Brahms, Sergio Ortega, and Rzewski

[Mapman]

Many of us are at least somewhat familiar with Rzewski's "The People United Will Never Be Defeated!". It's a set of variations on a Chilean song by Sergio Ortega, "El pueblo unido jamás será vencido", which Ortega performed with Quilapayún.

My mom recently saw a documentary on Nueva Canción, where they said that "El pueblo unido" was based on Brahms. I was able to find this article in Spanish (https://www.americaeconomia.com/donde-surgio-el-pueblo-unido-jamas-sera-vencido) that tells the same story: Carrasco was playing a Brahms Sextet on piano, and then Ortega started improvising on it. Through the improvisations, they came up with "El pueblo unido".

From listening to Brahms, I determined that it was probably the 2nd movement of the 1st sextet. Brahms also transcribed that movement as a piano work (IMSLP Link), so they may have had that version. (After listening, my mom found this article that confirms my conclusion! https://www.latercera.com/culto/2020/06/04/historia-de-una-cancion-de-protesta-chilena-que-se-hizo-universal/

So I did the obvious thing: prepared a file combining Brahms and Ortega. It (and a computer version of the audio) is attached. I took a simplified version of the Brahms starting at measure 33 (as the accompaniment is simple chords) and added Ortega's melody. It doesn't fit perfectly, but I think it fits well enough to show the influence.

Finally, the Brahms and Rzewski are both in d minor. From listening to Quilapayún's recordings, it sounds like they are also in d minor.

[Brian]

The resemblance is really strong, even to some progressions near the end of the Chilean theme! Listening to it in this way, you can really hear the feeling of that initial improvisation session, as they were looking for ways to add new rhythm to the original.

By the way, in March 2026, the New York Philharmonic will premiere an orchestrated version of People United.

"Variations orchestrated by composers including Kati Agócs, Marcos Balter, Anthony Cheung, Brittany J. Green, Tania León, Andrew Norman, Maria Schneider, Nina Shekhar, Roberto Sierra, Conrad Tao, Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate, Joel Thompson, Wang Lu, and Nina C. Young"

[Mapman]

By the way, in March 2026, the New York Philharmonic will premiere an orchestrated version of People United.

"Variations orchestrated by composers including Kati Agócs, Marcos Balter, Anthony Cheung, Brittany J. Green, Tania León, Andrew Norman, Maria Schneider, Nina Shekhar, Roberto Sierra, Conrad Tao, Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate, Joel Thompson, Wang Lu, and Nina C. Young"

I'd seen that! Hopefully there will be a way for people not in New York to hear the orchestration.

[Jo498]

I think the Brahms sextet movement is in turn a variant of the "Folia" scheme that has been popular since the renaissance.