Musical Works

Buenaventura was only in the sixth grade when he wrote his first composition, a Danza, for his father’s band, later known as the Buenaventura Band. He then composed “Only You” when he was eighteen years old. In honor of his professor and favorite composer, Nicanor Abelardo, he wrote “Concert Overture” which he recomposed after graduating from the UP Conservatory of Music.

In 1937, he composed the “Minuet” which utilized Igorot tunes as its thematic material despite the Western influence in the treatment and instrumentation of the piece. “Pandanggo sa Ilaw”, one of his well-known compositions that was frequently misinterpreted as a folk song, inaugurated a series of attempts at producing compositions with a distinct Filipino identity. He then composed “Rhapsodietta” based on the folksongs of the Bogobos in 1938. 

Colonel Walter Loving, the founder of the Philippine Constabulary Band, asked Buenaventura to compose “Echoes from the Philippines,” which premiered at the Golden Gate Exposition in California in 1939 by the pre-war Philippine Constabulary Band. His piece “Symphony in C” utilized Igorot themes for the first movement, Visayan folk song for the second, and Mindanao musical themes for the third and fourth movements; it earned him the Republic Cultural Heritage Award in 1961.

Buenaventura’s musical works include a variety of musical forms such as chamber pieces, two one-act ballets, solo compositions for voice, piano, violin, and other instruments, and hymns and marches for schools and universities. The official songs of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of the Philippines, the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, Philippine Marine, Philippine Military Academy (Class ‘41) were Buenavantura’s oeuvre. He also created marches for two UP Presidents (Bocobo and Palma) and three Presidents of the Philippines (Magsaysay, Garcia, and Marcos). The march for President Eisenhower during his visit to the country in 1959 was also composed by Buenaventura.

Selected Works in Orchestral Music

  1. Concert Overture (1929)
  2. Prelude and Fugue in G Minor (1932)
  3. Ode to the Filipino Heroes for mixed chorus and orchestra (1934)
  4. Philippines Triumphant (1935)
  1. Menuet (based on Igorot theme) for chamber orchestra (1934)
  2. Rhapsodietta for piano and orchestra (Manobo theme) (1938)
  3. By the Hillside (tone poem) (1941)
  4. Pag-asa for mixed chorus and orchestra (1943)
  5. Youth – a symphonic poem (1946)
  6. Mindanao Sketches (tone poem) (1947)
  7. Divertimento for piano and orchestra (Igorot theme) (1959)
  8. Symphony in C Major (1961)
  9. Mass in C for mixed chorus and chamber orchestra (1962)
  10. Farewell to a Warrior for ballet (1968)
  11. Kulas na Batugan – a one-act ballet (1973)
  12. Variations and Fugue on a Mountain Tune (1972)
  13. Impressions – a symphonic suite for full Orchestra (1978)

Selected Works in Chamber Music

  1. Children’s String Quartet (1934)
  2. Song Cycle for mixed chorus and chamber orchestra (1954)
  3. Quintet in C (1963)
  4. Four Philippine Folk Songs for piano quintet (1964)
  5. Divertimento for 6 soloists and string orchestra (1963)
  6. Divertimento for trumpet, french horn, trombone snare drum and string (1964)
  7. Buhay – a music allegory for narrator, soprano, tenor, mixed chorus, corps de ballet and chamber orchestra (1965)
  8. Sonata for viola and piano (1969)
  9. Suite No. 1 for string quartet (1969)
  10. Woodwind Quintet (1970)
  11. Suite no. 12 for string quartet (1971)
  12. Concertino for clarinet, string quartet, piano and percussion (1974)
  13. Mountain Sketches (1975)

Selected Works in Zarzuela

  1. Bukang Liwayway (in 3-acts) (1966)
  2. Anong Tamis ng mga Sandali sa Sariling Bayan (in 3-acts) (1969)

Selected Works in Band Music

  1. Echoes from the Philippines (1938)
  2. Second symphony in E flat (in 4 movements) (1937)
  3. Greetings – a Fantasy (1938)
  4. Ode to the Republic (1949)
  5. Sa Dakong Silangan – one-movement symphony (1979)

Selected Works in Opera

  1. Talinghaga ng Pag-ibig one-act opera in Filipino (1979)

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