Critical Edition of the Staged Cantata Ópera by Jorge Luis Acevedo Vargas (1943-2025)

Abstract

Introduction: This text addresses the critical edition of Ópera (1989), a staged cantata by Jorge Luis Acevedo Vargas based on poems by Jorge Debravo, and its relevance to the study of Costa Rican academic music and the compositional language of the author. Objective: Specifically, the paper seeks to document the process of critical editing of the score, analyze editorial decisions, and study how this work sets cultural values to music through Indigenous and Americanist elements. Methods: Documentary sources such as handwritten scores, recordings of the premiere, and interviews with the composer were consulted. In addition, a semiotic-musical framework was applied to identify significant units in the work. Results: The work is structured as a suite, with movements that set specific poems to music using rhythmic and timbral techniques that reflect Latin American identity. The edition allows for an informed interpretation and highlights intrinsic cultural values. Conclusions: The critical edition of Ópera not only helps to preserve the work and encourage its future performance, but also reinforces the dialogue between music and poetry, positioning it as an interdisciplinary cultural testimony and broadening the scope of study on its author.