Pilar López Júlvez

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Pilar López Júlvez (born June 4, 1912 in San Sebastián , † March 25, 2008 in Madrid ) was a Spanish dancer and choreographer . A focus of her dance, but not its exclusive subject, was flamenco .

Life

Childhood and youth

Pilar was the youngest of three daughters of the cloth merchant couple Félix López and Dominica Júlvez. Her sister Encarnación, who was fifteen years older than her, was already on the point of becoming a star of the variety shows as a singer and dancer under the stage name La Argentinita . Pilar was born in San Sebastián, where the family liked to stay because of the milder climate. However, the real place of residence of the family was Madrid. That's where she grew up. Like her older sister years earlier, her parents let her attend Julia Castelao's academy. She studied piano, singing and solfège with Amparo Gutiérrez . At the age of five, on the occasion of a homage to her older sister, she won a prize for Solfège in Santander and amazed the audience with her dance. On the occasion of an appearance in Malaga, the newspaper El Popular said:

«En esta secunda sección, tomará parte Pilarcita López, hermana de La Argentinita, con un escogido programa de sevillanas, jotas, burlerías, y la famosa zambra gitana. (...)
Muy aplaudida fue anoche Pilarcita López, en unión de su hermana La Argentinita, demostrándonos ser una excelente bailarina. »

“Little Pilar López, sister of La Argentinita, will contribute to this second part with a selected program of Sevillanas , Jotas , Bulerías and the famous Zambra Gitana. (…)
Yesterday evening little Pilar López received a big applause at the side of her sister La Argentinita, when she showed us that she is an excellent dancer. "

- El Popular, June 19 and 24, 1918

Pilar often went to the Teatro Romea and received further training from her sister, Pastora Imperio and other leading artists. She gave her first commercial performances at the age of 12 and was a trained professional dancer at the age of 15. She appeared in various vaudeville shows in Madrid: In Price , Príncipe Alfonso , Teatro de La Latina , Romea and Principal . In the Sevillian Kursal she got to know La Macarrona and La Malena . The audience in that bar, however, had little feeling for the performances of these excellent dancers, so that they completed the evening performances listless and bored. Behind the scenes, however, Pilar was willing to receive further training from experienced colleagues. During this time she worked on her own piece, in which she played the piano, sang and danced. In 1932 she signed the Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona . Accompanied by two pianists, Lecuona herself and Armando Oréfiche, she performed pieces by Manuel de Falla , Isaac Albéniz , Enrique Granados and some songs by Federico García Lorca . She met Tomás Ríos, a musician in Lecuona's orchestra, whom she later married in New York.

At the side of La Argentinita

In 1933 Pilar López joined the Compañía de Bailes Españoles of her sister La Argentinita. She made her first big appearance in her sister's company in 1933 in Cádiz and Madrid in the role of Lucía in Manuel de Falla's El Amor Brujo . In the following years she performed almost all appearances at their side. One of the exceptions was a series of performances in Madrid in 1934 and 1935 with the dancer Rafael Ortega . The top number of the Compañía de Bailes Españoles at that time was Las Calles de Cádiz . The company toured Spain with her and performed at the Parisian Théâtre des Champs-Élysées .

In 1938 the siblings left Madrid. Under the influence of the Spanish Civil War and subject to reprisals from the Francoist authorities, they emigrated to New York via France . There they performed in front of large audiences at the Majestic Theater , the Metropolitan Opera , Carnegie Hall and the Lewisohn Stadium .

In 1945 La Argentinita died. Pilar López returned to Madrid taking the remains and accompanied by her husband. For several months she fell into deep depression and was unable to perform on stage. Good friends, namely Edgar Neville , Conchita Montes , José Greco and Manolo Vargas , however, convinced her to return to the stage and show the deceased sister's choreographies. This is the best way to live up to her memory.

The Ballet Español by Pilar López

In 1946 Pilar López founded her own company, which, according to her, should not focus on individual stars, including herself, but rather function as a holistic ensemble.

The Ballet Español had its premiere on June 6, 1946 in Madrid with choreographies by La Argentinita and by Pilar Lopez himself. She performed with José Greco, Manolo Vargas, with her own choreography, a soleá to Isaac Albéniz ' Pepita Jiménez and Rafael Ortega on stage. This was followed by the Farruca by Manuel de Falla, Tres bailes del siglo XVIII and Danza XI by Enrique Granados and Escenas castellanas by L. Navarro y Gombau; then after the break El café de chinitas by Federico García Lorca, Agua, azucarillos y aguardiente by Federico Chueca and the Boléro by Maurice Ravel . Pastora Imperio caused a stir with her Soleá to El café de chinitas as well as the simultaneous accompaniment by three guitarists: Niño Pérez , Ramón Montoya and Luis Maravillas . The audience and critics recognized the performance as a homage to La Argentinita and as a continuation of her work. In memory of her, the audience applauded for more than ten minutes.

The successful appearances in Madrid became a springboard for worldwide tours. From 1946 to 1973 the Ballet Español made guest appearances in Edinburgh, Paris, Stockholm, Oslo, Lisbon and Brussels, in Latin America and finally in the Middle and Far East . The repertoire also grew steadily. This is how the choreographies for the pieces of music were gradually created:

  • Puerta de Tierra , Rumores de la Caleta , Triana and El Polo by Isaac Albéniz;
  • El vito by M. Infante;
  • Suite vasca by José María Franco;
  • Alborada del Gracioso by Maurice Ravel;
  • El sombrero de tres picos by Manuel de Falla.

Pilar made a lasting contribution to the history of Spanish dance with three choreographies that she created in 1947 and 1948: Los cabales , Flamencos de la Trinidad and El Zapateado de Perchel .

In Los cabales she danced the Soleá and the Seguiriya . The Soleá presented with the necessary elegance and solemnity. The Seguiriya had only existed as a dance for a few years, thanks to the creativity of Vicente Escudero . Before that, she was only sung and made music. Pilar López enriched Escudero's design with a new form of dialogue between the dancer and the guitar. She brought out her percussive foot technique in a particularly creative way and introduced castanets into the Seguiriya.

In Flamencos de la Trinidad she created an authoritative canon for the Caña . La Argentinita had danced this dance in the United States, but it was virtually unknown on the Spanish stages. Pilar López did not simply take it over, but instead designed it completely new together with Alejandro Vega : as a nuanced, majestic dance with a precise rhythm and an emphatic use of the pauses.

«Pilar baila la caña prestándole la majestad se su ritmo sin necesidad de acudir a contorsiones ya jeribeques fuera de tono; lo baila marcando los pasos y las posturas con la elegancia de lo liso, de lo que se desliza sin aparente esfuerzo. Alejandro Vega, asimismo, marca el baile con fuerza y ​​salero, sin desbordamientos que rayen en el ridículo. "

“In the dance of the Caña, Pilar brings out its majestic rhythm without having to twist and grimace; she dances and marks the steps and postures with simple elegance, sliding without visible effort. Alejandro Vega also marks the dance with strength and grace, without any trace of ridiculous excess. "

- Antonio Díaz Cañabate : Semana , July 10, 1952

In the Zapateado del Perchel , Roberto Ximénez danced a masterly homage to his teacher El Estampío . Also in his further career, after leaving the Compañía of Pilar López, Roberto Ximénez used this dance. He then called it Zapateado del Estampío .

At the beginning of the 1950s, Pilar López brought El concierto de Aranjuez by Jaoquín Rodrigo to the stage. For the three movements of the orchestral piece, she created three choreographies, which she called Atardecer ( evening twilight ), Noche ( night ) and Día ( day ). Ernesto Halffter conducted the orchestra. José Luis Navarro García wrote that the piece was an "extraordinary communication between one of the best pieces of contemporary Spanish music and a highly imaginative choreography."

"No creo exagerar que si afirmo que el“ Concierto de Aranjuez ”es lo más puro que en estos últimos tiempos nos ha presentado como expresión de lo que puede ser un ballet, sin contaminaciones que le son extrañas, sin zarandajas pretenciosas, sin efectes fá , sin concesiones al divismo y, sobre todo, sin literatura. Baile, baile, y nada más que baile. "

“I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that the Concierto de Aranjuez is the purest thing that she (Pilar López) has presented to us lately as an expression of what a ballet can be, without impurities that are alien to it are without vain trivialities, without simple showmanship, without concessions to idolatry and above all without literature. Dance, dance and nothing but dance. "

- Antonio Díaz Cañabate : Semana , July 10, 1952

In 1978, 2001 and 2002 the Ballet Nacional de España performed El concierto de Aranjuez again.

In the 1950s she also created choreographies for:

Madrid Flamenco completed the choreographic work of Pilar López in the 1950s. In this piece she introduced a choreography to the Caracol , a palo that no one had ever danced to on stage before.

In the film Duende y misterio del flamenco , directed by Edgar Neville , Pilar López contributed to a contemporary testimony of Spanish dance. She can be seen performing a selection of flamenco and bolero dances. She danced panaderos and caracoles with her company . Roberto Ximénez can also be seen in this film with his Zapateado del Perchel .

Pilar López as maestra

Many of the dancers who danced in Ballet Español then went through an outstanding artistic career. Antonio Gades joined the company when he was sixteen, Mario Maya when he was fourteen and El Güito when he was only thirteen. “Una de las mejores forjadoras de talentos que ha tenido España” - “one of the best talent makers Spain has ever had”, wrote Juan María Bourio about her. Also noteworthy are:

Surname in Ballet Español Later career
Roberto Ximénez 1948-1954 1955 own company Ballet Español Ximénez-Vargas with Manolo Vargas. Company appearances worldwide. Professorship for dance.
Manolo Vargas 1946-1954 1955 own company Ballet Español Ximénez-Vargas with Roberto Ximénez. Company appearances worldwide.
Paco de Alba 1958–1962 1963 own company. 1963 Premio Nacional de la Interpretación coreográfica and 1967 Premio Base Escandamo for the best dancer.
Curro Velez 1957–? Founder of the famous Tablao El Arenal in Seville.
José el Camborio 1960s Own company with his wife Lucía Real. Appearances in a number of operas by Franco Zeffirelli .
José Toledano ? Own ballet company in the USA; numerous film appearances.
José de la Vega 1956 1960 own company with extensive international tours and performances in the Teatro de le Zarzuela .
Paco de Ronda four years 1960 own company. International career in Europe and USA.
Ángel García ? Founded the Ballet Antología in 1969 .

For other formative personalities who were already professionally trained, the Ballet Español was a further step in their careers, including for Farruco and José Granero .

Collaboration with Manolo Caracol

In 1956 Pilar López joined Manolo Caracol's company . The fact that her husband Tomás Ríos advised this commitment may have played a role in her decision. The project was not a commercial success, but Pilar López commented positively on the artistic quality:

«Yo estaba deseando en el espectáculo que viniera esa soleá porque lo pasaba bárbaro. Soy una gran admiradora (…) de la voz de Manolo Caracol, es un hombre qui tiene algo especial, que no se puede imitar. (...) Tiene un quejido, una cosa especial, una voz única. Lo pasábamos muy bien. "

“I wanted this Soleá to come to the performance because it was great. I am a great admirer (...) of the voice of Manolo Caracol, he is a man who has something special that cannot be imitated. (...) He has a complaint, something special, a unique voice. We had a very good time. "

- Pilar López Júlvez : Ángel Álvarez Caballero: Pilar López: una vida para el baile . La Unión 1997, p. 106 .

In addition, Pilar López became known to an audience that had more affinity for singing than ballet.

Return to independence

After she had fulfilled the contract with Manolo Caracol, she turned back to creating her own choreographies for the theater stages. In 1957 she directed Carmen by Georges Bizet and in the 1960s the Farandole , also by Georges Bizet. She also choreographed Baile de las siete batas and Chuflillas de Cádiz, del Puerto y de Jerez by Soirt. In 1967 she designed the May Day show at the Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid. She staged the celebration as a tribute to Enrique Granados , who was born a hundred years earlier. To the rhythm of the Catalan Sardana , she made the dance groups dance the steps of the typical dances of the individual regions of Spain.

Farewell to the stage

In the 1970s she appeared again with her interpretation of Seguiriya in the television series Rito y geografía del baile . In 1974, on the occasion of a homage to Vicente Escudero, she danced the caña and the fire dance from El amor brujo . After that, she decided it was time to say goodbye to the stage. Sporadically she danced a bulería a few times on a smaller scale . In 1979 she mentored the new production of the Ballet Nacional by Concierto de Aranjuez . Then she withdrew completely into private life. She also turned down the offer of a professorship at the Conservatório de Música y Danza in Madrid . In 2001 and 2002, at an advanced age, she was in charge of another production of Concierto de Aranjuez at the Ballet Nacional. and took part in a homage to Antonio Ruiz Soler in the rooms of his former studio in Madrid.

Pilar López died on March 25, 2008, at the age of 95 in Madrid.

reception

Pilar López is widely recognized as one of the most outstanding Spanish dancers of her time. Navarro García calls her style solemn, simple and serious and precisely because of this majestic. She is also characterized by her masterly use of castanets.

"Pilar baila con fuego, con entrega total, pero siempre dentro de unos límites, los del buen gusto."

"Pilar dances with fire, with complete devotion, but always within certain limits, those of good taste."

- Antonio Díaz Cañabate : Semana , July 10, 1952

Ángel Álvarez Caballero dedicated a detailed biography to her in 1997 on the occasion of the Festival del Cante de las minas in La Unión .

Giulio Cardi wrote on the occasion of a performance of the Sombrero de tres picos :

“Her choreographies are works of maximum intelligence, taste, the science of movement of individuals and groups, narrative liveliness and scenic sensitivity. (....) Her dances and choreographies are characterized by extreme dignity and stylistic sophistication. Her strict school, the thoughtful and profound preparation, the seriousness of the rehearsals, work in (...) every movement, in every composition of the entire dance body, without hindering the natural development of the entire dance body and the expression of the personal talents of each dancer. "

- Giulio Cardi : Voce Adriatica , February 28, 1963

Awards

Doña Pilar López has received a wealth of awards and accolades throughout her life, including:

  • 1944 and 1945 New York Press Prize
  • 1948 Premio Nacional Coreográfico Amadeo Vives
  • 1954 gold medal of the Circulo de Bellas Artes , Madrid
  • 1960 Osaka Festival gold medal
  • 1961 Premio Nacional de Interpretación Coreográfica des Consejo Superior del Teatro
  • 1964 Premio Giralda for the best dancer at the Seville Festival
  • 1965 Lazo de Dama of the Order de Isabel la Católica
  • 1966 Gold Medal for Art, Science and Literature from the Académie Française
  • 1973 Premio Extraordinario de Teatro de Interpretación Coreográfica
  • 1976 Sagittario d'Oro of Italy
  • 1977 National Prize of the Catédra de Flamenencología y Estudios Folklóricos of Jerez de la Frontera
  • 1982 Gold Medal from the Círculo de Bellas Artes , Madrid
  • 1988 Maestra del Baile at the Seville Biennale
  • 1995 Andalusia Gold Medal
  • 2006 Premio Max de Honor de Artes Escenicas

literature

  • Miguel Mora: La memoria del baile . In: El País . Madrid October 1st, 2006 ( elpais.com [accessed on February 15, 2019] Detailed appreciation and biography of Pilar López).

Web links

  • Pilar López. Biography, photos, tributes. In: El Arte de vivir el flamenco. Retrieved February 15, 2019 (Spanish).

References and comments

  1. ↑ a b c José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume II.Signatura Ediciones de Andalucía, Sevilla 2010, ISBN 978-84-96210-71-4 , pp. 259 .
  2. ↑ EFE: Muere a los 95 años la bailarina Pilar López . In: El País . Madrid March 25, 2008 (Spanish, elpais.com [accessed February 12, 2019]).
  3. ↑ Michael Eaude: Obituary: Pilar Lopez . In: The Guardian . April 9, 2008 ( theguardian.com [accessed February 13, 2019]).
  4. ↑ The Spanish language differentiates between Bailarina , dancer, especially ballet dancer, and Bailaora , flamenco dancer. Navarro García expressly writes that she was Bailarina and Bailaora .
  5. ↑ José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume II, p. 121 .
  6. ↑ José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume II, p. 124-126 .
  7. ↑ sic
  8. ↑ José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume II, p. 260 .
  9. ↑ a b c d José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume II, p. 261 .
  10. ^ Montemar: Pilar López y Rafael Ortega, 1935. In: Flamenco de papel. November 27, 2009, accessed February 13, 2019 .
  11. ↑ José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume II, p. 140-142 .
  12. ↑ a b José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume II, p. 262 .
  13. ↑ a b José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume II, p. 263 .
  14. ↑ José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume II, p. 264 .
  15. ↑ José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume II, p. 265 .
  16. ↑ Algunos juicios Críticos sobre Pilar López y su Ballet Español . In: ABC . Madrid December 4, 1949 (Spanish, abc.es [accessed February 13, 2019]).
  17. ↑ a b José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume II, p. 266 .
  18. ↑ a b Kirsten Bachmann: Flamenco (dance): for the instrumentalization of a myth in the Franco era . Logos, Berlin 2009, p. 175 ( google.de [accessed on February 13, 2019]).
  19. ↑ a b José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume II, p. 267 .
  20. ↑ a b c d e f g José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume II, p. 268 .
  21. ↑ Ilitur-gitano Lisardo (uploader): La gran Pilar López y Alejandro Vega - La Caña - Canta Jacinto Almadén. (Video) In: Youtube. May 29, 2013, Retrieved February 13, 2019 (Spanish).
  22. ↑ Ilitur-guitar Lisardo (uploader): Roberto Ximénez - Zapateado - Año 1952. (Video) In: Youtube. June 17, 2013, accessed February 14, 2019 .
  23. ↑ a b Concierto del Aranjuez. In: España es Cultura. Retrieved February 14, 2019 (Spanish).
  24. ↑ a b José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume II, p. 269 .
  25. ^ Roger Salas: El Ballet Nacional repone 'El concierto de Aranjuez' que montó Pilar López . In: El País . Madrid December 20, 2002 (Spanish, elpais.com [accessed February 14, 2019]).
  26. ^ Miguel Mora: Pilar López y El Güito: arte con humor . In: El País . Madrid May 26, 2003 (Spanish, elpais.com [accessed February 15, 2019]).
  27. ↑ a b José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume II, p. 270 .
  28. ↑ Duende y misterio del flamenco (1952) in the Internet Movie Database (English)
  29. ↑ The film title was later simplified to flamenco for performances in the USA .
  30. ↑ José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume II, p. 270-271 .
  31. ↑ a b c d José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume II, p. 274 .
  32. ^ Roberto Ximenez: el bailarin Roberto Ximenez. In: website of the artist. Retrieved February 15, 2019 .
  33. ↑ Manolo Vargas. In: El Arte de Vivir el Flamenco. Retrieved February 15, 2019 (Spanish).
  34. ↑ Curro Velez. In: El Arte de Vivir el Flamenco. Retrieved February 16, 2019 (Spanish).
  35. ^ Roger Salas: José El Camborio, bailarín, bailaor y coreógrafo . In: El País . Madrid April 18, 2009 (Spanish, elpais.com [accessed February 16, 2019]).
  36. ↑ Manuel Ríos Ruiz: Intérpretes . In: El gran libro de flamenco . Volume II. Galambur, Madrid 2002, ISBN 978-84-88015-95-2 , pp. 295 (Spanish, google.de [accessed on February 16, 2019]).
  37. ↑ José de la Vega. In: El Arte de Vivir el Flamenco. Retrieved February 16, 2019 (Spanish).
  38. ^ Paco de Ronda. In: El Arte de Vivir el Flamenco. Retrieved February 16, 2019 (Spanish).
  39. ↑ Angel García. In: El Arte de Vivir el Flamenco. Retrieved February 16, 2019 (Spanish).
  40. ↑ José Granero. In: Danza.es. Retrieved February 16, 2019 (Spanish).
  41. ↑ a b c José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume II, p. 271 .
  42. ↑ Possibly a pseudonym of her husband, see Soirt at Discogs, accessed on February 15, 2019
  43. ↑ José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume II, p. 272 .
  44. ↑ a b c José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume II, p. 273 .
  45. ↑ a b c EFE: Pilar López, puro arte flamenco . In: El Mundo . Madrid March 25, 2008 (Spanish, elmundo.es [accessed February 16, 2019]).
  46. ↑ a b c EFE: Muere a los 95 años la bailarina Pilar López . In: El País . (Spanish, elpais.com [accessed February 15, 2019]).
  47. ↑ a b c José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume II, p. 276 .
  48. ↑ Ángel Álvarez Caballero: Pilar López: una vida para el baile . Ed .: XXXVII Festival de Cante de las minas. La Unión (Murcia) 1997.
  49. ^ Translated according to José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume II, p. 278 . There probably a Spanish translation of an Italian text.
  50. ↑ José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume II, p. 124-126 .
  51. ↑ Chair
personal data
SURNAME López Júlvez, Pilar
ALTERNATIVE NAMES López, Pilar
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Spanish dancer, choreographer and dance teacher
DATE OF BIRTH June 4, 1912
PLACE OF BIRTH San Sebastian
DATE OF DEATH March 25, 2008
Place of death Madrid