Category: PREMIERES

Cantata “EL BOSC VIU”

by MJAcomposer, posted in PREMIERES, Works

(CAT)

El passat 11 de Març es va estrenar la Cantata “El Bosc Viu” a l’Auditori Municipal Enric Granados de Lleida. Un encàrrec del l’Escola i Conservatori Municipal de Música de Lleida i estrenada per l’alumnat del centre.

La temàtica de la cantata ronda al voltant d’un món imaginàri i fantàstic en el que tot és ideal. Però hi han dues famílies, les Nimfes i els Elfs que es barallen per tenir el poder i el domini del Bosc. Ulmer, el Llop Platejat s’encarrega de mantenir la pau i l’harmonia del bosc, però la guerra entre les dues famílies no ho posa gens fàcil.

Escriure història musical va ser tot un repte, i no hauria sigut possible sense la col·laboració amb Pau Porta Giné, lletrista i il·lustrador d’aquesta cantata.

El Bosc Viu tampoc hagués sigut possible sense la gran feina que van realitzar els Cors Joves del Conservatori de Lleida i l’Orquestra Simfònica de Grau Professional, sota la batuta de Dolors Ricart i Robert Faltús com a preparador dels cors.

Us convido a veure aquesta magnífica realització audiovisual de la Cantata que van fer els i les estudiants de cinema de l’Escola Catalana de Cinema i Televisió (ECCIT).

(ENG)

On March 11, the Cantata “El Bosc Viu” was premiered at the Enric Granados Municipal Auditorium in Lleida. A commission from the School and Municipal Conservatory of Music of Lleida and performed by the students of the center.

The theme of the cantata revolves around an imaginary and fantastic world in which everything is ideal. But there are two families, the Nymphs and the Elves who are fighting for power and control of the Forest. Ulmer, the Silver Wolf is responsible for maintaining the peace and harmony of the forest, but the war between the two families does not make it easy at all.

Writing this musical history was quite a challenge, it would not have been possible without the collaboration with Pau Porta Giné, lyricist and illustrator of this cantata.

“El Bosc Viu” would also not have been possible without the great work done by the Youth Choirs of the Lleida Conservatory and the Professional Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Dolors Ricart and Robert Faltús as the choir’s preparer.

I invite you to see this magnificent audiovisual production of the Cantata made by the film students of the Catalan School of Cinema and Television (ECCIT).

[montserrat] – a personal view

by MJAcomposer, posted in PREMIERES, Works

In April 28th, 2021 my piece [montserrat] was premiered by the ensemble NORRBOTTEN NEO. After aproximately one year of pandemic with the COVID-19, it was possible to perform my piece in the Nathan Milstein Hall from the KMH (Stockholm). Wonderfully conducted by Sofia Winiarski.

With this piece I wanted to experiment with the characteristic texture of the mountains of Montserrat, and after living 4 years there when I was a child, it was special to express my artistic view about this beautiful place.

It was really interesting to represent the roughness and the grey rocks from this marvelous mountain with the scordatura of the strings, but also with the magnificent sound from the alto flute, the bass clarinet and the bass drum.

One sound that makes this piece really special and that makes you feel that you are in Montserrat is the sound of the Bells, that are played by the piano, the vibraphone and one tubular bell. But also with the alto flute and the bass clarinet playing some ressonances. There is also a part of “reality” with a tape that sounds inside the piano and which emits the real sound of the bells that mixes with the instruments in certain parts.

The misterious and irregular lines of the mountains is another element that you can perceive when you are listening to the piece. I represented the drawing of the mountains with glissandis and fast movements in all the instruments going up and down, as if I were literaly drawing the lines in a painting. The scordatura helped in the string instruments to make more interesting arpegiandos.

And the spiritual voices from the boys’ choir, Escolania de Montserrat, is also a present element in the piece. I was a member of the choir from the age of 10 to my 14th, and in the piece you can hear the angelical voices, and synthetic voices mixed with the instruments, coming from a distant sound and creating a blurred memory. And also if you listen carefully you can also listen to my voice singing from when I was 12 years old.

DANCE OF THE DEATH

by MJAcomposer, posted in PREMIERES

Dance of the Death premiered in the Kungasalen from the KMH in Stockholm. September 25th, 2020. The Swedish Wind Ensemble conducted by Anders Emilsson.

This piece relates a story that I had in my mind and that I found interesting to turn it into music for a wind orchestra.

Some skeletons are coming out from their graves and they start a dance. While dancing they remember what was the feeling to be alive. But for a short time, because they have to come back to their graves again. I tried to explain this different situations and feelings with creepy motives and melodies, and with some instrumental effects. And even more important is the rhythmic aspect that stands out with a very important role in this piece, trying to represent the dance movements and the orthopedic steps of the skeletons.

“The lady of Mallorca in Stockholm”

by MJAcomposer, posted in Arrangements and Orchestrations, PREMIERES

From a Catalan Melody “La Dama de Mallorca”, arranged and harmonized for mixed choir. In this version I recorded myself with a Viola d’Amore, melding the sound of this beautiful and ancient instrument with the modal harmony of the arrangement. It is accompanied by a poetic video of little details from Stockholm that inspire me and I find them very related to the sound of this harmonization.

Music, Video & Viola d’Amore: Miquel De Jorge Artells

Premiere of “La tristesa dels Àngels” (Sadness of the Angels)

by MJAcomposer, posted in PREMIERES

Premiered on May 24, 2018 at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC) in Barcelona.

inspired on Jón Kalman Stefánsson “Hell to heaven” – (“Harmur englanna”) 

Interpreted by:

Adriano Ortega, violin
Jofre Gibert, cello
Helena Bas, flute
Oriol Guimerà, bassoon
Bernat Fontich, piano
Miquel Villalba, conductor