Nemesio Otaño Eguino

Life

Born: 19 December 1880, Azkoitia, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country

Died: 29 April 1956, San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa

Biography:
Gipuzkoan compositor and musicologist. Began his musical studies in Donostia y Zumarraga. In 1894 studied in the Colegio Preceptoría de Baliarrain, in which he composed two of his first Letanías and a Zortziko for piano; he was then only fourteen years old, but already played the organ in the school Parish. In 1896 he entered the Society of Jesus and began his ecclesiastical studies along with the music classes.

The production of Otaño Eguino can be divided in three categories: musicologist, folkloric and religious. He wrote innumerable articles about religious music; In his travels he collected a large number of songs from the local folklore, which he harmonized and compiled in collections; and finally, he composed a great number of short religious works that were frequently sung in cathedrals, parishes and churches in his country. (Excerpts translated from the biography cited below)

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