In his Musica Callada, the Catalan composer Federico Mompou prefaces book 2 with the following comment:
It is difficult to translate and express the true sense of "Musica Callada" in a language other than Spanish. St John of the Cross the great mystic poet writes/sings in one of his most beautiful poems: "La Musica Callada, la Soledad Sonora"seeking to express a music which at the same time is the voice of silence. Music keeeps its own "Callada" voice, i.e. "that which is silent" whilst in its solitude making music.
(my translation from the French) Here's no 26 from the set of 28 pieces:
Stephen Hough playing Federico Mompou's Jeunes filles au jardin: I'm currently learning this piece, I see that Jordi Masó repeats the 'big tune' (a wonderful marking of 'chantez avec la fraîcheur de l'herbe humide) as does Hough - but in my edition (Salabert) there's no repeat mark - is this repeat common practice or is my edition faulty? To add confusion Masó plays the repeat 2 bars before the final 'Calme', Hough one bar before that tempo change - it could be a memory slip by Hough in view of the live performance. Does anyone have another edition of this work with real repeat marks? If so where are the markings? - it seems a pity to let that tune go without the repeat! [Later]Thanks to a tweet from Stephen Hough - the composer plays the repeat in his own recording - there is only the Salabert edition of the work.
I've not put up a classical piece for a bit, so here's a wonderful performance of Mompou's 'Jeunes filles au jardin' a sort of merger between de Falla and Ivor Novello.
It has the wonderful Satie-esque performance indication of 'Chantez avec la fraîcheur de l'herbe humide' (Sing with the freshness of damp grass). I'm currently learning it...
I was given the score of Mompou's Musica Callada for Christmas. Spare transparent music about which Stephen Hough blogged recently. Spiritual, minimalism before minimalism. Here's book 1 no 1
Especially for those walking with or remembering dogs on a Boxing day walk tomorrow. I must try recording some of these myself, but maybe this week is a little early!
More from Parker Palmer's book on vocation - Let your Life Speak:
Vocation does not come from a voice "out there" calling me to become something I am not. It comes from a voice "in here", calling me to be the person I was born to be, to fulfill the original selfhood given me at birth by God
. And while in thoughtful mood, here is Stephen Hough on Advent and Mompou:
We are dealing here with the most intense contemplation – even a metaphysical depiction of reality: the accidents have disappeared and we are left only with the substance. It is as if the person watching the fountain or hearing the bell is being evoked, his or her soul at rest in harmony with the vibration, or purified in the cleansing water.
writing about the composer's 'The Fountain and the Bell’ contrasting it with Liszt or Ravel. I need to be a lot more reflective when playing Mompou..
