Release Date: 01 August 2005
Label: Naxos - Nxc / Naxos Classics
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 747313233427
Genres: Classical
Composer/Series: BLANCAFORT
Description
Manuel Blancafort (1897-1987)Camins Cants intims II El parc d'atraccions Pastoral en solDedicated to JoanIn the 1920s Manuel Blancafort entered upon a newperiod of composition. The desire to distance himselffrom the too present influence of Mompou and of Griegled him to write works of greater formal complexity andlaunch himself into the composition of symphonicmusic: 'The old Maestro Joan Lamote de Grignon hadexplained to me the difficulties that he had every timethat he had to programme Catalan symphonic music;we have no tradition of orchestral music, he told me.This left a deep impression on me and from thenonwards I decided that it was I who should have theurge to embark on symphonic repertoire ...'.The period was one that coincided with importantchanges in Blancafort's life. In 1920 he married HelenaParis and in 1923 began a series of travels, to France,Belgium, Germany, Italy, the United States andCanada, that would bring a drastic change in his life:'After an idyllic youth, a restful life of seclusion wasreplaced by stays in hotels, solitary walks by theworldly surroundings of great ocean liners, the scents ofthe mountains by mists of perfume and of exotictobacco', he remarked sadly. Among his importantjourneys was the first to Paris, on the way to New York.He spent two days there and it was there that he gavehis Cants intims I to Mompou to hand over to thepublisher Senart. The interest of French publishers inhis music marked the start of international recognition.Commercial relations were the principal purpose ofthese travels, as he wanted to find firms for themanufacture of pianola rolls, the family business inwhich Blancafort worked throughout his youth,adolescence and first years of maturity. Nevertheless hewould also make use of these journeys to broaden hiseducation and establish contacts with the musical avantgardeof the time. Jazz and American entertainmentsamused him but had no direct influence: 'I attendedperformances but never took part in them, remainingalways an objective observer in his corner'.Blancafort's meeting in 1924 with the Spanishpianist Ricard Vines was decisive. The latter hadestablished himself as the champion of young up-andcomingcomposers and of new music in Europe.Through his privileged position in Parisian musicalcircles, Vines could allow himself the luxury ofsupporting those composers that he consideredinteresting, and, together with Debussy, Ravel, Satie,Milhaud and Poulenc among others, Blancafort wouldcome to be part of his usual repertoire. He gave the firstperformance of El parc d'atraccions in 1926 and ofCamins in 1927.Tensions with his father, who saw with misgivingthe growing dedication of his son to composition to thedetriment of his activity in the family business, wereusual at this time. When Blancafort began to doubt hismusical vocation, Mompou appeared as the guide whoencouraged and stimulated him: 'You have a musicianinside you. Don't give up!', he said.It was to Mompou that Blancafort dedica
Tracklisting
Dariia Lytvishko
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; Marin Alsop
Alice Di Piazza; Basel Sinfonietta; NDR Bigband; Titus Engel
Anna Alas i Jove; Miquel Villalba
David Childs; Black Dyke Band; Nicholas Childs
Yaqi Yang; Margarita Parsamyan; Robynne Redmon; Minghao Liu; Frank Ragsdale; Kim Josephson; Kevin S
Vilmos Csikos; Olivier Lechardeur; Manon Lamaison
Tomas Cotik; Martingale Ensemble; Ken Selden
