Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

1875

Death

:

1925

 

Juli Garreta i Arboix was a Spanish composer born on August 25, 1875, in the town of Cassà de la Selva, Girona. He was the son of a family of musicians, and his father, Josep Garreta, was a renowned composer and conductor. Juli Garreta began his musical studies at a young age, and he showed great talent and passion for music. Garreta studied at the Municipal School of Music in Girona, where he learned to play the piano, violin, and cello. He also studied harmony, counterpoint, and composition with his father. In 1894, he moved to Barcelona to continue his studies at the Conservatori del Liceu, where he studied with composers such as Felip Pedrell and Enric Granados. Garreta's early works were influenced by the Catalan folk music and the modernist movement that was flourishing in Barcelona at the time. He composed several songs and piano pieces that were well received by the public and the critics. In 1901, he won the first prize in a competition organized by the Orfeó Català for his song "La cançó dels ocells" (The Song of the Birds), which became one of his most popular works. In 1902, Garreta moved to Paris to continue his studies at the Schola Cantorum, where he studied with Vincent d'Indy and Albert Roussel. He also attended concerts and operas, and he was exposed to the works of the great composers of the time, such as Debussy, Ravel, and Stravinsky. Garreta's stay in Paris was a turning point in his career, and he returned to Catalonia with a renewed vision of music. Garreta's mature works are characterized by a fusion of the Catalan folk music and the French impressionism. He composed several operas, ballets, and orchestral works that were performed in Barcelona and other cities in Spain. His most famous opera is "Els Pirineus" (The Pyrenees), which premiered in 1910 and was a great success. The opera tells the story of a young shepherd who falls in love with a princess and has to face the challenges of the Pyrenees mountains to win her love. Garreta's ballets are also noteworthy, and he composed several works inspired by the Catalan folklore, such as "El ball de les ànimes" (The Dance of the Souls) and "El ball de la bruixa" (The Dance of the Witch). These works were performed by the Ballets Russes in Paris and other European cities, and they contributed to the dissemination of the Catalan culture abroad. Garreta's orchestral works are also remarkable, and he composed several symphonic poems and suites that reflect his love for nature and his homeland. His most famous work in this genre is "La nit de Nadal" (Christmas Night), a suite of five pieces that evoke the atmosphere of Christmas in Catalonia. Garreta was also a prolific composer of songs, and he composed more than 200 works in this genre. His songs are characterized by a simple and direct style, and they often feature the Catalan language and the folk melodies. Some of his most famous songs are "La rosa als llavis" (The Rose on the Lips), "La cançó dels enamorats" (The Song of the Lovers), and "La cançó dels traginers" (The Song of the Carters). Garreta was a respected and admired composer in his time, and he received several awards and honors for his work. He was a member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Sant Jordi, and he was awarded the Cross of Sant Jordi by the Generalitat de Catalunya in 1980, posthumously.

More....