Nicolas Ruiz Espadero (1832-1890)

His Life²

Born on February 15, 1832 in Havana, Nicolas Ruiz Espadero never left his island home. The son of a wealthy family, he received a rigorous education from his father, while his mother gave him his first musical training. Rapidly developing a talent for the piano, he composed his first work at the age of 4 or 5, and by the age of 8 had written 3 mazurkas.

His father, preferring a career as a lawyer to that as a musician, allowed only 30 minutes of daily piano practice. In mid-19th-century Cuba, musicians were frowned upon. Thanks to his mother's intervention, however, his father gave in, and Espadero was able to devote more time to his gift and benefit from the island's best pedagogues. At the age of 12, Julian Fontana (1810-1869), Chopin's friend and copyist, brought Espadero the knowledge and influence of the great Polish composer's music. Fontana and Espadero were to remain friends for a long time, and Fontana, along with Gottschalk, worked towards the publication of Espadero's works in Europe. José Miro (1815-1878), a great Spanish pianist, took over from Fontana until his pupil was 19. A major trauma occurred when Espadero was 15, with the death of his father. He developed an introverted, gruff personality. However, although he did not perform much in public, he did compose, teach and often get together with friends. From the age of 19, he was taught by Fernando Arizti (1828-1888), then the island's greatest pedagogue, but the relationship was more one of friendship than of master and pupil.

In 1853, Espadero met Seraphin Ramirez, who was to become his first biographer. Ramirez says of these years :
"“We collaborate together on publishing, we arrange together Creole songs that the old Edelmann house puts to press. We play melodies for cello and piano together, many composed by him. Espadero was often the proofreader of my early compositions; for my part, I was his consultant in choosing which of the three or four passages he presented to me seemed the most original, and he accepted it. ”

In 1854, Gottschalk arrived in Cuba for the first time. Espadero found in him the same aspiration to develop music with a nationalist vocation. They became fast friends. Some believe that Gottschalk helped Espadero out of a certain depression. In 1856, Espadero was invited to become professor of music at Havana's prestigious Liceo. That same year, he composed his most popular work, El canto del esclavo (The Slave Song). It reveals Espadero's social concerns, as he calls for greater justice for the underprivileged. Espadero was not only a pianist, but also a choral conductor and concert organizer and promoter. He also took the risk of supporting the music section of the artistic and literary Liceo, some of whose members were extremely unpopular with the colonial authorities. In 1857, Gottschalk returned to Cuba for a few months with Adelina Patti. Influenced by Gottschalk and Fontana, Espadero took a strong interest in French culture. He used French to indicate author's notes and dynamic indications, and not only in French editions. In 1858, he became vice-president of the Liceo's music section, the director being M. Saumell (1818-1870).

At the end of 1859, Gottschalk returned to Cuba for the last time, until 1862. They played together many times (four hands on one or two pianos), notably the grand galop chromatique by Quidant, arranged by Gottschalk. On February 11, 1860, Gottschalk organized his grandiose festival, and Espadero played a major role in its preparation and staging. Gottschalk's tarantella was composed at this time. It was submitted to a circle of friends represented by Espadero, the great violinist White (1835-1918), Arizti and the Cuban pianist Desvernine. In May-June 1860, Gottschalk organized several farewell concerts in which Espadero performed numerous four-hands with Gottschalk. “Ojos Criollos”, ‘Il Trovatore’... Although relations between the two pianists seem to have cooled momentarily, they remained bound by a deep friendship that lasted until Gottschalk's death.

By the 1860s, Espadero was an established composer. His works were published in Cuba and abroad (Spain, France, United States). He was also a recognized teacher. In 1863, for example, he had as a pupil the young prodigy Teresa Carreño (1853-1917), who had just arrived in Cuba. On Gottschalk's recommendation, Espadero took her under his wing, but soon became irritated by the exaggerated praise and absurd superlatives heaped on the young pianist. Cervantes (1847-1915), his pupil, would later become an important artist. On July 23, 1866, Cervantes won first prize at the Paris Conservatoire, and Espadero was congratulated by Marmontel.

A few months before the war of 1868, Espadero's music was still heard in Spain. 'The Ten Years' War (Cuba's first attempt at independence from Spanish rule) would leave a deep mark on Cuban society and Espadero. In January 1869, Gottschalk and Espadero's friend Rafaël María Mendive was arrested. Gottschalk also died that year, while his friend Desvernine emigrated. Add to this his mother's illness, and these were extremely difficult times for Espadero, who decided to devote himself to teaching instead, and to stop public performances. In 1871, Espadero took part with Cervantes and Ramirez in the staging of Gounod's opera Faust. Cervantes also organized concerts to raise funds for the independence cause. For this he was sentenced to exile in 1875. Espadero, unlike Cervantes, was discreet and did not speak out openly on these subjects.

It has to be said that Spain appreciates Espadero's music. El canto del esclavo is played in Spain with great success, and is described as “a musical eminence that honors our homeland, and which unfortunately is not appreciated as much as it deserves”. Espadero is defined as “the only composer whose piano works, like those of Gottschalk, have a marked individuality”, distinguished principally by “novelty, elegance of manner and the indefinable enchantment of their melody”.

In 1876, Espadero received, like Gottschalk before him and despite his nationalist music, the Spanish distinction of Isabella the Catholic. Likewise, just as Gottschalk had asked for “de la Louisiane” in his scores, he insisted that Espadero de la Havane be indicated, wishing to emphasize his Creole or West Indian origins.

The last stage of Espadero's life, from 1880 onwards, was marked by an even more pronounced withdrawal. He took refuge in classes and composition. With the death of his mother in 1885, he would finally have been able to leave Cuba and answer the calls of his European admirers. Instead, the tragedy isolated him even further from the world, and he shut himself away in neurosis. His relationship with his mother had been very strong, so exclusive that it had forbidden him any friendship or sentimental relationship, and had led him to abhor marriage. He is still heard a few times on Sundays by a few friends, but no longer leaves the house. In any case, he cannot enter a house without his mania for order compelling him to fix and order all the furniture. Instead, he's surrounded by lots of cats (17, it seems). His most surprising and incomprehensible habit is to wash his stomach daily (a custom he's had for many years) after taking an alcohol bath.

On August 22, 1890, he got out of such a bath and, badly dried, tried to extinguish a lamppost and was fatally burned. Suffering horribly, he died eight days later. While the accident theory is possible, Espadero's neurotic and unstable nature led many of his contemporary and later biographers to favor the suicide theory.

At his funeral, his coffin was carried by Ignacio Cervantes, Miguel González Gómez, Alfredo Peyrellade and Pablo Desvernine. A mausoleum was built for him in the Colón cemetery, which, as a posthumous tribute to his friendship with Gottschalk, is identical to Gottschalk's mausoleum in the United States.

Having no relatives, Espadero's archives and other documents were dispersed to private buyers. As with Gottschalk, many of his works have disappeared.

Espadero remains an important figure in Cuban heritage and culture. He made a major contribution to the emergence of Cuban music.

Oeuvres datées, sans opus connu

Oeuvres non datées