Wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mompou
I only know "Canciones y Danzas" No. 6. Has anyone here explored further?
Rubinstein performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szk5_mi0vyQ
(And a recording recommendation of the above would be appreciated!)
Mompou has extensively recorded his own stuff. It has been available on Brilliant Classics.
Quote from: admiralackbar74 on August 22, 2009, 05:03:23 PM
Wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mompou
I only know "Canciones y Danzas" No. 6. Has anyone here explored further?
Rubinstein performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szk5_mi0vyQ
(And a recording recommendation of the above would be appreciated!)
I don't believe Mompou's piano works are not all that well known. His music tends to be (literally) underplayed. There is much color and nuance, and there are several recordings available. I generally tend to play directly from the sheet music. "Dialogue" and "Musica Callada" are wonderful. There is an admixture of Spanish and French influences.
Although by now I've enjoyed several relatively superficial listens, this weekend I have (finally) been digging more deeply into the Música callada.
This composer wrote absolutely gorgeous piano music. No question about it. For quite some time, I haven't been into solo piano music, but I've been opening up slowly with the Villa-Lobos solo piano music box set on Naxos and now I bought all the Naxos recordings of Mompou.
This is one of the works that won me over:
http://www.youtube.com/v/k5__QQVmV1o&feature=related
Here's another one that won me over:
http://www.youtube.com/v/pkepygUSAwA
The Musica Callada is where it's at. One of the great piano works of the 20th century. Mompou's own recordings of his music on Brilliant are mandatory, but for the Musica Callada Herbert Henck on ECM is actually more refined and poetic. A gorgeous disc. If you like them, do check out Luke Ottevanger's 20 Improvisations. ;D
Quote from: Luke on September 06, 2011, 02:33:23 PM
The Musica Callada is where it's at. One of the great piano works of the 20th century. Mompou's own recordings of his music on Brilliant are mandatory, but for the Musica Callada Herbert Henck on ECM is actually more refined and poetic. A gorgeous disc. If you like them, do check out Luke Ottevanger's 20 Improvisations. ;D
There's so much music to check out, Luke that I'm afraid I can't promise I'll get around to anything. :) I know
Musica Callada is in the Naxos series, so I'll hear it when that specific disc comes around in rotation. :D I also bought the three solo piano recordings of Koechlin on Hanssler (which will complete the series for me), so anyway, thanks for the suggestions, but time is the enemy here more than anything.
By the way, Luke, you don't like those pieces I linked above? Are they or are they not representative of Mompou's style?
Quote from: Mirror Image on September 06, 2011, 02:47:23 PM
By the way, Luke, you don't like those pieces I linked above? Are they or are they not representative of Mompou's style?
Oh, I do, yes - I don't dislike anything of Mompou's. But I definitely prefer the Musica Callada to anything else. They are the heart of Mompou's music, IMO, sophisticated and subtle, but incredibly pure and intense.
Quote from: Luke on September 06, 2011, 09:36:20 PM
Oh, I do, yes - I don't dislike anything of Mompou's. But I definitely prefer the Musica Callada to anything else. They are the heart of Mompou's music, IMO, sophisticated and subtle, but incredibly pure and intense.
Quote from: Luke on September 06, 2011, 02:33:23 PM
The Musica Callada is where it's at. One of the great piano works of the 20th century. Mompou's own recordings of his music on Brilliant are mandatory, but for the Musica Callada Herbert Henck on ECM is actually more refined and poetic. A gorgeous disc. If you like them, do check out Luke Ottevanger's 20 Improvisations. ;D
Both these : )
Quote from: Luke on September 06, 2011, 09:36:20 PM
Oh, I do, yes - I don't dislike anything of Mompou's. But I definitely prefer the Musica Callada to anything else. They are the heart of Mompou's music, IMO, sophisticated and subtle, but incredibly pure and intense.
I'll definitely give these a listen, Luke.
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Quote from: Pessoa on December 07, 2013, 01:10:10 PM
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Great disc.
Another one for the wish list. Thanks you (with somewhat divided feelings). ;)
I've gotta bump Mompou. I understand that his output is lacking in variety being mostly for piano, but his songs are gorgeous and his Suite Compostelana for Segovia is among the guitar classics of his time. Music Callada, Canciones and Danses as well as his preludes are strong from top to bottom. Not much drama or bombast, but masterworks nonetheless. I know he has recorded his own works; what are the definitive recordings?
Quote from: Pessoa on December 07, 2013, 01:10:10 PM
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In addition to this great disk Arkady Volodos also recorded these pieces with such a broad palette of coulours. The piece is fantastic and Volodos an amazing pianist.
Musica Calada is a must hear piece. At the same level as the best Debussy.
I'm thinking it might be about time to do a deep-dive into the piano music of Federico Mompou. The main focus would be Musica Callada. I've identified twenty-four versions of the work for solo piano (plus some for guitar), a fair chunk of which are included in complete sets. The definition of "complete" varies based on when the set was recorded; older sets typically include four CDs or five LPs, but after the composer died, multiple unpublished works for solo piano were found, and they have only recently been recorded. So far, only Jordi Maso and Martin Jones have recorded everything, but I'd still count the older sets as "complete" for their time.
If anyone else has explored the solo piano works, any info on missing renditions of Musica Callada would be appreciated, as would any comments on especially noteworthy recordings.
Have
Federico Mompou (complete cycle)
Javier Perianes
Jenny Lin
Arcadi Volodos (selections only, of course; sublime)
Other available sets of Musica Callada
Adolf Pla (complete cycle)
Albert Attenelle
Alessandro Deljavan (twofer with other works)
Alice Ader
Anita Pontremoli (complete cycle underway)
Antoni Besses/Miquel Farré (complete cycle)
Emili Brugalla
Haskell Small
Herbert Henck
Jean-Francois Heisser (along with a second disc of other works)
Jordi Maso (super-complete cycle)
Josep Colom (complete cycle)
Marcel Worms
Mari Kumamoto
Martin Jones (super-complete cycle)
Pierre Huybregts (complete cycle on LP, never on CD; one digital recording of other works)
Remei Cortes Ayats (complete cycle)
Ronald Ogden
Sira Hernàndez
Steffen Schleiermacher (complete cycle underway?)
Yuji Takahashi
Other works/excerpts
Gonzalo Soriano - could be something; Soriano's recorded output deserves to be reissued in its entirety
Artur Pizarro - could be good, but he didn't seem to get beyond volume one of his proposed set
Luis Fernando Pérez
Clélia Iruzun (complete cycle underway?)
I agree, Mompou's songs are very beautiful (especially when sung by Victoria de los Angeles).
To add to Todd's list: pianist Stephen Hough has recorded a CD of Mompou's solo piano music. I've not heard it, as I don't think Hough's piano style is quite right for Mompou, but the recording has won awards (so what do I know).
Surprisingly, one pianist that hasn't been mentioned so far on this thread is Alicia de Larrocha, who was a friend of Mompou's, & had a Prelude & the 4th volume of Musica Callada dedicated to her. Other than the composer himself, de Larrocha is my favorite pianist for Mompou's solo piano works.
Unfortunately, de Larrocha never recorded the entire "Musica Callada" (only Book IV). I don't know why she didn't, as she premiered the work in 1974 (the same year that the composer made his Ensayo recordings), and it was music particularly well suited to her. Maybe she thought she couldn't equal Mompou's own recording, which is certainly among the best, if not the finest. I wish she had. However, de Larrocha did, fortunately, record Mompou's "Impresiones intimas", twice, and I've grown to like that work as much as "Musica Callada" (& may even prefer it). Some collectors prefer her early 1st recording of "Impresiones intimas" from the 1950s (newly reissued by the Eloquence label & included in DG's "Liszt's Legacy" box set), but her later digital recording also goes with me to my desert island & has superior sound:
[asin]B071DKM1LP[/asin] OR [asin]B005B0YURI[/asin]
[asin]B00005FLSY[/asin] OR [asin]B002S6JOF6[/asin]
Here's another excellent Mompou recording from de Larrocha:
https://www.amazon.com/Spanish-Songs-Dances-Frederico-Mompou/dp/B006CAXQ1W/ref=sr_1_7?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1511815205&sr=1-7&keywords=mompou+alicia+de+larrocha
As mentioned, Mompou's own survey of his solo piano works is essential listening too, for anyone wishing to better understand his music (most of it can be heard on You Tube, along with de Larrocha's "Impresiones intimas"):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zjy5TjR3D1c
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Piano-Works-F-MOMPOU/dp/B0001GAVNY/ref=sr_1_4?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1511815294&sr=1-4&keywords=mompou+piano+music+import
Otherwise, I wouldn't want to be without pianist Josep Colom's fine Mompou survey, either. Colom's "Musica Callada" is probably my next favorite version after Mompou's, among complete recordings (Lin's is good too):
[asin]B000025ZKH[/asin]
Though I've yet to hear Marcel Worms recent recording (nor have I heard Jordi Masó's "Musica Callada" on Naxos, either):
https://www.amazon.com/Mompou-M%C3%BAsica-callada-Vols-1-4/dp/B01BXVBJNQ/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1511818590&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=marcel+worms+mompou
Speaking of Worms (who also plays Satie), the Dutch pianist appears to be especially dedicated to Mompou's music, as he's additionally recorded a disc of Mompou's 'unpublished' piano pieces, along with a CD of Mompou's chamber works (with fellow Dutch musicians):
https://www.amazon.com/El-Pont-Chamber-Music-Federico/dp/B001VB95H6/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1511817232&sr=1-1&keywords=marcel+worms+mompou
https://www.amazon.com/Mompou-Unpublished-Works-Marcel-Worms/dp/B01FY6OFH8/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1511817232&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=marcel+worms+mompou
The complete set of piano music from Spanish pianist, Adolf Pla, is also very worthwhile. Admittedly, Pla isn't quite in the same league with de Larrocha, but his playing is thoroughly idiomatic (if a tad straightforward occasionally--which isn't necessarily a bad thing), & personally, I've really enjoyed his set (especially his "Impresiones intimas"), & he's very well recorded. The set appears to be OOP now, but is worth tracking down, if you can find it (the individual issues may be easier to acquire):
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Works-Piano-Frederic-Mompou/dp/B00BH419JO/ref=sr_1_9?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1511817635&sr=1-9&keywords=adolf+pla
Herbert Henck's "Musica Callada" is excellent too, but Henck's view of this music is distinctly more modern than others. Granted, Henck's pianism is first class, but personally I see this music as deriving more out of Mompou's early years in Paris & the influence of Satie and Faure, & other early 20th century French composers. Though I suppose an argument could be made that Henck's starker, more austere modern interpretation offers some insights into the poems (and suffering) of St. John of the Cross, which influenced Mompou, and inspired him to compose "Musica Callada".
Colom's former student, Javier Perianes is excellent too, though I prefer the other Spanish pianists I've mentioned above (esp. Colom & Mompou).
Finally, Jenny Lin is wonderful in Musica Callada, and she's incredibly well recorded by Steinway--one of the finest sound recordings of a piano I've ever heard!; however, interpretatively, I don't think she's quite as idiomatic as some of the Spanish pianists; which may not necessarily matter to some listeners.
Among older, legendary pianists, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Guiomar Novaes, Magda Tagliaferro, and Artur Rubinstein played & recorded a handful of Mompou's piano works.
I continued digging, and I found two more sets of Musica Callada. The Brugalla is new and available download only, while the Besses/Farré is part of yet another complete set. I'm thinking I'm finally going to have to sign up for a paid streaming service since that's the only way to access some of these recordings.
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Another aspect of Mompou's work (albeit in old Spanish TV -recordings):
https://www.youtube.com/v/33pGsUZa7cg
Markevitch conducts Los Improperios + Berg's violinconcerto (Andre Gertler)
https://www.youtube.com/v/8YbhiNEsguA
Odon Alonso conducts also Los Improperios + Suburbios and Cantar del alma.
For better sound : https://youtu.be/003wYlzgeFg
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https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/mompou-vocal-and-orchestral-works:
The usual image (a true one) of Mompou is of a quiet, retiring composer of exquisite miniatures for piano or for voice. Not until he had reached the age of 70 did he write for the orchestra, and then only in the present Improperia (from the liturgy for Good Friday) and later for a children's cantata and settings of five songs to poems of Paul Valery. He normally placed great store on concision, and recognized that this choral work was not only of unusual dimensions for him but that it also marked a departure in style; yet he insisted that in writing it he was by no means disavowing his earlier ideals. So far, we have had to make do with the very indifferent 1968 recording of it under Markevitch (Philips), with its poor choral tuning and strident tone: the new issue is in every way superior, with a very good solo baritone, a well-trained and fresh-sounding choir and clean orchestral sound. Only in a couple of places is balance questionable: for the baritone's very first entry he sounds far too distant (was his mike not up?) and at ''Quid ultra debui facere'' he is in danger of being swamped by the woodwind. But this is a moving performance of a work of deep commitment, exhibiting more passion and drama than is usually associated with Mompou. Harmonically it is, at times, reminiscent of Poulenc (who was an admirer of his), especially in the curiously jaunty ritornello in ''Ego propter te'' and in the beatific close-harmony female chorus in the final antiphon, which after an exultant climax dies away with repeated calls of ''Domine!''.
The orchestrations by other hands of two of his early piano suites (dating from the First World War) are undeniably effective, but they decidedly change the music's character. Its intimate, modest proportions seem unduly blown up in the outer movements of Suburbis, which put me in mind of those attempts to colour classic black-and-white films that are entirely satisfactory in their original state. Scenes d'enfants lends itself rather better to being scored, and is more vividly recorded here; but in the sensuously sentimental tune of the popular ''Jeunes filles au jardin'' the off-beat chords are too loud for the muted violins who have the melody. With memories of Victoria de los Angeles and Teresa Berganza in the haunting and seemingly simple Combat del somni song-cycle, it is kinder to say nothing of the drab voice on the present recording.'
Ps: Scènes d'enfants (1915–1918) (Scenes of children; later orchestrated by Alexandre Tansman)
Suburbis (1916–1917) (Suburbs; later orchestrated by Manuel Rosenthal)
P.
Most interesting, thanks!
For the premiere of Los Improperios ((Religious music weeks Cuenca 1964), Mompou wrote a text, which is partially cited in the Philips cd (the one I have) booklet:
"The act of having accepted and realised the commission of a work so remote from my spirit of synthesis does not destroy my authentic personality. I would not have wished anyone to mistake this idea, believing that I have written this work with the intention of surpassing my earlier productions. I am very satisfied as to the musical content and realisation regarding its composition, but I do not consider it, because of its greater dimensions, superior to my "Charmes" or "Musica calada", where one finds that which is more authentically my music."
The version recorded by Markevitch (and propably by Pons) was revised by Markevitch "for details in orchestration", naturally with the consent of the composer.
The world premiere of this short oratorio consisted of 7 sections. In 1966-1968 Mompou added an eight section ( Ego te potavi).
P.
Cross-posted from the 'Purchases' thread:
Quote from: Mirror Image on February 13, 2018, 06:50:32 AM
Just bought:
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I figured it was time I updated my Mompou collection since my appreciation for solo piano music has increased drastically over the past few weeks. Anyone here know any of these recordings?
Mirror Images asks, "I figured it was time I updated my Mompou collection since my appreciation for solo piano music has increased drastically over the past few weeks. Anyone here know any of these recordings?"
That's good to hear. Yes, I mentioned both recordings in my previous post on page 1. In that post, I offered a valuable selection of some of the better Mompou recordings in the catalogue (& I avoided mentioning of a number of recordings that I've found to be inferior). I suspect people here don't have a ton of experience with recordings of Mompou's solo piano music, since how can I be the only one to mention the beautiful Mompou recordings of pianist Alicia de Larrocha? Mompou dedicated works to her, and she gave important premieres of his music. So, De Larrocha is essential listening in the music of this composer.
But yes, Josep Colom is a good pianist, and after Mompou's own recordings (from the late 1960s or early 1970s), and those of Alicia de Larrocha, Colom's fine survey is worthwhile. I prefer his Musica Callada to the recording by his student, Javier Perianes, for example.
The musically eclectic pianist Marcel Worms is likewise especially dedicated to Mompou's music, having recorded both the "Musica Callada", & a valuable CD of rare "Unpublished works" (first recordings, which received the highest rating--5 notes--from the Spanish magazine, Melómania), & the chamber music CD that you mentioned above. While I probably wouldn't claim that Mompou's chamber music (which includes some of his beautiful songs) is more essential than his solo piano music, Worms and his fellow musicians do well here. If you need a reference point, Worms & the Dutch group Ensemble Polytonaal recorded one of my all-time favorite discs of the chamber music of Darius Milhaud for Channel Classics, and on that CD the musicianship is first class:
[asin]B00005MAUD[/asin]
While Worms' Mompou chamber CD offers a different set of Dutch musicians from the Milhaud disc, the Milhaud disc nevertheless shows that he keeps good company; so I don't expect you'll be disappointed with the musicianship on the Mompou CD. However, as mentioned, these works probably aren't Mompou's most essential music, & therefore, unless you're content with your present recordings of the solo piano music, I'd urge you to purchase Alicia de Larrocha's Mompou recordings instead, if you don't know them: especially one of her two recordings of "Impresionas intimas" & Book IV of "Musica Callada", which Mompou dedicated to her (see my previous post for links, as De Larrocha's Mompou recordings can be difficult to find these days); if not the composer's complete set of his solo piano music on Brilliant (see link below). You can listen to both pianists play this music on You Tube first.
I've also liked Spanish pianist Adolf Pla's set of the complete Mompou solo piano music (also available on individual discs), a set that was approved and sponsored by the "Fundació Federico Mompou". Pianist Jenny Lin's recording of Musica Callada is another interesting recording, but she's less idiomatic than the Spanish pianists. She has been given stunningly realistic recorded sound by the Steinway label, however.
[asin]B00BH419JO[/asin]
[asin]B004P96X4E[/asin]
But, as I said, I'd personally recommend that collectors new to Mompou's piano music begin with Mompou's own recordings, as well as those of his friend, Alicia de Larrocha, which are the most essential, in my view:
[asin]B0001GAVNY[/asin]
I really appreciate the feedback, Josquin13. :) Looks like I made some good choices indeed. The Colom was actually mentioned to me by Karlo (North Star) and I bought it off Amazon from an MP seller immediately.
Mirror Image--Yes, I don't think you'll be disappointed with the Colom set. Though I did listen to Adolf Pla's Musica Callada today, and it re-confirmed my good opinion of his Mompou playing. But Pla's set is now harder to find than Colom's, even though it's a more recent release. I'd say that Pla has marginally better sound quality.
While Musica Callada isn't technically difficult music to play, it's nevertheless extremely difficult music to play well. I'd recommend having a listen to Mompou's "Impresionas intimas" too, as I've come to like those pieces as much as Musica Callada.
Here's De Larrocha playing Impresionas intimas live, from 1978:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N59LejLJqCM
& here's Adolf Pla playing Musica Callada (his entire set has been posted on You Tube, if anyone's interested in hearing it):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8rDL71S_Ls&index=104&list=PLz0gUb4oqgt1nSqS-nYcsDqxYbpn2ZDxk
Marcel Worms' premiere recordings of Mompou's 'unpublished works" are also on You Tube, and they won't be in either the Colom or Pla sets. This is interesting music, I wonder why Mompou left it unpublished:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt6nMC9dFlg
Thanks again for the feedback, Josquin13. I plan on listening to Colom's entire set of Mompou whenever it arrives. I'm going to go into the music much fresher this time since it's been years since I've listened to any of his music. I'm also going to try to limit my listening of his music until after that Colom set arrives.
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A new Musica Callada is slated for release next month. Don't need another version. Kinda want another version.
Quick question, is there a disk or disks of the music that was discovered after Senyora Mompou's death? ie only of that music and containing all or most of it?
Quote from: calyptorhynchus on February 24, 2019, 11:24:13 AM
Quick question, is there a disk or disks of the music that was discovered after Senyora Mompou's death? ie only of that music and containing all or most of it?
Yes:
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Josep Colom is, to the best of my knowledge, the first pianist to record Musica Callada twice. His first recording is one of my favorites, along with Albert Attenelle and Haskell Small, so when I belatedly learned that Colom had recorded it again, I had to have it. The playing is a bit slower across the board, typically a few seconds per piece, though it is not especially slow overall. The recording is a DSD256 recording, but I went with a redbook download since DSD256 means nothing. The recorded sound is superior to the earlier recording*. That allows one to savor the quiet playing, in particular, just a bit more, as Colom will taper a phrase or hold a note until near silence. Louder playing sounds less congested as well. But much more important is how the pianist makes each piece sound beautiful, at times completely serene, at times filled with dramatic tension without sounding tense, at times searching, at times static. It just jells. I did not do a full A/B with the earlier version, though I probably will. And with Stephen Hough's version almost out, as well as some new ones since I worked my way through a gob of recordings a half-decade ago, I may just have to listen to some more versions.
The inclusion of Cantar del Alma as an encore is a nice bonus.
* While sonics are better than Colom's earlier recording, the recording does not offer an improvement over Lin or Henck, and probably a couple others.
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I've never really gotten on with Stephen Hough's solo piano recordings. The chamber pairings I've heard are top notch, but his solo recordings, while undeniably well played and polished to the Nth degree, lack something for me. There's a coolness verging on coldness in some of the playing. That should not provide any barrier to enjoying his take on Mompou's Música callada, arguably the greatest large-scale collection of solo piano works of the post-war era. And it doesn't. Mostly. First of all, though, the playing sounds pristine, precise, and almost always beautiful. The few times it does not sound beautiful it is meant to sound ugly. The slightly quick overall take has a forward moving feel to the extent it can and should, and Hough expertly uses pauses, silences, and dynamic shifts to drive home points. The sound is largely bright and clear. But ultimately there's still that something that holds the playing back for me. Two back-to-back movements demonstrate why. Tranquilo - trés calme, the thirteenth piece, starts off lovely and subdued but slightly rushed and entirely unexpressive. This then moves on to some gnarly, almost brittle and ugly playing in the louder passages that works supremely well, so in one short movement, one hears the ho-hum and the wow. The Severo - serieux does the same thing, in reverse. Really, at no point throughout the work do I get a sense in the most serene, potentially introspective music that Hough delivers more than coolly precise and beautiful surface playing. The brief, modernist flashes come to life, though. To be sure, this is a good version of the work, and probably the best solo recording I've heard from Hough, though the late Brahms recording is in the to-hear pile and the Chopin Nocturnes on the to-buy list. It does not really come close to matching my triumvirate of pianists - Colom (either recording), Attenelle, and Small - and the sound quality is good, but even in 24/96 it can't be said to offer anything beyond Colom II or Henck.
Thanks for that. I've listened to it and of course enjoyed it hugely: this is Musica Callada, one of the most extraordinarily beautiful pieces of piano music in existence, I'll always enjoy it. But I think your assessment is probably right on the money. Hough has written beautifully about Mompou in the past though - I think he really 'gets' it, but his playing is perhaps not in perfect temperamental tune with it. Still bloody good though.