CIII. RZEWSKI, Frederic: The People United Will Never Be Defeated!

CIII. RZEWSKI, Frederic (1938-2021)

The People United Will Never Be Defeated! (1975)
Marc-André Hamelin, piano
[scrolling score]
(57:21)

Rzewski dedicated this to Ursula Oppens, who specialized in performing the most difficult piano literature of the 20th and 21st century.

This amazing Theme and 36 Variations is based on the Chilean protest song, El pueblo unido jamás será vencido! (The People United Will Never Be Defeated!)

In 1973, our government (Nixon, using the CIA) decided to remove their Socialist (read "communist") president, Salvadore Allende (who committed suicide as the CIA-backed coup d'etat raged outside the palace), and replace him with the military dictator Augusto Pinochet, who decided to torture and kill any left-leaning person he could get his hands on. Thousands were maimed and killed.

By the time of his death in 2006, about 300 criminal charges were still pending against him in Chile for numerous human rights violations during his 17-year rule, as well as tax evasion and embezzlement during and after his rule. He was also accused of having corruptly amassed at least $28 million dollars.

A horribly sad chapter of American and Chilean history.

Rzewski's mammoth composition requires extraordinary technical prowess from the pianist. It is one of the great solo piano works of the 20th century.