Ataúlfo Argenta

Spanish Classical Conductor and Pianist

Spanish pianist and conductor. Born 19/11/1913 in Castro Urdiales, Cantabria - Died 21/01/1958 in Los Molinos, Madrid. Married with Juana Pallarés Guisasola. Died at 44 years old. Founded the Orquesta de Cámara de Madrid in 1944. Founder of "Orquesta de Radio Nacional" playing everyday on radio broadcasting and also pianist in Orquesta Nacional De España finally focused as titular conductor of Orquesta Nacional De España since 1947 until his death, he conducted 80 concerts with the orchestra in one year. He made his London conducting debut in June 1948 with the London Symphony Orchestra as part of the London Music Festival at the Harringay Arena. In his later years he focused to record a lot of zarzuela works. One of the greatest Spanish conductors of all times. Father of Fernando Argenta. The bulk of Argenta's recorded legacy consists of recordings of over 50 zarzuelas with Alhambra (label belongs to Spanish Columbia). He also was to record perhaps as many as 80 classical pieces, many for Decca, such as Hector Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique with the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra. For example, his famous stereophonic demonstration record "España!", with the London Symphony Orchestra, made at Kingsway Hall in January 1957, featured Spanish-themed music by mostly non-Spanish composers. Other recordings include Manuel de Falla's El Amor Brujo with Ana María Iriarte, Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez with Narciso Yepes, Falla's Nights in the Gardens of Spain with Gonzalo Soriano, and more obscurely, his recordings of Francisco Escudero and Maurice Ohana.