(Germanic) Modernity and (Hispanic) Tradition in Rodolfo Halffter’s Diferencias for Orchestra Op. 33 (1970)

Abstract

In Mexican exile, Rodolfo Halffter developed his own compositional style without renouncing his European roots. The aim of this study is to determine the musical techniques and resources employed by Halffter in Diferencias for orchestra (1970) in order to achieve the synthesis he sought between Germanic modernity and Spanish tradition: the treatment of the twelve-tone row in the twelve sections of the work is examined, as well as the stylistic characteristics of Hispanic origin and the principle of variation applied, taking into account the Renaissance model that gave this composition its name.