Frederic Mompou, born in Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, composed some of the finest piano works of the twentieth century. This introduction to his life and art presents a selection of his most significant compositions to illustrate how Mompou steadily evolved his own unmistakable musical style. Though influenced by the creative precedents of Fauré, Debussy and Ravel, Mompou integrated this inspiration with the timeless beauty of Catalan folksong. As well as piano works, he also wrote some masterly guitar pieces, several examples of which are included here. Audio samples are contained in the text: just tap to listen while you read.
About the Author
A graduate of Jesus College, Cambridge, and a Fellow of Trinity College of Music, London, Graham Wade was formerly Head of Strings at Leeds College of Music. Internationally acknowledged as one of the foremost writers on the classical guitar, his publications include biographical studies as well as works on guitar history. A contributor to The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, he was awarded the Schott Gold Medal in 2002 for his research into the music of Joaquín Rodrigo. He has been guest lecturer at universities, colleges and summer schools worldwide and an examiner at leading British conservatoires.