Alberto Williams (1862–1952) was a pioneering figure in Argentine music, recognized for his vast and diverse work that played a crucial role in shaping the country's classical music tradition. A prolific composer, conductor, and educator, with a catalog comprising 112 opus numbers and spanning nearly all musical genres, he wrote nine symphonies—making him the first composer in the Americas to reach this milestone—along with a rich collection of orchestral works including three symphonic poems, two concert overtures, four orchestral suites, three suites of Argentine dances for string orchestra, two suites of miniature pieces, two military marches (one originally written for violin and piano, the other originally written for a capella choir), and Las Milongas de la Orquesta, a four-movement suite that highlights the milonga, a genre from the Río de la Plata region often regarded as a precursor to tango. Yet, despite his significant contributions, much of his symphonic and orchestral repertoire remains unpublished, rarely performed, and largely inaccessible to modern musicians.

My project is dedicated to restoring, editing, and promoting Williams’s orchestral works, ensuring they are available in professionally engraved, performance-ready editions. By undertaking the first critical revision and modern engraving of his symphonies and orchestral pieces, this initiative aims to recover his music and make it accessible to musicians, conductors, and scholars worldwide.

The ultimate goal is to produce the first-ever complete professional recording of his symphonies and other orchestral works, allowing his music to be heard and appreciated beyond the printed score. With the encouragement and authorization of Pablo Williams, the composer’s grandson, this project seeks to bridge the gap between Williams’s manuscripts and contemporary performance practice through meticulous editorial work, research, and collaboration with performers. This initiative strives to preserve and celebrate an essential part of Argentina’s symphonic heritage for future generations by bringing these long-overlooked works back to the concert stage.

Restoring & Publishing Williams’s Orchestral Legacy

This process involves an in-depth study of Williams’s handwritten scores, analyzing them in search of inconsistencies, notation errors, and missing elements. After the creation of an errata list—included at the end of the score for reference—the manuscript is then digitally transcribed into music notation software. By modernizing notation while preserving the composer’s intent, standardizing instrumentation, and providing English translations of original Spanish markings, I aim to create performance-ready editions that make Williams’s music more accessible. A complete catalog of his works (long out of print), together with the full score and parts of the Symphony No.4 Op. 98 ‘El Ataja-Caminos’ are completed. If you are interested in supporting and/or collaborating with this project, please get in touch!