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Manuel Blancafort - Piano Works



Manuel Blancafort

Piano Works Vol.1

Miquel Villalba

Naxos 8.557332

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Manuel Blancafort
Manuel Blancafort
Catalonia is an autonomous region in north-east Spain. The people who live in Catalonia have their own language and traditions and for centuries the Catalonian people have seen as their mission to preserve their national identity. Thanks to its famous capital, Barcelona, Catalonia has become one the wealthiest and influential areas in Spain. Culture and science flourishes.

How do Catalans differ from Spaniards? Well, a journey to the profound character of the Catalan people through their music is something we can do, and Manuel Blancafort (1897-1987) is a composer who lets us travel into the heart of Catalonia.

Manuel Blancafort was born near Barcelona and gained his main musical training in his father's pianola roll factory where he worked. There he could easily examine the piano techniques of the great masters and get in touch with the new piano music.

In the 1920s a group of Catalan composers joined together and later founded Asociación de Compositores Independientes de Catalunya. The members of this group wanted to create new Catalan music that although more modern in character was still deeply rooted in the musical heritage of the area. Mompou and Blancafort were the two most prominent characters and in many ways shared similar views on music.

Both were highly influenced by French Impressionism, and the music of Satie, Ravel and Debussy. This is not too surprising as Catalonia has always been under the strong influence of France, and the two nations were originally linked together through kinship. Therefore taking influences from the French culture was actually quite a natural choice for the Catalans to do. The mixture they created is fascinating.

How does then Blancafort's piano music sound? It sounds heavenly. It is timeless, intimate and rich in melody. You never get tired of it. It is never too noisy or disturbing. The music has a strange romantic flavour, but it is anything but soppy. Although most pieces are mysteriously melancholic and distant, at the same time they are full of happiness and satisfaction.

If you listen to the melodies careful enough, you will often hear the medieval origins. The material used in this music is sometimes many centuries old, but the masterly transcriptions made by Blancafort make them sound fresh and new as they were written yesterday. And so much music is created with such a minimal amount of notes! It is very relaxing to listen Blancafort's music.

The first volume of Blancafort's piano music contains 37 miniatures in four collections that were written between 1915 and 1919. The first collection, Peces de joventut (Youthful pieces), is Blancafort's earliest. Still, even in these first pieces that he wrote we can hear so much clarity, simplicity and intellect - the basic characteristics of Blancafort's style.

Cancons de muntanya (Mountain songs) is an ode to his native soil, while Notes d'antany (Notes from Years Gone By) has great moments of nostalgia. 12 Cancons (12 Songs) is based on the rich song tradition that is in Catalonia. All in all, the works are well-balanced, charming and imaginative. One can only wonder why this music has been relatively unknown for such a long time. Most of the Peces de joventut and 12 Cancons have never been published!

Miquel Villalba's playing is very enjoyable to listen and without doubt deserves recognition. His interpretation is perfect for this kind of music. Villalba, who was born in Barcelona, has realized the true soul of this lullaby-like music and his soft touch at the keyboard and use of pedal brings justice to the very nature of Blancafort's piano compositions. In Villalba's hands the beautiful melodies and the calm and peaceful character of the pieces are brought into the maximum. Villalba is the right man to record this elegant music and the result is pure pleasure to listen to.

Thank you Naxos for offering us a chance to get to know this enchanting music. It is a heroic deed from the label to record the complete piano music of this neglected composer. This stylish disc is perfect to listen for relaxation and solitude. It will bring much pleasure to all those who enjoy Impressionistic piano music and is an important addition to everyone's record collection. And what a praise it is to the music of Catalonia!

~Joel Valkila

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Track Listing


Dmitri Shostakovich
24 Preludes and Fugues for Piano
Tatiana Nikolaeva - Piano


    Disc 1 - Total Time 59:58
  1. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 1 In C Major
  2. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 2 In A Minor
  3. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 3 In G Major
  4. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 4 In E Minor
  5. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 5 In D Major
  6. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 6 In B Minor
  7. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 7 In A Major
  8. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 8 In F Sharp Minor
  9. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 9 In E Major
  10. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 10 In C Sharp Minor
    Disc 2 - Total Time 46:55
  1. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 11 In B Major
  2. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 12 In G Sharp Major
  3. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 13 In F Sharp Major
  4. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 14 In E Flat Minor
  5. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 15 In D Flat Major
  6. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 16 In B Flat Minor
    Disc 3 - Total Time 61:32
  1. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 17 In A Flat Major
  2. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 18 In F Minor
  3. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 19 In E Flat Major
  4. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 20 In C Minor
  5. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 21 In B Flat Major
  6. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 22 In G Minor
  7. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 23 In F Major
  8. Prelude And Fugue For Piano, Op.87 No. 24 In D Minor

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