Role

:

Composer  

Country

:

Spain

Birth

:

April 16, 1893 in Barcelona, Spain

Death

:

June 30, 1987 in Barcelona, Spain

Period

:

Contemporary

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Keyboard

 

 

Vocal

 

Federico Mompou was a Spanish composer and pianist who was born on April 16, 1893, in Barcelona, Spain. He was the youngest of three children born to a family of artists. His father was a painter, and his mother was a singer. Mompou's musical talent was evident from a young age, and he began studying piano with his sister at the age of six. Mompou's family moved to Paris when he was 12 years old, and he continued his musical studies there. He studied with Isidor Philipp, a renowned piano teacher, and also attended the Schola Cantorum, a music school founded by Vincent d'Indy. Mompou was exposed to a wide range of musical styles during his time in Paris, including the music of Debussy, Ravel, and Satie, which would later influence his own compositions. Mompou returned to Barcelona in 1911 and began performing as a pianist. He also began composing his own music, which was heavily influenced by the folk music of Catalonia. Mompou's early works were characterized by their simplicity and lyricism, and he often used traditional Catalan melodies as the basis for his compositions. Mompou's first major work was his Suite Compostelana, which he composed in 1916. The suite consists of seven pieces for solo guitar and is based on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, a popular destination for pilgrims in Spain. The suite was well-received and helped establish Mompou's reputation as a composer. In 1921, Mompou moved to Paris again, where he continued to compose and perform. He became friends with other composers and artists, including Maurice Ravel and Pablo Picasso. Mompou's music continued to evolve during this time, and he began incorporating elements of impressionism and modernism into his compositions. Mompou's most famous work is his set of piano pieces, Musica Callada (Silent Music), which he composed between 1959 and 1967. The pieces are characterized by their simplicity and introspective quality, and they are often compared to the music of Satie and Debussy. Musica Callada is considered a masterpiece of 20th-century piano music and has been recorded by many pianists. Mompou's other notable works include his Variations on a Theme of Chopin, which he composed in 1938, and his Canciones y Danzas (Songs and Dances), which he composed between 1918 and 1962. The Canciones y Danzas are a collection of short piano pieces that are based on traditional Catalan melodies. Mompou was known for his reclusive nature and rarely gave interviews or public performances. He lived most of his life in Barcelona and died there on June 30, 1987, at the age of 94. Despite his relatively small output of compositions, Mompou is considered one of the most important Spanish composers of the 20th century. His music is characterized by its simplicity, lyricism, and introspective quality, and it continues to be performed and recorded by pianists around the world.

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