Carrillo(-Trujillo), Julin (Antonio)

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Carrillo(-Trujillo), Julin (Antonio)

(b Ahualulco, San Luis Potos, 28 Jan 1875; d San Angl, 9 Sept 1965). Mexican
composer, theorist, conductor, violinist, inventor and teacher. Born to an
American family during a seemingly peaceful period of Mexicos history, he
received his early musical education at the National Conservatory in Mexico City,
where he studied the violin with Pedro Manzano, composition with Melesio
Morales and acoustics with Francisco Ortega y Fonseca. Between 1899 and
1905 he was in Europe, where he divided his time between the conservatories of
Ghent and Leipzig; at Ghent he studied the violin with Albert Zimmer, and at
Leipzig he was a pupil of Jadassohn (composition), Becker (violin) and Sitt
(conducting), and led the Gewandhaus Orchestra under Nikisch. During these
formative years he shaped his critical philosophy of the practical application and
examination of all theoretical precepts. The results were revolutionary, and led
him to a lifelong attempt at effecting greater accuracy among the discrepant
postulates of physicists, mathematicians and music theorists, and at helping
performers to apply, or at least understand, them (see his Pre-sonido 13). As
early as 1895, while he was experimenting on his own with the divisions of a
string into multiple parts, he arrived at a new sound (a note pitched in the
mathematical ratio 1:1.007246), between g and a on the fourth string of his violin.
Since this was the first ascending 1/16-tone to break up the classical 12, he
called it el sonido trece (the 13th sound). This single sound came to symbolize
microtonality in general for Carrillo, and the many new theoretical and musical
systems derived from it: scales, melodies, harmonies, metres, rhythms, textures
and instruments (see his Sonido 13: el infinito en las escalas y en los acordes).
After Carrillos triumphal return to Mexico in 1905, he attended unofficially an
international congress on music in Rome (1911), where for the first time he
presented his views on structural reorganization for such traditional forms as the
symphony, concerto and sonata. The String Quartet in E is a practical result of
this and a logical development of Liszts principle of thematic transformation. With
his return to Mexico, Carrillo assumed many administrative duties, among them a
professorship in composition at the National Conservatory, the post of InspectorGeneral of Music for Mexico City and the founder-directorship of a Beethoven
Orchestra and Quartet. From 1913 to 1914 he served as director of the National
Conservatory, but the many provisional governments in Mexico City could not
deal with the revolutionary currents, so that in 1914 he left for New York, where
he lived for four years. During that time he organized the American SO, which
had a regular concert season and competed favourably with the New York PO. In
1918 the Carranza government invited Carrillo to return and appointed him
director of the National SO, and in 1920 he became once again director of the
National Conservatory. This was during the Obregn presidency, and Carrillo
was much involved with the neo-classical revivals in art of Jos Vasconcelos, the
guiding spirit of cultural affairs during this period. However, in 1924 Carrillo retired
from his official public duties and devoted himself to working out his sonido 13
theories and applying them in compositions on new or adapted instruments.
Many of his philosophical ideas on music education are reflected in the Plticas
musicales, some of which were formulated about this time. Perhaps because of
his own involvement and persecution during the 1910 Revolution, Carrillo dreamt
of an ideal world for artists, who would be patronized by a government but left
free to develop their own ideas in an Arcadian atmosphere Chapultapec Castle
was suggested. Moreover, Carrillo favoured a liberal arts education for all
creative artists, as he assumed that a broader working base would assure a more
appreciative receptiveness to avant-garde ideas.

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When, in 1924, Carrillo read an article in Le mnestrel concerning the necessity

of new sounds for musics progress, he remembered his own experiments of
1895 with 1/16-tones and decided to work on a suitable notational system for
their expression. This was formulated in 1925 and resulted in a rectification or
purification of the anarchic traditional system, as well as providing a simple
expedient for exactly designating microtonal pitches. In Carrillos new notational
system (ex.1) the classical staff with many leger lines was reduced to a single
absolute c' line with numbers (the quantity dependent on the tonal or microtonal
intervallic divisions in use) affixed to or relative to it, so that humanity ought to be
able to read and write music as easily as it might write a letter or read a
newspaper (Sistema general de escritura musical). In an equal-tempered 1/16tone system, the numbers for a complete octave or cycle would simply be
expanded to 96. The numbers can be used for either tempered or non-tempered
musical systems: in the former indicating musically (tuned) equidistant pitches, in
the latter vibrationally equidistant pitches (what Carrillo called harmonic pitches,
referring to the natural overtone series). Chordal writing is achieved by relating all
vertical numbers to the highest number and its position to the absolute c' line
(ex.2); octave chordal displacements are effected by means of offsets to the right
or left in various ways (ex.3).

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In 1925 the League of Composers in New York commissioned a work from

Carrillo for its concerts of new music, and he wrote his Sonata casi-fantasa for its
Town Hall recital on 13 March. This concert marked the beginning of a long and
fruitful friendship and artistic collaboration with Stokowski, who, on hearing of
Carrillos success with the Casi-sonata, wanted a work for the Philadelphia
Orchestra. At the Carnegie Hall premire of the commissioned Concertino (1926)
Stokowski said: Luckily for America, we do not have to look to European
musicians for this revolution, since everything is owed to an Indian who descends
from the children of the Continent. The work was performed to great acclaim at
Carnegie Hall and later on tour with the Philadelphia Orchestra in Baltimore,
Philadelphia and Washington. Carrillo had, indeed, never wanted to break
absolutely with tradition and isolate himself from audiences. Stokowski
persuaded him to keep the classical orchestra intact, playing tones and
semitones, and to use a smaller group for the new microtones: the formal result
was a resuscitation of the Baroque concerto grosso format, and one which
allowed Carrillo to realize his concept of metamorphosis, whereby there would
be a continuum of traditional and new sounds in an ever-expanding development,
a movement in and out of itself while striving for a kind of Aristotelian completion,
in accordance with the neo-classical revival in Mexico during the 1920s.
Carrillo continued to experiment and compose with notable success throughout
the remaining 40 years of his life. In 1930 he formed a complete orchestra
capable of playing exclusively in microtones. This Orquesta Sonido 13 toured
throughout Mexico in the 1930s, sometimes with Stokowski as its conductor. In
1940 Carrillo patented plans for 15 metamorphosing pianos (in 1/16-, 1/15-, 1/14, whole tones) which were ultimately built by the firm of Carl Sauter in
Spaichinger Wrt and exhibited at the 1958 Exposition in Brussels in the Belgian
Pavilion. After this the piano manufacturer Marcel Gaveau offered his studio in

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Paris for another exhibition to coincide with the International Congress of Music
sponsored by UNESCO. There many illustrious musicians, among them the
microtone composers Hba and Vishnegradsky, saw and were impressed by the
Carrillo pianos. Carrillo himself was to have more honours bestowed on him in
the 1960s by his own government, and he also received yet another and final
commission from Stokowski, for the Concertino for 1/3-tone piano with orchestra,
introduced in Houston in 1962 with his daughter Dolores as soloist and Stokowski
conducting. The preceding year Carrillo had recorded 21 of his tonal and
microtonal works with the Lamoureux Orchestra of Paris.
Although Carrillo never had recourse to the national materials used by Revueltas
or Chvez, he considered himself to be as nationalist as the younger generation
of composers and thought that the development of the 13th sound revolution
would in itself be sufficient to give universal renown to Mexico. Out of it would
result a new order, less complex though providing for complexity, less
constrained though providing for restraint.
WORKS
WRITINGS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
GERALD R. BENJAMIN
Carrillo, Julin
WORKS
operas
(without microtones)
La princesse Ona (Ossian) (1, H. Albert), 1902; Mxico en 1810 (Matilde) (4, L.
Viramontes), 1909; Xulitl (3, C. dErzel), 1921, rev. 1947
orchestral
(with microtones)
Sym. no.1 Colombia, c1926; Serenata, 1/4-tone vc, orch, 1926; Sym. no.2
Colombia, 1926; Concertino, microtone group (pic, hn, hp, gui, vn, vc), orch, 1926;
Nocturno (Misterioso Hudson), 1927; Capricho, chorus, orch, 1929; Sym. no.3
Colombia, 1931; Conc., 1/4- and -tone vc, orch, 1945; Horizontes!, microtone
group (vn, vc, hp), orch, 1947; Conc., 1/4-tone vn, orch, 1949; Conc., 1/3-tone pf,
orch, 1958; Balbuceos, 1/16-tone pf, chbr orch, 1958; Conc. no.2, 1/4-tone vn, orch,
1964
(without microtones)
Marcha Mxico, orch, band, 1895; Suite no.1 (de bagatelas), chbr orch, 1899, rev.
1932; Sym. no.1, D, 1901; Suite no.2 (Los naranjos), c1903; Sym. no.2, C, op.7,
1905; Marcha nupcial no.1, 14 wind insts, timp, 1909; Marcha nupcial no.2, str, org,
hp, 1909; Marcha patria, 1917; Movimiento perpetuo, band, 1924; Suite no.3
(Impresiones de la Habana), 1929; Fantasa Impromptu (8 de septiembre), pf,
orch, 1930; Nocturnos (Xochimilco), 1935; Suite no.4 [arr. of 6 preludios, pf], 1944;
Sym. no.3 (atonal) Heroica, 1945; Triple Conc., fl, vn, vc, orch, 1950; Trozo
sinfonia atonal, 1961
vocal
(with microtones)
5 primeras composiciones nos.13, 5, see chbr works; I think of you, S, octavina, fl,
gui, 2 va, arpa-citara, 1928; Ave Maria, S, SATB, 1929; Coro SATB, 1929;
Impromptu, 2 S, tpt, arpa-citara, 1929; 6 preludios Europa, S octavina, fl, gui, arpa-

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citara, vn, 1934; La virgen morena (for film), SSAA, vn, vc, db, gui, arpa-citara,
1942; Misa a SS Juan XXIII, male chorus, 1962; Mass no.2, TBarB, 1965
(without microtones)
Adios! (M. Acua), T, pf, 1895; Mass, chorus, orch, 1896; Requiem, op.1, chorus,
orch, 1900; 3 romanzas (L.G. Urbina, anon., R. Sansares), 1v, pf, 1908; Canto a la
bandera (R. Lpez), 1909; TeD, SATB, orch, 1910; Misa de S Catarina, male
chorus, orch, 1913, rev. 1943; Villancico al Nio Dios (trad.), vv, pf, c1913; Misa al
Sagrado Corazn de Jess, TTB, orch, c1918; Himno a la paz (B. Dvalos), 2
choruses, pf, 1944; Lamento de Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, S, SATB, 1951;
Pequeo requiem atonal, 4 SSTTBB choruses/24 solo vv, orch, 1956; Cnones
atonales, 64vv in 8 choruses, c1964; Reviendras-tu? (M. Simounat), 1v, pf; Lo que
soy para ti (J. de Ibarbourou), 1v, fl, cl, bn, str qt, db
chamber
(with microtones)
5 primeras composiciones a base de 16avos de tono y sus compuestos, 19225: 1
Preludio a Coln, S, octavina, fl, gui, hp, vn, 1922; 2 Ave Mara, chorus, octavina, fl,
gui, arpa-citara, vn, vc; 3 Tepepan Escena campestre, S, SATB, arpa-citara; 4
Preludio no.1, vc, str qt, db, arpa-citara; 5 Hoja de album, Mez, eng hn, vc, rev. for
fl, cl, gui, arpa-citara, triangle, vc
8 str qts, c1924, c1925, c1925, 1926, 1926, 1962, 1964, 1964 [nos.4 and 5 known
as 2 balbuceos (Meditacin, En secreto), rev. as 2 bosquejos, SATB]; Sonata casifantasa, octavina, hn, arpa-citara, vn, va, vc, db, 1925; Lento solemne (En los
montaes de mi Mxico), octavina, hn, gui, arpa-citara, vn, vc, 1926; Serenata, 1/4tone vc, eng hn, hp, str qt, 1926; Preludio Ensueo, mand, mndola, gui, 1928;
Fantasa Sonido 13, wind qnt, tpt, trbn, hps, str qt, 1930; Murmullos, str qt, db,
arpa-citara, 1933; Romanza, octavina, hp, c1934; Preludio no.2, vc, str qt, db, arpacitara, 1951
(without microtones)
Berceuse (Stella), fl, eng hn, hn, hp, vc, 1897; Str Sextet, 1900; Str Qt, E , 1903;
Pieza de concurso, fl, pf, 1908; Pieza de concurso, va, pf, 1908; Pieza de concurso
(Improvisasin), vc, pf, c1909; Tema con variaciones, vn, pf, 1910; Pf Qnt, E , 1913;
Preludio (Crepuscular), vc, pf, c1920; Str Qt no.1 (atonal) Debussy, c1927; Str Qt
no.2 (atonal), c1930; Str Qt no.3 (a ratos atonal a ratos politonal), 1932; Str Qt (en
escala diatnica de 6 grados), 1937; Str Qt (atonal metamorfoseado) [cancrizans of
Str Qt no.1], c1939; Str Qt (en escala 01347890), c1940; Str Qt no.4 (atonal)
Beethoven, 1955
solo instrumental
(with microtones)
For gui: Estudio (A media noche en oriental), 1/4-tone, 1931; Suite (Impromptu),
1/4-tone; Sonata, 1/4-tone, 1960; Estudio, 1/3-tone, 1962
For arpa-citara: Estudios, 1/3-tone; Preludios, 1/16-tone; Sonata Amanecer en
Berlin 13, 1/4-tone, 1931, rev. 1957
For pf: Preludio 29 de septiembre, 1/3-tone, 1949; Capricho, 1/4-tone, 1959;
Preludio, 1/5-tone, 1959
For vn: 3 estudios en forma de sonatina, 1/4-tone, 1927; 70 Exercises, 1/4-tone;
Casi-sonata no.1, 1/4-tone, c1960; Casi-sonatas nos.23, 1/4-tone
For va: 70 estudios, 1/4-tone; Preludio, 1/16-tone; Capricho, 1/4-tone, 1926; 4 Casisonatas no.1, 1/4-tone, 1961; Casi-sonatas nos.24, 1/4-tone; Sonata, 1/4-tone
For vc: 70 estudios, 1/4-tone; Sonata, 1/4-tone, c1927; Casi-sonata no.1, 1/4-tone,
1959; Casi-sonatas nos.26, 1/4-tone

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For db: 70 estudios, 1/4-tone, c1927

(without microtones)
For pf: Schottisch (Isabel), 1890; En el bosque, waltz, 1896; Gavota y rverie [arr.
from Suite no.1, orch], c1900: Suite Mignonette, 1902; Mazurka, 1902; 6 preludios,
c1920; Nocturno (Penumbras en el paseo de la Reforma), 1928; 12 preludios
(estudios) (en escala 01347890 en sus 12 alturas), 1964; also cadenzas for
Beethoven: Pf Concs. nos.24
For vn: Sonata no.1 Paganini, e, 1903; Sonata no.2, d, c1909; Sonata no.3;
Sonata no.4, 1963; Sonatas nos.56
For vc: Sonatina

Principal publisher: Jobert

Carrillo, Julin
WRITINGS
Plticas musicales, i (Mexico City, 1913, 3/1930)
Tratado sinttico de armona (Mexico City, 1913, 8/1915
Tratado sinttico de canon y fuga (Jalapa, Veracruz, c1915)
Tratado sinttico de instrumentacin para orquesta sinfnica y banda militar
(New York, 1916, 2/1948)
El sonido 13 (Mexico City and New York, 19246) [periodical]
Teora lgica de la msica (Mexico City, 1927, 2/1954)
Pre-sonido 13: rectificacin bsica al sistema musical clsico, anlisis fisicomsico (San Luis Potos, 1930, 2/1930)
Tratado sinttico de contrapunto: melodas simultneas (Mexico City, 1930,
3/1948)
Genesis de la revolucin musical del sonido 13 (San Luis Potos, 1940)
Mtodo racional de solfeo: entonacin y medida de los sonidos musicales
(Mexico City, 1941)
En defensa del honor de Amrica: el sonido 13! replica a Papini (Mexico City,
1947)
Sonido 13: fundamento cientfico e histrico (Mexico City, 1948)
Leyes de metamorfosis musicales (Mexico City, 1949)
Problemas de esttica musical: enviados a la UNESCO y datos histricos
relacionados con el problema del sonido 13 (Mexico City, 1949)
Mxico en la cultura musical del mundo (Mexico City, 1955)
Dos leyes de fisica musical (Mexico City, 1956)
Sistema general de escritura musical (Mexico City, 1957)
Sonido 13: el infinito en las escalas y en los acordes (Mexico City, 1957)
Errores universales en msica y fisica musical (Mexico City, 1967)
Carrillo, Julin
BIBLIOGRAPHY
J. Velasco-Urda: Julin Carrillo: su vida y su obra (Mexico City, 1945)
J. Etienne-Marie: Julin Carrillo, Nouvelles du Mexique, xliii-xliv (19656), 310
A. Pike: The Discoveries and Theories of Julin Carrillo: 18751965, InterAmerican Music Bulletin, no.55 (1966), 110
G.R. Benjamin: Julin Carrillo and sonido trece, YIAMR, iii (1967), 3368
E.R. Blackaller: La revolucin musical de Julin Carrillo, Cuadernos de lectura
popular, no.237 (Mexico City, 1969)
J.A. Orrego-Salas, ed.: Microfilm Special CollectionCarrillo, Music from Latin
America Available at Indiana University: Scores, Tapes, and Records
(Bloomington, IN, 1971), 168

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G.R. Benjamin: Homage to Julin Carrillo, Carnegie Hall Bulletin: 1974/1975

Season (New York, 20 March 1975), 14
J. Ford: Carrillo after 100 years, Creative Guitar International [Edinburgh, TX],
iii/1 (1975), 1114
J. Ford: Carrillo: Music Pioneer, Creative Guitar International [Edinburgh, TX],
iii/2 (1976), 1416
J. Ford: Carrillos Sonido trece, Creative Guitar International [Edinburgh, TX], iii,
no.3 (1976), 1214
G.R. Benjamin: Una deuda cultural saldada: la contribucin de Julin Carrillo a la
msica del futuro, RMC, no.158 (1982), 6071
D. Carrillo: Julin Carrillo: testimonio de una vida (San Luis Potos, 1992)
R. Lorenz, ed.: Julin Carrillo, Scores and Recordings at the Indiana University
Latin American Music Center (Bloomington, IN, 1995), 29799

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