The vocal music of Ernesto Cordero: an interpretive guide for four of his vocal works with a focus on the folkloric musical elements of Puerto Rico and Latin America present in his music

This document looks at the folkloric elements of Puerto Rico and Latin America found in the vocal music of Ernesto Cordero and provides a performance guide with IPA and translations of four of his vocal pieces. The four pieces selected for evaluation are written for medium voice and fall into four groups: art song, chamber music, classical/popular hybrid, and Latin American bolero. The first group is represented by Madrugada (Early Morning; 1967), the second group by Cantata al Valle de Mexico (Cantata to the Valley of Mexico) third movement; the third group, songs influenced by popular Latin American music, is represented by Entre Guitarra y Voz (Between Guitar and Voice, 1996); the fourth group consists of songs written in the style of the popular Latin American bolero, exemplified by Yo Que No Siento Ya (I who no longer feel, 1993). In their harmonies and rhythms, the songs reflect elements drawn from the folkloric music of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, specifically the decima and the seis.The document examines Corderos songs based on his Puerto Rican heritage, the songs texts in their cultural literary contexts, and provides translations along with the IPA guide to pronunciation. Finally, the document provides suggestions for performance practice as it pertains to the Puerto Rican and Caribbean musical elements.