Musicatlas
Music
As a composer Torcuato has made tangos like “El Medallon”, school songs, lyric poems, etc.
Tango
- El Medallon
Hymns
- To Bernardino Rivadavia
- To Nuestra Señora de la Paz
Cantos Liricos (Lyric melodies)
- En el bosque Sombrio
Canciones escolares (School melodies)
- El negrito mandinga
- El Burro Flautista
Piano
- Gauchesca
- Mi alma
- El jilguero
- Jubilo en la campiña
Piano and voice
- Mi vida
- Soledad
- Serenata Argentina
- Mi alma
- Adios Adios
- Tribulacion
- Al viento y al mar
- Guardaba mi dolor
Ave Maria
Life
Born at El Candano, Asturias, Spain, Torcuato Rodriguez Castro lived in a little farm with his family in the Asturias mountains. He participated at a young age in a family group of instrumentalists — five instruments — that used to play in regional Asturian festivals.
In 1907, at the age of 13, and following the first steps of his father Jose Rodriguez y Rodriguez, he emigrated to Argentina, like thousands of Asturians at the ending of 19th century.
With great personnel effort, he studied at the Conservatorio Williams, property of the Composer Alberto Willams, in Buenos Aires. He quickly graduated in Harmony and Contrapunto, with honours.
He then started as Professor in Conservatorio Williams, then in Escuela Roca, at the Conservatory of Music La Plata, and at the New National Conservatory of Music Carlos Lopez Buchardo.
As Harmony Professor, Torcuato conducted first musical steps, being a mentor in Escuela Roca of Mr. Juan de Dios Filiberto, years after celebrity composer of Tango Caminito and other world wide well known tangos.
Also Mr. T. Rodriguez Castro was Professor of Argentinian Composers Ginastera, and Pedro Saenz. Between 1920 and 1930, he was one of the founders of the Cafe Tortoni Group of artists with friends like with Mr. Filiberto, Ms. Alfonsina Storni, Mr. Benito Quinquela Martin and other reputed artists.