Actividades Musicales en Puerto Rico

About the Book

This unique book presents a survey of cultural activities that occurred in Puerto Rico following 1898: the American Occupation of the island. To this end, the author has included information related to the economic and cultural regression, and explanation of the American military "take over". Puerto Rican musical festivities, religious feast day observances, band concerts, public school programs, and the activities of well known Puerto Rican composers of that day. It discusses the nineteenth century development of a Puerto Rican musical tradition which island author musicians claimed declined during that period. It shows that there was an economic regression and states reasons for the belief that people experienced cultural regression. It presents evidence that Puerto Rico not only retained its Hispanic character, but also its Hispanic culture after 1898.

The book includes general information on the era following the Spanish American War and five appendices that list musical activities, i.e., concerts at the Ateneo Puertorriqueño, celebration of Holy Days with orchestral music in the churches, and band concerts in the city parks.

One appendix lists music manuscripts found in the choir lofts of San Juan Cathedral, San Francisco and San José Churches dating from this era. Earlier authors could not have known of some of this music since it was unpublished. There are also photographs of some of the leading musicians of that time.

About the Author

Professor Emerita of Music History; Editor of the Department of Music Newsletter.

Dr. Catherine A. Dower Gold, Professor Emerita of Westfield State College, joined the faculty in 1956 when she founded and was appointed chairman of the Department of Music, a position she held for eleven years. She received the Distinguished Service Award four times and was named Professor of the Year (1975).

In 1990, WSC named its concert series, which she founded, for her. She is currently editor of the newsletter for the music alumni and a Honorary Member of the WSC Foundation. She was admitted to the Academy of Arts and Sciences of Puerto Rico (1977).

In 1982 she was presented a plaque from the Springfield Symphony Orchestra for her promotion of Irish Classical Music. In 1988, she received the Pride in Performance Award from Governor Michael Dukakis. In 2000, she was made a Distinguished Member of the International Society of Poets and in 2002, she received the International Poet of Merit Silver Bowl Award and the Laureate Certificate from the Int. Library of Poetry after completing the Poet Laureate Course. They have published her poems in their anthologies the past four years.

She is the author of four books:

• Puerto Rican Music Following the Spanish American War Washington, D.C. :U Press of America, 1983
  
• Alfred Einstein on Music Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1991
  
• Yella Pessl: First Lady of the Harpsichord Lewiston, N.Y.: Mellen U. Press, 1993
  
• Fifty Years of Marching Together: A Social History of the St. Patrick's Committee of Holyoke, Massachusetts, Parade Westhampton, MA: Edgar Alward/ DBA Esparto Press, 2001

She has also authored editions of choral music, monographs, essays, and numerous articles in scholarly journals.

She is a member of: the American Musicological Society, College Music Society, Consociatio Internationalis Musicae Sacrae (Rome, Italy), Phi Beta Kappa, Church Music Association of America, President of the Philharmonic Society of Boca, International Biographical Association, Quota International, Life Member of the Women's Symphony League of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, St. Patrick's Committee of Holyoke, Smith College Club, Holyoke Public Library Friends Board, Secretary of the Holy Cross Church Parish Pastoral Council, Council for Human Understanding Board, Quota International Holyoke Chapter and she is a Fellow of the International Biographical Association (Cambridge, England).

Her biography appears in the Int. Biographical Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Who's Who in America and numerous other biographical sources.