Josep Soler i Sardà (25 March 1935 – 9 October 2022) was a Catalonian/Spanish composer, writer, music theorist, and one of the main Catalan members of the

Generación del 51 Generación del 51 is a designation for one of a series of "generations" of Spanish composers, identifying a group born between 1924 and 1938. Members of this group of composers from the Basque and Castilian-speaking regions of Spain include: ...

Life and career

Soler i Sardà was born in

Vilafranca del Penedès Vilafranca del Penedès, or simply Vilafranca (), is the capital of the ''comarca'' of the Alt Penedès in Catalonia, Spain. The Spanish spelling of the name, ''Villafranca del Panadés'', is no longer in official use since 1982 (Law 12/1982, of ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, on 25 March 1935. He studied composition and orchestration with

Cristòfor Taltabull Cristòfor Taltabull (28 July 1888 - 1 May 1964) was a Spanish composer and pedagogue who was instrumental in the reconstruction of musical life in Catalonia after the Spanish Civil War. Biography Taltabull was born in Barcelona. He came from an ...

, and was also a pupil of

René Leibowitz René Leibowitz (; 17 February 1913 – 29 August 1972) was a Polish, later naturalised French, composer, conductor, music theorist and teacher. He was historically significant in promoting the music of the Second Viennese School in Paris after ...

in Paris. Soler's works include 16 operas, 7 symphonies, 3 piano concertos, 7 String Quartets, 16 Sonatas for piano and an orchestration of

Isaac Albéniz Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz y Pascual (; 29 May 1860 – 18 May 1909) was a Spanish virtuoso pianist, composer, and conductor. He is one of the foremost composers of the Post-Romantic era who also had a significant influence on his conte ...

's '' Pepita Jiménez'', inter alia. Since 1982, he taught at the

Reial Acadèmia Catalana de Belles Arts de Sant Jordi The Reial Acadèmia Catalana de Belles Arts de Sant Jordi (, in English "Royal Catalan Academy of Fine Arts of Saint George") is a Catalan art school located in Barcelona. The president is the architect Jordi Bonet i Armengol. The institution was ...

(Royal Catalan Academy of Fine Arts of Saint George) 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 ...

. His students included Benet Casablancas and

Alejandro Civilotti Alejandro Gabriel Civilotti Carvalho (born June 22, 1959, La Plata, Argentina). Argentine composer settled in Barcelona, Spain, considered one of the biggest names of his generation in the contemporary Spanish music scene-.Franco Manera, Enrique: ...

. In 2013, Soler was awarded the Gold Medal of Merit in Fine Arts awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Culture. He refused this honour, stating:

"Aceptar el reconocimiento sería aceptar la autoridad del Gobierno español, y yo no quiero saber nada del ministro Wert ni del gobierno de Rajoy, porque a ellos no les interesa en absoluto ni la cultura ni la educación." ("To acknowledge this recognition is to acknowledge the authority of the Spanish government, and I do not want anything to do with minister
osé Ignacio In demonology, Ose (Pronounced /ˈɒze/), is a Great President of Hell, ruling three legions of demons (thirty to other authors, and Pseudomonarchia Daemonum gives no number of legions). He makes men wise in all liberal sciences and gives true a ...
Wert and the government of rime Minister MarianoRajoy, because they are not interested at all in either music or education.")

The personal papers of Josep Soler i Sardà are preserved in the

Biblioteca de Catalunya 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 ...

. Soler i Sardà died on 9 October 2022, at the age of 87.

Bibliography

* LEIBOWITZ, René. "Josep Soler" in CASARES, Emilio (ed.) "14 compositores españoles de hoy", Universidad de Oviedo, 1982, pp. 466–474. * LEWINSKI, W.E. von. "Vier katalanische Komponisten in Barcelona", Melos, nº3, 1971, pp. 93–103. * MEDINA, Ángel. ''Josep Soler. Música de la Pasión'' ICCMU. Madrid, 1998. * SADIE, Stanley. "Josep Soler" in "The New Grove Dictionary of Opera". MacMillan. London, 1992. Doctoral Theses * Bruach Menchen, Agustí. ''Les òperes de Josep Soler''. Autonomous University of Barcelona, 1997. * * Roura, Teodor.''La música vocal de Josep Soler. Escrits teòrics i obra musical''. Autonomous University of Barcelona, 2017.

Essays

* (1980) ''Fuga, técnica e historia'' * (1982) ''La música'' * (1983) ''Victoria'' * (1994) ''Escritos sobre música y dos poemas'' * (1999) ''Otros escritos y poemas'' * (1999) ''Tiempo y Música'' (with Joan Cuscó) * (2003) ''Nuevos escritos y poemas'' * (2004) ''J.S. Bach. Una estructura del dolor'' * (2006) ''Música y Ética'' * (2011) ''Musica Enchiriadis'' * (2014) "Últimos escritos"

Awards

* Prize "

Opera de Montecarlo Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

" (1964); * Prize ''Ciudad de Barcelona'' (1962 and 1978); * " Óscar Esplà" in Music Composition Award (1982); * Premi Nacional de Música de Catalunya (2001); *

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 ...

(2009); * XI Iberoamerican Prize

Premio Tomás Luis de Victoria The and its twin the are sedans sold in Japan from 2001 to 2021 by Toyota. The sedans are designated as a compact car by Japanese dimension regulations and the exterior dimensions do not change with periodic updates. Unlike Toyota's other v ...

. (2011) *

Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

. (2013), refused.

References

External links

Information about Soler
(English)

(English)
Essays
(English)
Personal papers of Josep Soler i Sardà in the Biblioteca de Catalunya
(Catalan) * 1935 births 2022 deaths Composers from Catalonia Writers about music Opera composers from Catalonia Spanish opera composers Male opera composers People from Vilafranca del Penedès Spanish male classical composers Spanish classical composers Spanish music theorists {{Spain-composer-stub