Composed fairly early in Ginastera's career, the Two Songs, Op. 3, are characteristic of the composer's nationalistic period; both draw heavily upon traditional rhythms and accompanimental figures. The first, "Cancion al Arbol del Olvido" (Song to the Tree of Forgetting), takes as its framework the rhythms of the milonga, an ancestor of the tango. It tells of a man who attempts to free his mind of his lover by sleeping under the tree of forgetfulness. His attempt is in vain, however: he "forgets to forget," and when he wakes, his beloved still haunts his mind. In the second song, "Canción a la Luna Lunanca" (Song for the Moon), the speaker compares the nightly return of the moon to his inevitable return to his lover. The texts of both songs are by Fernán Silva Valdés.

© All Music Guide