Mariano García y Zalba


…He then joined the Band of the VI Light Battalion, in which he played the ophicleide, an instrument which he managed to command to perfection, soon becoming its principal player in the band. It was at this time that he began to compose, writing several works for the band which were played to general applause.

He continued as a military musician for a number of years, travelling from garrison to garrison until, giving up the job, he returned to Pamplona to take up residence.

He once again formed part of the Chapel of Music at the Cathedral, where, at the age of just 15, he took up Chapel post No. 29, replacing the basses, as well as being an organist and composer in the chapel. On the 26th of September, he requested and was granted post No. 24, left vacant by the promotion of Hilarión Eslava to the Cathedral of Burgo de Osma (and then to that of Seville and Madrid’s Royal Chapel). In 1829, he gave up his chaplaincy and the following year, the Chapter granted him permission to leave the kingdom.

From 1830 to 1833, Mariano held a number of different music posts. In February 1833, he was in Valladolid and in March of the same year, he was back in Pamplona Cathedral. In June 1836, he left Pamplona Cathedral to join the Provincial Regiment of Orense. A few months later, he returned to Pamplona, where he stayed until his death.

He was married to Narcisa MartÌnez and had three children: Mauricio, María Cruz and Ricardo.
His wide knowledge of music, his untiring activity and his great love for his work led him to found the Academy of Music, kept for several years out of his own pocket until it became so well-known that Pamplona City Council decided that it should support it and took it under its wing. The first Regulation of the Pamplona Music School was passed by the Council on the 21st of July 1858. García was named director, with a salary of 6,000 reales a year, on the 18th of September… (5).

Most of his compositions date from this period (118 scores are conserved in Pamplona cathedral, 27 in that of Santiago de Compostela 27, 28 in Palencia and several in the Collegiate of Roncesvalles) which, as Eslava said, were greatly appreciated for the clarity and simplicity of their ideas, their fine structure and, above all, their good taste. Many of these, being religious works, are in Santiago de Compostela and Palencia, although the great majority are in the Archive at Pamplona Cathedral. Among many other notable works, he composed El Miserere called magno, las Siete Palabras (replaced in the Pamplona cathedral services by Dubois’ version), La Despedida de las Flores de Mayo, La Misa a 8 con coro de Sochantres, Ave maris stella, Stabat Mater dolorosa, La Misa de la Vela, dedicated to the Church of Aoiz and first sung in Aoiz by the local San Miguel choir on the 10th of August 1975; a work composed in F Major for 4 and 8 voices, for Orchestra and Mixed four-voice choir. It is a festive Mass in the line of Eslava.

Mariano was played a lot in the mid-XIX century, beginning of the XX. According to Leocadio Hern·ndez Ascunce, the fame of this composer with some of his works reached every corner of the Peninsula (La m˙sica sacra en la historia Pampilonense, in Tesoro Sacro Musical. Madrid, 1947, No. 12, P. 92). One of his most popular pieces was his farewell to the Virgin Adios, Reina del cielo.

But perhaps his most noteworthy work is Vísperas grandes de San Fermín. It dates from 1855 and consists of four fragments: Deus in adjutorium, Dixit Dominus, Beatus vir and Magnificat. These are performed on the afternoon of the 6th of July in the Church of San Lorenzo. The current version includes two additions, Laudate (1878) and Himno a San Fermín for 4 voices and choir by JoaquÌn Maya. They were sung until 1940 and then reintroduced later, their forming part of the identity of the town and its traditions.

He regularly collaborated with the Association of San Luis Gonzaga, for which he composed countless motettos, hymns to the Virgin and words for other songs. All these works became extremely popular and, like the previous ones, can still be heard today.

His compositions reveal an extremely personal musical temperament; his melodies contain great sentiment and his harmonisation is complete and polished.

He was a good-natured, jovial man who never refused to lend a hand. This nature and his acknowledged talent for music earned him the affection of all those who knew him. His death, which took place in Pamplona on the 5th of February 1869, having received the Sacrament of Holy Unction… (6), was mourned by all.

Mariano Garcia left us not only his works, but also the pleasant memory of his joyous character and generous spirit.

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(5)  Quoting Fernando Pérez Ollo from his book: Miguel Astrain, el Vals y  el Riau-Riau.
(6) Arch. Church San Juan Bautista, Pamplona, Book of Deaths, from 1855 to 1878, fol. 132, entry No. 14.