061-Myths of Catalonia

Fantastic Catalonia.

0
  • Work
    • 061
  • Name
    • Myths of Catalonia
  • City and date
    • Besalú, August 1994
  • Duration
    • 25’
  • Instrumentation
    • 2coblas, 2percussionists, harp, rhapsody and alto singer
  • Parts
    • 1) Introduction 2) The witch 3) The siren 4) The dragon 5) The Puigmal
  • Texts
    • Texts of traditional songs and from Paco Viciana
  • Text language
    • Catalan
  • Premiere
    • Banyoles, Polideportivo La Draga October 20, 1997 Cobles: La Principal de la Bisbal and La Selvatana Director: Francesc Cassú Percussions: Enric Canada and Xavier Rodríguez Harp: Abigail Prat Singing soloist and rapsoda: Titón Frauca

Symphonic poem in five movements about mythological beings of the medieval Catalan tradition: The Witch, The Mermaid, The Dragon and The Puigmal.

Awarded work with the 2nd prize in the 12th Musical Contest composition for cobla Ceret-Banyoles in 1995.

The myths and legends of Catalonia in medieval times tell us of beliefs now lost in magical beings, good and generous, and sometimes horrible and bloodthirsty. They speak, if you will, of a time of ignorance and superstition, but they also speak of fantasy, a word that is lost today. And it is to the fantasy, that I have concentrated to do this.

The explanatory texts have served me to excite my imagination and turn it into music, and with this work I would like to claim two things damaged by the passage of time and that we need to recover daily: fantastic imagination and Catalan culture.

I would like to dedicate this work to the simple Catalans who in medieval times believed firmly in these myths, and who thought that the world was really flat. Maybe they were right.

 

The Witch

It is a mortal woman who acquires magical powers thanks to the good relation with the divinities of nature.

The Mermaid

"The mermaid is a very wonderful creature, if there is such a sweet voice that everyone who hears it sing comes closer to hear it"

The Dragon

All the force and fury of the wild nature is concentrated on the Dragon.

The Puigmal

The peak of the Puigmal (Ripollès and high Cerdanya) is a giant that guarded the forests and the beasts of the mountains of human fury. A long time ago, he taught men to milk and make cheeses, so that they could feed without having to kill animals. These, being not persecuted, coexisted with us in full freedom. But the instincts of the evil hunter, who only kills for the pleasure of killing, resurfaced, and the Puigmal still looks helplessly at the extermination of his protected pepole.

. 

 

Cançó per El Puigmal (cançó tradicional catalana)
 
Rossinyol que vas a França ,rossinyol,
encomana’m a la mare, rossinyol
d’un bell bocatge, rossinyol, d’un vol.
Encomana’m a la mare, rossinyol,
un petó i una abraçada, rossinyol,
d’un bell bocatge, rossinyol d’un vol.
 
 Song for The Puigmal (traditional Catalan song) (English translation)
 
 
Nightingale you go to France, nightingale,
Entrust me to the mother, nightingale
Of a beautiful forest, nightingale, of a flight.
Entrust me to the mother, nightingale,
A kiss and a hug, nightingale,
Of a beautiful forest, nightingale of a flight.
 
Poema per recitar a El Puigmal
 
Canta i plora per mi ,Rossinyol
tu que parles de la vida
tu que li cantes a la nit profunda,
digues-li al pare
que la mare terra està malalta.
 
......encomana’m a la mare Rossinyol.
 
Mare de totes les coses, Mare Terra.
Tu que tens la vida al teu ventre
tu que dónes llum i amor als teus fills,
escampant tendresa i abundància
allà on ets.
 
Perdona els teus fills covards,
que amb opulència i vanitat
maltracten el teu fruit, La Vida.
 
Aquest poema que et canto
ple de ràbia i de tristor
al llanço a dojo
als germans i germanes que m’escolten
perquè sigui recollit per mans sensibles i valentes
que lluitin per tu,
per mantenir-te i venerar-te,
tal i com sempre has sigut:
 
profunda i misteriosa,
subtil i generosa,
però sempre, sempre........hermosa.
 
Li canto aquest poema a la vida que m’escolta,
perquè sense vida,
no hi ha orelles, ni mans, ni cors,
per lluitar i per estimar.
 
Digues-li, doncs ,Rossinyol,
que no perdi l’esperança
que la terra és malalta,
però no morta ni mal perduda.
 
Jo ara m’alço a conquerir-la
però no amb vaixells ni amb espases,
sinó amb el cor
i amb una flor,
la flor del meu amor i la de la vida,
que ella m’ha donat,
i que ara li torno.
 
Rossinyol,
canta als quatre vents
que T’ESTIMO MARE TERRA.
 
 
 
 
 
Premiere of the work in Banyoles
 

-Myths of Catalonia (Concert mix 13'06):

   Download
 
  • Coblas: La Principal de la Bisbal i La Selvatana
  • Percussions: Enric Canada i Xavier Rodríguez
  • Harp: Abigail Prat
  • Soloist singer and rapsode: Titón Frauca
  • Direction: Francesc Cassú
Concert at the sports Center La Draga of Banyoles, on October 20,1997
  

Score in pdf:

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