Although Misa Criolla has been a popular work since the first recording was issued in 1964, until recently there has been little written about the work itself, or its composer, in part because of the unique and localized folk elements that constitute its compositional framework. Composer and pianist Ariel Ramírez spent much of his life studying and promoting the folk traditions of his homeland in Argentina. Once he composed and recorded Misa Criolla, following right on the heels of the second Vatican Council with a newly authorized translation of the mass into Spanish, the work quickly gave him an international presence. While widely admired, Misa Criolla is sometimes viewed with a degree of skepticism by conductors in North America because of a lack of available information related to the traditional elements in the music, the creole instruments used in its scoring, challenges with language and rhythm, and questions about the viability of the available printed score.
This conductor’s guide will seek to demystify the work, focusing on practical issues that conductors face in preparing and presenting Misa Criolla. After establishing a background on the composer and his most popular composition, this guide will examine the traditional dance rhythms and song forms that create a structural backbone for each movement, providing examples from regional folk traditions. Primary areas addressed will also include a discussion and comparison of existing editions, problems associated with existing scores, instrumental parts, and the role of improvisation, as well as a detailed examination of conducting and rehearsal concerns and a comprehensive IPA transcription of the text. The aim of this document is to aid conductors in their efforts to present informed and successful performances of Misa Criolla.