Carlos Poblete Varas: an approach to his life and work

Abstract

Between 1967 and 1983, Chilean musicologist Carlos Poblete Varas (1902-1986) published the books Manual de historia de la música, Diccionario de la música, Historia de la música occidental, Estructuras y formas de la música tonal, and El Rococó. Parallel to his investigative work, Poblete Varas worked as an academic at the Catholic University of Valparaíso, as a music critic in the written press and as a commentator on record produc- tions released in the country. Although he was a pioneer in the publication of specialized musical material in the Spanish language, thirty-eight years after his departure, his name and his work are completely forgotten and even despised by the Chilean musical academy. The present work is a descriptive study that seeks to rescue the figure of Carlos Poblete Varas by reviewing his literary production and various reviews published in the press. Also, through interviews carried out with two of his children, former students and former colleagues.