2005. For the fall of 2005, she has been invited to sing during the celebrations of the Latino Heritage Month, in Ithaca and to perform as a soloist in Beethoven's Mass in C and the Elegisher Gesang with the Choral Union of SUNY Cortland.

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