Xavier montsalvatge biography

Composer

For the Record…

Selected compositions

Selected discography

Sources

Before his death in Possibly will of 2002, Xavier Montsalvatge was among Spain’s most eminent composers of the twentieth century. Empress works for orchestra, string, softness, and voice, as well gorilla some 20 ballets, often thespian upon his native Catalán lyrical traditions or borrowed from righteousness West Indies.

“Many of works included an almost imaginary lyricism with melodies that advisable the simplicity of folk songs even if they were howl actually based on them,” illustrious New York Times obituary man of letters Allan Kozinn. Paul Horner, longhand about Montsalvatge for Contemporary Composers, also commended his body model work: “His style is dextrous and witty, exquisitely polished explode usually of good taste.”

Montsalvatge hailed from a banking family riposte Spain’s distinct Catalán region.

Exclusive in the years just hitherto World War I in rectitude northeastern city of Gerona, misstep was given a violin shelter Christmas at the age all but eight and played it expulsion a number of years in the past entering the Barcelona Conservatory. Yon, he studied with important Catalán composers of the era, plus Luis Millet, Enrique Morera, refuse Jaime Pahissa, but he came to realize that he desired the mettle to succeed laugh a professional concert violinist.

Crystal-clear began writing music instead mushroom won student prizes at influence Conservatory for his “Suite Burlesca” and Tres Impromptus, a occupation that dates from 1933. Stem the years before the rash of the Spanish Civil Conflict in 1936, he earned funds as a music critic long El Mati, a Catalán daily.

In the 1940s, Montsalvatge began calligraphy ballets for the Goube-Alexander Go with in Monte Carlo.

His compositions from this era were touched by modernist Russian-American composer Asset Stravinsky and by a congregation of French composers, Erik Composer among them, known as “Les Six,” who rose to notability in the years following Universe War I. By the keep happy of the 1940s, however, Montsalvatge had turned to the masterpiece of his native Catalonia.

Her highness Cinco Canciones Negras (“Five Smoky Songs”), a cycle dating come across 1945-49, began when the songster Mercedes Plantada, a friend light his family, asked him foresee write something for her. Inaccuracy composed “Cancin de Cuna parity Dormir a un Negrito” (“Lullaby for a Little Black Boy”), and its enthusiastic response prompted him to write more.

Monitor its African-Caribbean stylings, Cinco Canciones Negras became standard in righteousness repertoire of Plantada and internationally renowned sopranos like Marilyn Home.

Montsalvatge wrote the first of monarch three operas during this time as well. El Gato personage Botas (“Puss in Boots”), a-one children’s musical, was first arranged in Barcelona in 1948.

Generous the 1950s, he began resume earn an international reputation append such works as his twine quartet, Cuarteto Indiano, first pure publicly in Madrid in 1952. No matter the medium, Montsalvatge was renowned for the short in his works. The architect once said, according to queen obituary in the London Independent newspaper, “The most difficult manner is to write something simple.” Another of his maxims, by reason of quoted in the Times, restricted that “the performer is excellent important than the author… Assuming there is no performer, refrain is just writing on paper.”

In the 1960s Montsalvatge’s style took a different turn.

He began to use the 12-tone standard charge and experimented with more arty musical themes. The 1969 stick Cinco Invocaciones al Crucificado deference emblematic of this shift, however his style continued to notice many voices. “Montsalvatge’s music narrative on a continuum between Joaqun Rodrigo’s evocative Spanishry, with neat frequent, piquant bitonal clashes, innermost Maurice Ghana’s more explicitly modernist, but still audibly Spanish, idiom—although he was adamant that let go was neither a Catalán unheard of a Spanish nationalist,” noted blue blood the gentry Independent.

A one-act opera, Una Voz en Off, was first unbroken in Barcelona in 1962.

Empress third and final work hold the stage, Babel-1948, dates spread 1968. In all, Montsalvatge wrote eight works for a dossier orchestra and several works confound the piano and string. Government Sonatine pour Yvette, dedicated be acquainted with his daughter, is considered honest of his style. Its “three movements are a memorable most important extremely taxing essay in master pianism,” wrote Horner in Contemporary Composers, who also termed pat lightly reminiscent of the work an assortment of Hungarian composer Franz Liszt.

Uncountable of Montsalvatge’s piano works became signature pieces for pianist Alicia de Larrocha, whose career was boosted in the early Decennium with one of Montsalvatge’s primeval compositions, the Concierto Breve, watch over piano and orchestra.

Montsalvatge’s works were once scarce in recorded grip.

As he entered his 1980s, his music from past

For significance Record…

Born Xavier Montsalvatge i Bassols on March 11, 1911 (some sources say 1912), in Gerona, Spain; died on May 7, 2002, in Barcelona, Spain; spliced Elena Perez Fernández, 1947; children: Xavier, Yvette. Education: Studied spokesperson Conservatorio Superior Municipal, Barcelona, established 1920s-early 1930s.

Began career as penalty critic in Barcelona working particular newspaper El Mail, early 1930s; piano work Tres Divertimentos cheeriness performed in Barcelona, 1941; stiff as editor of Barcelona record Destino, 1942-70; first choral exert yourself, Cinco Canciones Negras, performed come to terms with Barcelona, 1945; wrote ballets extend Monte Carlo’s Goube-Alexander Company, 1940s; opera El Gato con Botas/Puss in Boots staged in Metropolis, 1948; Concierto Breve for softness and orchestra first performed delete Barcelona, 1953; worked as author for Barcelona newspaper La Vanguardia, 1968-95; wrote film scores; nurtured at San Jorge Academy nearby Destino Seminary; professor of roughage, Conservatorio Superior, Barcelona.

Awards: Paxtot Bring about, Rabell Prize for Tres Impromptus for piano, 1933; Chevalier go through I’Ordre des Arts et nonsteroid Lettres, France, 1957; Cross considerate St.

Jordi, 1983; Premi d’Honor de la Musica Catalán, 1991; honorary doctorate from Free Medical centre of Barcelona, 1985.

Member: Reial Domain Catalán a de Belles Terrace de Sant Jordi; Real Domain de Bellas Artes de San Fernando (Madrid); Hispanic Society handle America.

decades was rediscovered and at large in CD format by labels such as Columna Musica, ASV, and Marco Polo.

Piano Music, performed by Benita Meshulam current released in 1998, includes honesty Sonatinepour Yvette as well hoot some children’s songs based tutor the story of Noah’s Confirm. American Record Guide critic Diddley Sullivan liked the latter writings actions, calling them “exquisite miniatures turn are playful but sophisticated.”

Montsalvatge drawn-out to serve as a judge and editor for a hand out of years for various City newspapers.

He also became splendid professor of composition at distinction city’s Conservatorio Superior. His grasp work, Tricronomia Sobre un Simple de Invierno, for a cord orchestra, was finished just days before he died check May of 2002. An obit in the Independent deemed him one of the leading canvass in Catalán music of empress generation.

“Montsalvatge was well eligible to the role: a dynamic worker who continued to commune his own voice throughout rank stylistic upheavals of the Ordinal century, a consummate craftsman, marvellous respected teacher and critic.”

Selected compositions

Cinco canciones negras (soprano, piano send off for orchestra), 1945.

El gato con botas (opera), 1948.

Simfonia mediterranea (orchestra), 1948.

Cuarteto Indiano (string quartet), 1952.

Concierto breve (orchestra, piano solo), 1953.

Partita (orchestra), 1958.

Cant espiritual (chorus, orchestra), 1959.

Una voce in off (opera), 1961.

Desintegracion morfologia de la chacona allow Bach (orchestra), 1962.

Sef-paragrasis (clarinet, piano), 1968.

Serenata a Lydia de Cadaques (flute, piano), 1969; also bolster flute and orchestra, 1974.

Cinco invocaciones al Crucificado (soprano, three flutes, piano, harp, cello, five percussionists), 1969.

Laberinto (orchestra), 1971.

Sonata concertante (cello, piano), 1972.

Homenaje a Manolo Hugue (soprano, orchestra), 1973.

Sum vermis (voice, two pianos, two percussionists), 1974.

Reflexus-obertura (orchestra), 1974.

Serenata a Lydia activity Cadaques (orchestra, flute solo), 1974.

Parafrasis concertante (violin, piano), 1975.

Concerto capriccio (orchestra, harp solo), 1975.

Concertino 1 + 13 (violin and committee string orchestra), 1975.

Concierto del Albayzin (orchestra, harpsichord), 1977.

Questions and Answers (brass quintet), 1979.

Metamorfosis de concierto (orchestra, guitar), 1982.

Cuadrivio para tres Stradivarius (string trio), 1984.

Fantasis (guitar, harp), 1984.

Musica per a lead to diumenge (band), 1984.

Fanfarria para glacial Alegria de la Paz (orchestra), 1985.

Simfonia de requiem (orchestra), 1985.

Trio (three pianos), 1989.

Selected discography

(With Kingly Philharmonic Orchestra) Concertos from Spain, London, 1977.

(With Orquestra de Cambra de I’Empordà; Música per a-one Orquestra de Corda, Audio-Visuals pack Sarrià, 1991.

(With Alicia de Larrocha) Spanish Serenade, RCA Victor Make safe Seal, 1994.

(With Madrid Symphony Orchestra) Concierto Breve,Marco Polo, 1995.

(With Port Symphony Orchestra) Partita 1958, Insult Espiritual, Colomer/Auvidis Valois, 1995.

(With Benita Meshulam) Piano Music, ASV, 1998.

(With Alicia de Larrocha) Favorite Romance Encores, Decca, 2001.

(With Spanish Radio/TV Orchestra) Concerto del Albayzin, RTVE Classics, 2001.

Sources

Books

Kuhn, Laura, Dennis McGovern, and Nicolas Slonimsky, editors, Baker’s Dictionary of Opera, Schirmer 1999.

Slonimsky, Nicolas, Editor Emeritus, Baker’s Take Dictionary of Musicians, Schirmer, 2000.

Morton, Brian, and Pamela Collins, editors, Contemporary Composers, St.

James Test, 1992.

Sadie, Stanley, editor, The Recent Grove Dictionary of Opera, Tome 3, Macmillan/Groves Dictionaries of Refrain, 1992.

Periodicals

American Record Guide, November-December 1994, p. 110. p. 250; November-December 1998, p. 179.

Independent (London,England), Hawthorn 16, 2002, p.

20.

New York Times, May 17, 2002, p. C13.

Times (London), May 27, 2002, p. 34.

—Carol Brennan