abstract: The purpose of this project is to explore the influence of folk music in guitar compositions by Manuel Ponce from 1923 to 1932. It focuses on his Tres canciones populares mexicanas and Tropico and Rumba. / Dissertation/Thesis / D.M.A. Music 2014

The influence of Manuel Ponce (1882-1948) in early 20th-century Mexico serves as a precursor to the emerging nationalistic sounds sought after the 1910 revolution. Despite the challenges posed by Mexico's music education system, Ponce's private tutelage enabled him to achieve European standards, marking a significant progress in the broader efforts of 19th-century Mexican musicians to attain proper musical training. Ponce's method of creating an authentic Mexican sound involved reconstructing folklore music, blending it with European styles, and aligning himself with the Indigenismo movement. His compositional trajectory, marked by trips to Europe and distinct musical periods such as Romanticism, Nationalism, and Modernism, reflects adaptation to historical, social, and cultural events. Upon his return to Mexico, he undertook the reform of teaching methods at the conservatory, adapting European approaches to better suit the learning styles of Mexican students. This study examines Ponce's formative experiences, educational background, and early compositions, emphasizing his integration of folk tunes into classical forms and his role in shaping Mexican musical identity. It highlights the efforts of 19th-century Mexican composers to carve a nationalistic sound and Ponce's pivotal role as a bridge between European traditions and the developing nationalistic movement, ultimately contributing to the construction of Mexican cultural hegemony

The Concierto Romántico for Piano and Orchestra is one of Manuel M. Ponce's outstanding compositional accomplishments from his Romantic period, reflecting both the state of Mexican music at the turn of the 20th century, and his early nationalist tendencies. However, it remains the only concerto in Ponce's output in need of a more comprehensive analysis. This treatise focuses on a global investigative that examines descriptive and analytic references to the work, as well as a comparison and clarification of the existing score sources. An analytical and stylistic musical study using conventional theoretical techniques leads to a musicological interpretation of the work's extra-musical meaning, based on close assessments of Ponce's compositional practice and social principles.