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Frederic Mompou Dencausse (; alternatively Federico Mompou; 16 April 189330 June 1987) was a Spanish and
Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...
composer and pianist. He is remembered for his solo piano music and songs.


Life


Early years

Mompou was born in
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
to the lawyer Frederic Mompou and his wife Josefina Dencausse, who was of French origin. His brother (1888–1968) became a painter. His sketch of a simple farmhouse appeared on the covers of all of Frederic's published music.PRODigital Records – Program notes
/ref> Mompou studied piano under Pedro Serra at the
Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu () is a music college in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was created in 1837 with the name ''Liceo Filo-dramático de Montesión''. In 1847 the institution inaugurated the opera house Gran Teatre del Lic ...
before going to Paris, to study at the
Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...
, which was headed by
Gabriel Fauré Gabriel Urbain Fauré (; 12 May 1845 – 4 November 1924) was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th-century composers ...
. Mompou had heard Fauré perform in Barcelona when he was nine years old, and his music and performing style had made a powerful and lasting impression on him. He had a letter of introduction to Fauré from
Enrique Granados Pantaleón Enrique Joaquín Granados y Campiña (27 July 1867 – 24 March 1916), commonly known as Enric Granados in Catalan or Enrique Granados in Spanish, was a composer of classical music, and concert pianist from Catalonia, Spain. ...
, but it never reached its intended recipient. He entered the Conservatoire (with another Spaniard,
José Iturbi José Iturbi Báguena (28 November 189528 June 1980) was a Spanish conductor, pianist and harpsichordist. He appeared in several Hollywood films of the 1940s, notably playing himself in the musicals ''Thousands Cheer'' (1943), '' Music for Mill ...
), but studied with
Isidor Philipp Isidor Edmond Philipp (first name sometimes spelled Isidore) (2 September 1863 – 20 February 1958) was a French pianist, composer, and pedagogue of Jewish Hungarian descent. He was born in Budapest and died in Paris. Biography Isidor Philipp ...
, head of the piano department. He also took private piano lessons with Ferdinand Motte-Lacroix and harmony and composition lessons with
Marcel Samuel-Rousseau Marcel Auguste Louis Samuel-Rousseau (né Rousseau; 18 August 1882 – 11 June 1955) was a French composer, organist, and opera director. Biography Born in Paris, he was the son of Samuel Rousseau and later changed his surname to Samuel-Rousseau ...
. His extreme shyness, introspection and self-effacement meant that he could not pursue a solo career, but chose to devote himself to composition instead. In 1917 he returned to Barcelona, fleeing the war. His first published work, ''Cants magics'', appeared in 1920, mainly as a result of the advocacy of his friend Agustin Quintas.


1920s–1950s

Mompou returned to Paris in 1921, by which time his music was being regularly performed publicly, by his former teacher Motte-Lacroix and others, and he found himself the darling of Paris. In 1921, his ''Scènes d'enfants'' (1915–18), performed by Motte-Lacroix, inspired the French critic
Émile Vuillermoz Émile-Jean-Joseph Vuillermoz (23 May 1878 – 2 March 1960) was a French critic in the areas of music, film, drama and literature. He was also a composer, but abandoned this for criticism. Early life Émile Vuillermoz was born in Lyon in 1878. He ...
to proclaim Mompou "the only disciple and successor" to
Claude Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...
. Mompou himself often performed his own compositions, but only at private soirees, never in public. However, his time in Paris was not easy. He published no music between 1931 and 1941, when he left for his native
Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...
, fleeing the
German occupation of Paris Paris started mobilizing for war in September 1939, when Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union attacked Poland, but the war seemed far away until May 10, 1940, when the Germans attacked France and quickly defeated the French army. The French governme ...
. In that time, his father died and his brother became seriously ill. The
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
troubled him greatly. His personal financial situation was often dire enough to lead him away from music and into various business ventures, including an attempt to revive the traditional family
bell foundry Bellfounding is the casting and tuning of large bronze bells in a foundry for use such as in churches, clock towers and public buildings, either to signify the time or an event, or as a musical carillon or chime. Large bells are made by casting ...
.
Kenneth MacMillan Sir Kenneth MacMillan (11 December 192929 October 1992) was a British ballet dancer and choreographer who was artistic director of the Royal Ballet in London between 1970 and 1977, and its principal choreographer from 1977 until his death. Ea ...
's ballet ''La Casa de los Pájaros'' (''The House of Birds''), set to orchestrations by
John Lanchbery John Arthur Lanchbery OBE (15 May 1923 – 27 February 2003) was an English-Australian composer and conductor, famous for his ballet arrangements. He served as the Principal Conductor of the Royal Ballet from 1959 to 1972, Principal Conductor ...
of various piano pieces by Mompou, was premiered at
Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue in Clerkenwell, London, England located on Rosebery Avenue next to New River Head. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500-sea ...
in London in 1955 and was also staged at the 4th Festival de Música y Danza at Granada. In 1956 appeared ''Don Perlimpin'' (also seen as ''Don Perlimpinada''), a ballet written in collaboration between Mompou and
Xavier Montsalvatge Xavier Montsalvatge i Bassols (; 11 March 1912 – 7 May 2002) was a Spanish composer and music critic. He was one of the most influential music figures in Catalan music during the latter half of the 20th century. Biography Life Montsalvatge ...
and based on a play by Lorca. Most of the music was by Mompou, but Montsalvatge helped with the orchestration and linking passages and added two numbers of his own. In 1957, aged 64, Mompou married the pianist Carmen Bravo (c.192329 April 2007). She was 30 years his junior. It was the first marriage for both of them and they had no children.


Later years

An initial supporter of
Franco Franco may refer to: Name * Franco (name) * Francisco Franco (1892–1975), Spanish general and dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975 * Franco Luambo (1938–1989), Congolese musician, the "Grand Maître" Prefix * Franco, a prefix used when ref ...
's regime, in Barcelona he became a member of the Royal Academy of Sant Jordi, but otherwise lived quietly there until his death in 1987 at the age of 94 from respiratory failure. He is buried at the
Montjuïc Cemetery Montjuïc Cemetery, known in Catalan as Cementiri del Sud-oest or Cementiri de Montjuïc, is located on one of the rocky slopes of Montjuïc hill in Barcelona. History It was opened on 17 March 1883 by the city of Barcelona as its main cemetery, ...
in Barcelona. In 1974 Mompou recorded his piano works for the Spanish record label Ensayo. These recordings have been issued on compact discs by both Ensayo and
Brilliant Classics Brilliant Classics is a classical music label based in the Dutch town of Leeuwarden. It is renowned for releasing super-budget-priced editions on CD of the complete works of J.S. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and many other composers. The label also sp ...
. In 1975 and 1976 he acted as a jury member for the first Paloma O'Shea Santander International Piano Competition. After the death of his widow in 2007 about 80 unpublished and hitherto unknown works were discovered in Mompou’s files at his home and also in the files of the
National Library of Catalonia The Library of Catalonia ( ca, Biblioteca de Catalunya, ) is the Catalan national library, located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The primary mission of the Library of Catalonia is to collect, preserve, and spread Catalan bibliographic producti ...
. Some of them were given performances in Barcelona in 2008 by Jordi Masó and Mac McClure. Many others were given their premiere performances in 2009 by Marcel Worms. During his career Mompou received numerous awards, including: '' Chevalier des arts et lettres'' (France),
Premio Nacional de Música The National Music Award ( es, Premio Nacional de Música, links=no) is one of Spain's annual National Awards by the Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to: *Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania) * Mini ...
(Spain), Doctor ''
honoris causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...
'',
Universitat de Barcelona The University of Barcelona ( ca, Universitat de Barcelona, UB; ; es, link=no, Universidad de Barcelona) is a public university located in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia, in Spain. With 63,000 students, it is one of the biggest universities i ...
(1979) and Medalla d'Or de la Generalitat de Catalunya (1980).


Style

Mompou is best known as a miniaturist, writing short, relatively improvisatory music, often described as "delicate" or "intimate". His principal influences were French
impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating ...
,
Erik Satie Eric Alfred Leslie Satie (, ; ; 17 May 18661 July 1925), who signed his name Erik Satie after 1884, was a French composer and pianist. He was the son of a French father and a British mother. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire, but was an und ...
and
Gabriel Fauré Gabriel Urbain Fauré (; 12 May 1845 – 4 November 1924) was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th-century composers ...
, resulting in a style in which musical development is minimized and expression is concentrated into very small forms. He was fond of
ostinato In music, an ostinato (; derived from Italian word for ''stubborn'', compare English ''obstinate'') is a motif or phrase that persistently repeats in the same musical voice, frequently in the same pitch. Well-known ostinato-based pieces include ...
figures, bell imitations (his mother's family owned the Dencausse bell foundry and his grandfather was a bell maker), and a kind of incantatory, meditative sound, the most complete expression of which can be found in his masterpiece ''Musica Callada'' (or the ''Voice of Silence'') based on the mystical poetry of Saint
John of the Cross John of the Cross, OCD ( es, link=no, Juan de la Cruz; la, Ioannes a Cruce; born Juan de Yepes y Álvarez; 24 June 1542 – 14 December 1591) was a Spanish Catholic priest, mystic, and a Carmelite friar of converso origin. He is a major fi ...
. He was also influenced by the sounds and smells of the maritime quarter of Barcelona, the cry of seagulls, the sound of children playing and popular Catalan culture. He often dispensed with bar lines and key signatures. His music is rooted in the chord G–C–E–A–D, which he named ''Barri de platja'' (the Beach Quarter).


Selected works


Piano solo

*''Impresiones íntimas (Intimate impressions)'', 9 miniatures, written 1911–1914 *''Pessebres'' (1914–1917) (''Nativity Scenes'') *''Scènes d'enfants'' (1915–1918) (''Scenes of children''; later orchestrated by
Alexandre Tansman Alexander Tansman ( pl, Aleksander Tansman, link=no, French: Alexandre Tansman; 12 June 1897 – 15 November 1986) was a Polish composer, pianist and conductor who became a naturalized French citizen in 1938. One of the earliest representatives of ...
) *''Suburbis'' (1916–1917) (''Suburbs''; later orchestrated by
Manuel Rosenthal Manuel Rosenthal (18 June 1904 – 5 June 2003) was a French composer and conductor who held leading positions with musical organizations in France and America. He was friends with many contemporary composers, and despite a considerable list of c ...
) *''Cants màgics'' (1920) (''Magic Songs'') *''Fêtes lointaines'' (1920–1921) (''Distant Celebrations'') *''Charmes'' (1920–1921) *'' Cançons i danses'' (1921–1979) (''Songs and dances'') *''Dialogues'' (1923) *''Préludes'' (1927–1960) *'' Variations on a Theme of Chopin'' (1938–1957) (based on Chopin's Prelude No. 7 in A major) *''Paisatges'' (1942–1960) (''Landscapes'') *''El Pont'' (1947) *''Cançó de bressol'' (1951) (''Lullaby'') *''Música callada'' (''Silent music'' or ''Voices of silence'') (Primer cuaderno – 1959, Segundo cuaderno – 1962, Tercer cuaderno – 1965, Cuarto cuaderno – 1967)


Voice and piano

*''L'hora grisa'' (1916) (''The grey hour'') *''Cuatro melodías'' (1925) (''Four melodies'') *''Comptines'' (1926–1943) (''Nursery Rhymes'') *''Combat del somni'' (1942–1948) (''Dream combat'') *''Cantar del alma'' (1951) (''Soul Song'') *''Canciones becquerianas'' (1971) (''Songs after Bécquer'')


Ballets

*''Don Perlimpin'' (1956; written with
Xavier Montsalvatge Xavier Montsalvatge i Bassols (; 11 March 1912 – 7 May 2002) was a Spanish composer and music critic. He was one of the most influential music figures in Catalan music during the latter half of the 20th century. Biography Life Montsalvatge ...
)


Choral

*''Los Improperios'' (''The Insults''), for chorus and orchestra (1964; written in memory of
Francis Poulenc Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (; 7 January 189930 January 1963) was a French composer and pianist. His compositions include songs, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Among the best-kno ...
) *''L'Ocell daurat'' (''The Golden Bird''), cantata for children's choir (1970)


Guitar

*''Suite Compostelana'' for guitar (1962; composed for
Andrés Segovia Andrés Segovia Torres, 1st Marquis of Salobreña (21 February 1893 – 2 June 1987) was a Spanish virtuoso classical guitarist. Many professional classical guitarists were students of Segovia or their students. Segovia's contribution to the m ...
) * "Cançó i dansa No. 10" (Sobre dos Cantigas del Rei Alfonso X), originally for piano (1953), transcribed for guitar by the composer (undated manuscript) *"Cançó i dansa No. 13" (Cançó: El cant dels ocells; Dansa (El bon caçador)) for guitar (1972)


Recordings

Mompou himself recorded a few of his piano pieces for EMI in 1950 and then a much larger portion of his piano output, including the ''Musica callada'', for Ensayo in 1974, when he was over 80 years old. The later recordings have been released in a boxed set of 4 CDs by
Brilliant Classics Brilliant Classics is a classical music label based in the Dutch town of Leeuwarden. It is renowned for releasing super-budget-priced editions on CD of the complete works of J.S. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and many other composers. The label also sp ...
. For decades, other pianists rarely recorded his works, with major figures such as
Arthur Rubinstein Arthur Rubinstein ( pl, Artur Rubinstein; 28 January 188720 December 1982) was a Polish Americans, Polish-American pianist.
,
Guiomar Novaes Guiomar Novaes (February 28, 1895 – March 7, 1979) was a Brazilian pianist known for individuality of tone and phrasing, singing line, and a subtle and nuanced approach to her interpretations. Biography Born in São João da Boa Vista (in the a ...
,
Magda Tagliaferro Magdalena Maria Yvonne Tagliaferro (19 January 18939 September 1986) was a Brazilian-born pianist of French parentage. Magdalena Tagliaferro was born in Petrópolis, Brazil. Her father, who had studied piano with Raoul Pugno in Paris, was a voi ...
, and
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (; 5 January 1920 – 12 June 1995) was an Italian classical pianist. He is considered one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century. According to ''The New York Times'', he was perhaps the most reclusive, e ...
recording just a handful of his pieces. In the late 1950s, Mompou's wife, Carmen Bravo, recorded some of his works for EMI. The Spanish specialist
Alicia de Larrocha Alicia de Larrocha y de la Calle (23 May 192325 September 2009) was a Spanish pianist and composer. She was considered one of the great piano legends of the 20th century. Reuters called her "the greatest Spanish pianist in history", ''Time'' "o ...
recorded a larger selection, and more recently, Mompou's works have received greater attention. Acclaimed contemporary pianists such as
Stephen Hough Sir Stephen Andrew Gill Hough (; born 22 November 1961) is a British-born classical pianist, composer and writer. He became an Australian citizen in 2005 and thus has dual nationality (his father was born in Australia in 1926). Biography Houg ...
in 1997 and
Arcadi Volodos Arcadi Arcadievich Volodos (russian: Аркадий Аркадьевич Володось, links=no, ''Arkadij Arkadjevich Volodos''; born 24 February 1972) is a Russian pianist and composer. His first name is sometimes transliterated Arcady or Ar ...
in 2013 have released full CDs devoted to his pieces, and Jordi Masó has recorded a cycle of Mompou's piano works for
Naxos Records Naxos comprises numerous companies, divisions, imprints, and labels specializing in classical music but also audiobooks and other genres. The premier label is Naxos Records which focuses on classical music. Naxos Musical Group encompasses about 1 ...
. Other contemporary pianists who have recorded Mompou's pieces include
Daniil Trifonov Daniil Olegovich Trifonov (russian: Дании́л Оле́гович Три́фонов; born 5 March 1991) is a Russian pianist and composer. Described by ''The Globe and Mail'' as "arguably today's leading classical virtuoso" and by ''The Tim ...
,
Alexandre Tharaud Alexandre Tharaud (born 9 December 1968) is a French pianist. He is active on the concert stage and has released a large and diverse discography. Life and career Born in Paris, Tharaud discovered the music scene through his mother who was a danc ...
, Herbert Henck, Clelia Iruzun,
Jenny Lin Jenny Lin is a Taiwanese-born American pianist. Life She was born in Taiwan, and raised in Austria and the United States. She began her piano studies at the age of 4. At age 10, she was accepted into the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna, Aust ...
,
Aaron Krister Johnson Aaron Krister Johnson is a Chicago-based composer, musician, and teacher. His experience ranges from the Western classical keyboard tradition, to folk music, and to modern Electro-acoustic music, electro-acoustic free improvisation. ''The Chicago ...
,Sonic Hermit Records, 2016 and
Javier Perianes Javier Perianes (born in 1978 in Nerva, Spain) is a Spanish classical pianist. He is a participant at many renowned festivals within Spain, including Santander, Cantabria, Santander, Granada, Peralada and San Sebastián. He has performed in distin ...
, among others. British pianist Martin Jones has recorded the complete piano works of Mompou for Nimbus, including those unpublished in Mompou's lifetime, many of which were discovered when his apartment was cleared out in 2008. The great Spanish soprano
Victoria de los Ángeles Victoria de los Ángeles López García (1 November 192315 January 2005) was a Catalan Spanish operatic lyric soprano and recitalist whose career began after the Second World War and reached its height in the years from the mid-1950s to the mid- ...
recorded Mompou's haunting song cycle ''El combat del somni'', and a video from 1971 survives of her singing one of these songs in her living room with the composer as her accompanist. Also, Spanish guitar great
Andrés Segovia Andrés Segovia Torres, 1st Marquis of Salobreña (21 February 1893 – 2 June 1987) was a Spanish virtuoso classical guitarist. Many professional classical guitarists were students of Segovia or their students. Segovia's contribution to the m ...
recorded Mompou's ''Suite Compostelana'', which was dedicated to him.


References


Further reading

*


External links


Biography, catalogue, discography, gallery
– in Spanish, French and English
Piano Society: Frederic MompouPersonal papers of Frederic Mompou in the Biblioteca de Catalunya
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mompou, Federico 1893 births 1987 deaths Composers from Catalonia Catalan pianists Musicians from Barcelona Burials at Montjuïc Cemetery Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu alumni Spanish classical composers Spanish male classical composers 20th-century classical composers Composers for piano Pupils of Isidor Philipp 20th-century Spanish musicians 20th-century Spanish male musicians