Music in Catalonia Today
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MUSIC MUSIC IN CATALONIA TODAY CATALONIA'S MOST CHARACTERISTIC CONTRIBUTION TO UNIVERSAL MUSIC HAS BEEN ITS REPERTORY OF FOLKSONGS, ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND RICHEST IN EUROPE.IN CLASSICAL MUSIC, ALONGSIDE QUITE OUTSTANDING COMPOSERS, THERE IS AN EXTRAORDINARY LIST OF FIRST-RATE INTERNATIONAL PERFORMERS. SEBASTIA BENET I SANVICENS MUSICOLOGIST he music scene in Catalonia to- there is an extraordinary list of first-rate end of the nineteenth century. The mu- day has a remote ancestry which intemational performers. sic is played by a special band, the co- has fashioned its character down Pau Casals, father of the modern cello, bla, led by the tenora, an instrument to the present moment. In the course of contributed to a universal knowledge of which originated in Catalonia. The sar- this evolution we see that Catalonia's Catalan folk music by adopting the dana is a living dance, which people of most characteristic contribution to uni- beautiful tune "El cant dels ocells" as a al1 ages take part in at any celebration versal music has been its repertory of testimony of his cultural origin. Our during the year, and which has pro- folksongs, one of the most beautiful and popular music also includes a wide va- duced masterpieces composed by some richest in Europe. In classical music, riety of dances, in particular the sarda- of the best Catalan musicians, includ- alongside quite outstanding composers, na, Catalonia's national dance since the ing Pau Casals himself. Igor Stravinsky, MUSIC on a visit to Barcelona in 1924, was 1927-, which had a primarily classical recently, the conductors Salvador Mas filled with enthusiasm for a sardana repertoire and soon took their place in and Josep Pons, successful internatio- with music by Juli Garreta, a musician the European choral movement. Cata- nal figures. The monastery of Mont- from the Emporda region. lan popular music, then, is more than serrat also led the recovery of Gregorian Folk songs were also the basis for the just an ethnic or folkloric curiosity of chant in the Iberian Peninsula, begun at widespread choral movement in Catalo- interest only to musicologists; it is a the end of the nineteenth century at the nia, which is still very active today. Jo- living reality which has never been en- French monastery of Solesmes. sep A.Clavé (1 824-1 874), with the phi- tirely divorced from serious music. In more recent times, the world of lanthropic aim of getting the workers There are accounts of religious music in serious music in Catalonia has been out of the taverns and infusing them Catalonia going back to the sixth cen- characterized by great individual fig- with progressive ideas, created the tury. Six centuries later, troubadours ures and by teaching facilities that are "Cors Clavé", male-voice choirs, to and rninstrels from neighbouring Pro- insufficient to train the musicians we which the "orfeons", or mixed choirs, vence introduced profane music into need to cover interna1 demand. We were added later, originally devoted to the court of the count-kings of Catalo- have a Pau Casals (1875-1973), but we performing popular songs which they nia and Aragon. At the same time, there have to import musicians from other alternated with the great classical choral was already a music school in Mont- countries for our orchestras, which, ad- works. The "Orfeó Catala", founded by serrat for training the choir of young mittedly, have started a period of def- Lluis Millet (1876-1941) and to which voices that served the mass. This inite improvement, but which are not Pau Casals entrusted the Florence de- school, one of the oldest of its kind in yet amongst the best in Europe. At the but of his oratorio "El Pessebre" in Europe, is still active and has produced present moment, though, the extraordi- 1962, has had great success in Paris, some fine musicians: Antoni Soler nary activity in al1 fields of music in London and Rome. After the fifties the (1 729-1 783), known internationally for Catalonia promises a splendid future. choral movement produced smaller his sonatas for harpsichord; Ferran Sors The concert season in Barcelona gets mixed groups with more professionally (1 778-1 839), a guitarist and composer longer and longer and the summer mu- trained singers -such as the "Coral Sant who made a name for himself in Paris, sic festivals attract more and more mu- Jordi", set up by Oriol Martorell in London and Saint Petersburg, and more sic-lovers from this country and abroad. MUSIC I FREDERIC MOMPOU The most important festivals, affiliated leve1 opera, Montserrat Caballé, Josep tb the European hociation of Festi- Carreras and Jaume Aragail head a list u&, $he ones at Torfoella de Mont- of stars which wntinues with Enriqueta gd d Pereiada, b,oth 6:lose to the Cm- Tarrés, Carme-Bustamante, Joan Pons, ta Braya. Enric Serra and Joan Cabero. Anna The list of Catalan virtuosi contahs Ricci, for her part, is a recognized spe- @en@of international stars. %cara Vi- cialist in contemporary and experi- 5es was the pianist to whom Debussy, mental music. Sátie and Ravel entrusted the first 1 ougtit to mention that Isaac Albbniz public perfopmances of their work, and (1860-1909) and Enric Granados (1 867- today the pianist Mcia de Larroeha is 19 16), we11-known for their work in a . knsidered &e best performer of Cata- Spanish vein, were both Catalan too. 1- and Spanish Music. Jwdi Savali is Granados created the modern Catalan recognized as the best viola virtuoso school o$ piano, whose pupils inclde and one of the most jmportant con$uc- Alicia de Larrocha and the late Rosa tors of early music today, witb his Sabater. Subsequently there have been gcoups :Le conart de les Nations" and composers of the calibre of Eduard Tol- "La ,qpefla ,&eíal de Catglqya''. -e &A (1 895-1 962); wbose works are fded cellist Lluis Claget, a pupil of Casals, is with the Eght of the Mediterranean, also his best heir. Antoni Ros MarbA is Viñas and Conmpci6 Badia had con- though be was primarily a conductor. making an imporht name for himself siderable suwss in Europe and Amen- Robert Gerhard (1 896- 1970), a Catalan inteípationally as a conductor. But tt is ca. Today, Victoria dels Angeis is at the of Swiss father and French mother, in cbord singing that Catalonia has pro- peak of a . t-hant international studied with Granados and Arnold duad the most out&anding perfomers. career both ín opera and in the lied, the Schonberg and introduced twelve-tone At the beginníng of this eentury, Mana test for singers who want to be more music into Catalonia. In 1993 he Barrientos, Gonxita Supervia, Francesc than just vocal jugglers. Also in top- moved to England, following a tradition L MUSIC XAVIER MONTSALVATGE begun by Handel and Johann Christian abroad is the one made up of Lleonard Bach. The contemporary composer who Balada, Xavier Benguerel, Narcis Bonet, has deservedly achieved most recogni- Joan Guinjoan, Josep M.Mestres Qua- tion abroad is Federic Mompou (1893- dreny, Salvador Pueyo and Josep Soler. 1987), who was initiated into music lis- Today, Catalan music is in mourning: tening to the ringing of the family the destruction by fire of the Gran Tea- beil-foundry. Mompou studied in Bar- tre del Liceu, one of the oldest and most celona and Paris and his music, with its beautiful opera houses in Europe, has undeniable French influence, is fully opened a parenthesis it is hoped will be Catalan in meaning. He was an extraor- closed in 1997 with a renovated Liceu dinary pianist and his works sprung to mark the 150th anniversary of its from his fingers rather than from a pre- original inauguration. This will be the established technique. His series of continuation of a glorious past written "Songs and Dances" for piano contain by the world's greatest singers -Caruso, many melodies from Catalan folk-mu- Renata Tebaldi, Maria Callas- and by sic and his "Silent Music" is considered a large, enthusiastic and demanding the peak of his musical career. He has THE CiARET BROTHERS public who have always given it al1 their also written songs of great beauty, such support. The Liceu, alongside the Palau as "Damunt de tu només les flors" or de la Música Catalana, built by Domb- the moving "Cantar del alma", with has been successful al1 over the world nech i Montaner, is the symbolic heart words by Saint John of the Cross. Joa- with excellent works in an eclectic style, of Catalan music and its public an- quim Homs (1906), a friend and pupil such as "Canción de cuna para dormir xiously awaits its return. of Robert Gerhard, carries on his mas- un negrito" and the "Concert breu" for Catalonia is an open, welcoming ter's teaching with rigour but in his own piano and orchestra. country, a melting-pot of cultures, and style. Another composer who is stiI1 ac- Another generation of cornposers who there is no doubt it has a place of its tive is Xavier Montsalvatge (1 9 12), who have made a name for themselves own in the music world. ¤ .