Notes and Editorial Reviews
A delightful disk.
I have never understood why some people call Mompou “the Spanish Satie” for his music is so different as to be from another planet. True, both of them can write music of almost virginal purity, but nowhere does Satie show the kind of high spirits that you can find in the seventh section of the
Don Perlimplin ballet. This work is a real find. Until now I’d only heard an orchestral Suite but here is the complete score. It’s a fine piece, totally Mompou - Montsalvatge only created the second and eleventh sections and added a few linking passages, he also orchestrated the work - and there’s none of the spirituality of other works, such as the
Musica callada. Extrovert Mompou? Yes, and why
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not? There’s much Spanish colouring à la Falla and Granados, and, the note tells us, a whiff of Poulenc, but breathe and you’ll miss it. No matter. This is a major discovery and with such a persuasive performance as this it might just make some concert promoter give us the orchestral version.
Ballet is a collection of 12 miniatures, all, but the opening Prelude, playing for around 60 seconds. There’s no development, simply statement and thoughtful discourse. Despite their brevity these are very satisfying and compelling pieces.
The rest of the programme is more miniatures, but ones which stand alone, and include Mompou’s only three chamber works. The
Glossa and
Fantasia on
Au clair de la lune are both studies on the children’s song. The
Romanca was written for the third anniversary of his engagement to his future bride. Mompou was obviously not a man to rush into things, for they didn’t get married for another 13 years!
Moderato expresivo was later reworked and it appeared as no.18 in the
Musica callada.
And so to the chamber music.
Altitud for violin and piano was written whilst the composer was living in Paris and there is a distinct French feel to the piece.
El pont is a late reworking, not a transcription, of a piano piece (1947) (available on Naxos 8.554727) in homage to Casals for his centenary. The final
Comptines I - III are so short as to be lost after the other pieces which seem gargantuan by comparison - “the ant’s a centaur in his dragon world”, as Pound wrote. They are a most enjoyable finale to a delightful disk. The performances are very good and the sound is excellent. Mompou deserves the audience which I hope that this disk, and the previous four in the series, will bring him.
-- Bob Briggs, MusicWeb International
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Works on This Recording
1.
Perimplinada by Federico Mompou
Performer:
Jordi Masó (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1955
Notes: This work was written in collaboration with Xavier Montsalvatge.
2.
Ballet by Federico Mompou
Performer:
Jordi Masó (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1949
3.
Glossa sobre "Au clair de la lune" by Federico Mompou
Performer:
Jordi Masó (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1946
4.
Altitud by Federico Mompou
Performer:
Jordi Masó (Piano),
Marc Oliu (Violin)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1928
5.
Romanca by Federico Mompou
Performer:
Jordi Masó (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1944
6.
Moderato expresivo by Federico Mompou
Performer:
Jordi Masó (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1946
7.
Fantasia sobre "Au clair de la lune" by Federico Mompou
Performer:
Jordi Masó (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1946
8.
El Pont by Federico Mompou
Performer:
Jordi Masó (Piano),
Joan-Antoni Pich (Cello)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1946; Spain
9.
Comptines by Federico Mompou
Performer:
Jordi Masó (Piano),
Marisa Ruiz Magaldi (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1931-1943; Spain
Sound Samples
Perimplinada (version for piano): I. Prelude. Energico
Perimplinada (version for piano): II. Piu animato
Perimplinada (version for piano): III. Recitativo - Allegretto
Perimplinada (version for piano): IV. Lento
Perimplinada (version for piano): V. Vivo - Marziale
Perimplinada (version for piano): VI. Calmo
Perimplinada (version for piano): VII. Vivo - Andantino ritmico
Perimplinada (version for piano): VIII. Lento drammatico
Perimplinada (version for piano): IX. Andantino ritmico
Perimplinada (version for piano): X. Aubade. Sostenuto
Perimplinada (version for piano): XI. Panaderos populaires
Perimplinada (version for piano): XII. Animato - Andante sostenuto
Perimplinada (version for piano): XIII. Lento, tres severe
Perimplinada (version for piano): XIV. Allegro - Lento
Ballet: II. Complanta de Lelian
Ballet: III. Temps de Masurca
Ballet: IV. Temps de Vals
Ballet: V. Temps de Blues
Ballet: VIII. Temps de Pavana
Ballet: IX. Oreig i vol de gavines
Ballet: X. A la recerca de l'oblit
Ballet: XII. Partenca i comiat
Glossa sobre Au clair de la lune
Fantasia sobre Au clair de la lune
El pont (version for cello and piano)
Comptines I-III (version for piano four hands): No. 1. Dalt d'un cotxe
Comptines I-III (version for piano four hands): No. 2. Margot, la pie
Comptines I-III (version for piano four hands): No. 3. J'ai vu dans la lune
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