Carlo Curti

This article is about the mandolinist, composer and bandleader in the US and Mexico. For the composer for cello and piano in Italy, see Carlo Curti (1807-1872).
Carlo Curti from his 1896 book, Complete Method for the Mandolin, published by T.B. Harms of New York and London.

Carlo Curti (1859, Potenza - 1926, Mexico City), also known as Carlos Curti, was an Italian immigrant to the United States whose most lasting contribution to American society was popularizing the mandolin in American music by starting a national "grass-roots mandolin orchestra craze" (that lasted from 1880 until the 1920s).[1][2][3][4][5]

He also contributed to Mexican society in 1884 by creating one of Mexico's oldest orchestras, the Mexican Typical Orchestra. The orchestra under his leadership represented Mexico at the New Orleans Cotton Exhibition.[6] As with his Spanish Students, Curti dressed his Mexican band in costumes, choosing the charro cowboy outfit.[6][7] The patriotic value of having Mexico represented on the international stage gave a boost to mariachi bands (which had normally been repressed by social elites); the mariachis began using charro outfits as Curti's orchestra had done, expressing pride in being Mexican.[7][8] Curti's Orquestra Típica Mexicana has been called the "predecesor of the Mariachi bands."[9]

He was an orchestra leader, composer, educator at the Conservatorio Nacional de Música (Mexican National Conservatory of Music), xylophonist, violinist, mandolinist and author of a mandolin method. He was the brother to harpist Giovanni (Juan or John) Curti.[10][11][12]

Spanish Students (1880 — 1884)

Advertisement for a December 1880 show that included "Curti's Original Spanish Students.

About five years after he arrived in the United States (c.1875), Curti saw the opportunity to imitate one of the great acts of his day, the Estudiantina Figaro, also known as the Estudiantina Figueroa or "Spanish Students" troupe, a costumed, dancing, bandurria-playing group from Spain that was touring in the United States (as well as the United Kingdom and parts of South America in the early 1880s).[1][13][14] Curti had experience in show business, working with a small traveling opera, along with his brother John.[1] He took advantage, figuring that people wouldn't see the difference when he (an Italian) pretended to be Spanish.[15] He even started using Carlos, instead of Carlo.[15]

He established a group similar to the Spanish Students, but made up of Italians playing mandolins (because of the similarity to violins, which they knew). The group blatantly used the Spanish Students' name while touring the United States.[1][14] He later admitted what he had done, and started another group or changed his groups' name to the "Roman Students".[14]

The imitators' use of mandolins helped to generate enormous public interest in an instrument previously relatively unknown in the United States.[16][17] They left an impression on the people who saw them, and the mandolin, rather than the bandurria became established in the United States and Europe.[1]

Mexican Typical Orchestra (1884 — 1887)

Beginning in 1884

Mexican Typical Orchestra (La Orquesta Típica de la Ciudad de México) c. 1885. Photo would have been taken while Curti was bandleader, and he has been identified on some websites as sitting on the far right with a bandolón (18 string guitar-sized instrument) leaning against him.

Curti took his knowledge of the elaborate costumed performances he had participated in and organized since coming to the United States, and created a new show in Mexico, what became the Orquesta Típica Mexicana (Mexican Typical Orchestra).[9] The Mexican Typical Orchestra was originally conceived by the salterio player Encarnación García and bandolónist Andrés Díaz de la Vega but its creation was consolidated in the hands of its director and founder, xylophone player and composer Carlos Curti, in August 1884.[6]

It initially consisted of 19 musicians, most of them from the Conservatorio Nacional de Música (Mexican National Conservatory of Music) and distributed as follows:[6][18]

Advertisement for the Mexican Typical orchestra from the Los Angeles Herald, January 21, 1886.

First concert

The orchestra debuted Saturday night September 20, 1884 at a private concert, held at the Conservatory Orchestra's Theatre and alternated in the concert with the Conservatory Orchestra.[21] The Mexican Typical Orchestra played the following five works during the third part of programming:[6][18]

Presidential endorsement

This concert was attended by the president of Mexico, General Porfirio Diaz, who at the time named the group "Orquesta Típica Mexicana".[6][21] The president was interested in supporting the group, because he had issues during his election campaign in which his opponents used folk music as propaganda against him.[15] The president wanted to bring order and stability and modernity to Mexico, and music was one of the tools he used.[22] The "Aires Nacionales Mexicanos" (Mexican National Tunes) put together by Curti along with ethnic instruments like the salterio impressed the General.[15][21]

The orchestra toured Mexico, the United States and Europe.[6][15] They gave performances in several places in the Mexican capital.[21] The orchesta performed at the Arbeu Theater in a performance dedicated to the Honorable Foreign Colonies and to the Mexican students; this was also an audition, performed on December 3, 1884, and of Carlos Curti's arrangement of "Mexican National Tunes" was endorsed.[21] As a result, the orchestra was invited to perform at the New Orleans Universal Expo.[21] Over the next three years the band made several tours; the first to the United States, starting for the Universal Exhibition in New Orleans and continuing to New York and several cities in the US. The second tour started in January 1886, visiting Zacatecas on January 8, and then again the US, Canada and Cuba returning to the City Mexico in July 1887.[21] The band disintegrated abruptly in the city of Puebla, and little is known of its fate after so sudden dissolution.[21] It was understood that the musicians who should return to their academic activities at the National Conservatory of Music that had been abandoned during the touring.[21] Among these was Mr. Curti, who later dedicated himself to conduct the orchestra Circo Orrín. He then formed another group called "Orquesta Mexicana Curti" with made several recordings in New York to with Columbia Records in 1905, 1906 and 1912.

The orchestra after Carlo Curti

The Mexican typical orchestra would continue in 1901 with conductor Juan Velázquez, who was with the orchestra and Carlos Curti during his the second tour.[21] The third lead was Miguel Lerdo de Tejada who organized it as the Orquesta Típica Lerdo in 1901. The orchestra is still in existence, after 120 years, and was declared a "Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Capital" (of Mexico) on May 31, 2011.[23]

Return to the United States

After fourteen years in Mexico, Curti returned to New York in 1897.[24]

Works

My Irish Home sheet music with music by Carlo Curti and words by Joe A. Burgess, published Chicago, 1882.
Skating by Moonlight sheet music for piano, by Carlos Curti, published New York, 1884 by Emanuel Pergament.

Not merely an imitator, Curio was a multi-instrumental musician and a composer as well. He published sheet music as early as 1880 in New York, but also published extensively in Mexico.[25][26]

Recordings

Victor

His compositions were recorded 10 times on Victor Records.[29] including:

Columbia

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Sparks, Paul1995. The Classical Mandolin. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 26–27. ISBN 978-0-19-517337-6.
  2. ↑ "Carlo Curti discovered in New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
  3. ↑ "Charles Curti discovered in 1880 U.S. Federal Census". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
  4. ↑ "Carlos Curti discovered in 1910 U.S. Federal Census". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
  5. ↑ Shepherd, John; Horn, David; Laing, Dave; et al., eds. (2003). Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World Part 1 Performance and Production, Volume 2. A&C Black. p. 444.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Chavez, Humberto Dominguez. "Programa de Cómputo para la Enseñanza: Cultura y Vida Cotidiana: 1900-1920, Historia de México II Primera Unidad: Crisis del Porfiriato y México Revolucionario 1900-1920, La música y el teatro popular de 1900 a 1920". Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Retrieved September 9, 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Mariachi y su Historia". mariachi-sanandres.com. Retrieved September 18, 2015. Rural festivities called "fandangos" or "Mariaches" extended for two or three days of celebration with alcoholic beverages as tequila, elements such as music and were highly despised by the upper classes. Even in 1901 the state government of Michoacan tried to ban the mariachi...Carlos Curti...had the idea to dress as cowboys musicians ...the mariachi costume concept begins to take shape.
  8. ↑ "El Traje de Charro". mariachisinlosangeles.com. October 22, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2015. Charro attire was taken very seriously by the association because it was to commemorate the strength and patriotism of their country...One thing is certain… that traje de charro is not to be taken lightly. Its symbolism is justified by the years of conflict and honorable prestige that the country of Mexico has gained....
  9. 1 2 Castillo, Manuel M. (2014). "Italian and Spanish works of Mexican composerts: Maria Grever, Ignacio Fernandez Esperon "Tata Nacho," and Agustin Lara". The UNiversity of Kentucky UKnowledge, Thesis and Dissertations, Music. The University of Kentucky: 20. Retrieved September 8, 2015. The Orquesta Típica is the predecessor of the Mariachi bands and is the same orchestra that Tata Nacho conducted from 1960-1968.
  10. ↑ "Charles Curti discovered in 1880 U.S. Federal Census". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
  11. ↑ "Carlos Curti discovered in 1910 U.S. Federal Census". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
  12. ↑ "Carlos Curti". mandoisland.de.
  13. ↑ Carlos Curti in the 1910 United States Federal Census Year: 1910; Census Place: Manhattan Ward 12, New York, New York; Roll: T624_1027; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 1420; FHL microfilm: 1375040
  14. 1 2 3 Dickson, jean. "Mandolin Mania in Buffalo's Italian Community, 1895 to 1918" (PDF). Journal of World Anthropology: Occasional Papers. II (2): 1. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 Oorts, Paul. World Mandolin: La Tipica (PDF). p. 1.
  16. ↑ Jean Dickson, University at Buffalo (SUNY) (2006). "Mandolin Mania in Buffalo's Italian Community, 1895 to 1918" (PDF). Journal of World Anthropology: Occasional Papers. II (2): 1–15.
  17. ↑ Sparks 2003, p. 26–27
  18. 1 2 de Olavarría y Ferrari, Enrique (1895). Reseña histórica del teatro en México, Volumes 3-4. La Europea. pp. 408–409.
  19. ↑ Ontiveros, Elvia Alaniz. "Dulcemelos rescata música de la Independencia y de la Revolución". excentricaonline.com. Retrieved September 15, 2015. According to his research, he noted that in 1884 the first Typical Orchestra was created in Mexico City, which was the first harp teacher Maria Encarnacion Garcia. The director Carlos Curti started writing some arrangements and parts which already included the psaltery...
  20. ↑ Loza, Steven Joseph (1993). Barrio Rhythm: Mexican American Music in Los Angeles. University of Illinois Press. p. 15.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Zarabozo, Raúl (2000). "Remembering Daniel Zarabozo, History of the Music in Mexico, 1964.". Retrieved September 9, 2015. This text for this web-page source was taken mainly from "De los Mixcoacallis a la Orquesta Típica" (Selection of Texts, Chronologies and Notes of Fernando Muñoz), Mexico, 1987.
  22. ↑ "Mexican Folk Music Final". quizlet.com. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Concierto de Orquesta Típica, en Museo José Luis Cuevas". SIPSE.com. March 13, 2015. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
  24. ↑ Deland, Lorin F., ed. (January 1897). "Major and Minor". Musical Record. Boston, Massachusetts: Oliver Ditson Company. Retrieved September 11, 2015. Señior Carlos Curti, who was the conductor of "Curti's Original Spanish Students," and later of the "Mexican Typical Orchestra," has returned to New York City, after a residence of fourteen years in Mexico. Señior Curti performs on several instruments, but at present makes a specialty of mandolins.
  25. ↑ "Notated Music Parting [and] Skating by moonlight". loc.gov. Library of Congress. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Curti, Carlos 1861-1926". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 9, 2015.
  27. ↑ "White, Smith and Company's Monthly Bulletin of New Music". Folio. White, Smith and Company. August 1892. Retrieved September 11, 2015. MY IRISH HOME Carlo Curti 40(cents) Words by Joe A. Burgess. Mr Curti is the well-known leader the Spanish Students, and is composer of much merit.
  28. 1 2 Catalogue of Title Entries of Books and Other Articles Entered in the Office of the Register of Copyrights, Library of Congress, at Washington, Volume 34. US Treasury Department. 1903. p. 116.
  29. ↑ "Carlos Curti (composer)". Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara. Retrieved September 9, 2015.
  30. ↑ "Estudiantina Walzer ;La tipica polka". Columbia Records. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
  31. ↑ "La Tipica". Columbia Records. 1910. Retrieved September 10, 2015.

External links

Spanish Students

These links are about two groups performing under the name "Spanish Students" that were identifiable by their promoter's name. The links are limited to those two groups, even though there were other groups using the name.

Abbey and Hickey, the first Spanish Students, and Humpty Dumpty

Carlo Curti's Spanish Students

Carlo Curti's Roman Students

Reappearance of Carlo Curti's version of the Spanish Students

Mexican Typical Orchestra

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