The cycle sets text by various poets, including the Afro-Cuban writer Nicolás Guillén and Spain's Rafael Alberti. Each song offers a distinct mood, ranging from playful irony to profound sorrow. 1. Cuba dentro de un piano (Cuba Inside a Piano) Rafael Alberti Character: Nostalgic and grand
When downloading or purchasing a PDF copy, ensure it matches your vocal range. The cycle is traditionally written for (Medium/High voice), with a vocal range stretching from C4cap C sub 4 A5cap A sub 5
Montsalvatge’s Cinco Canciones Negras is a prime example of "antillanismo"—a style that incorporates the musical elements of the Antilles (West Indies) while maintaining a refined European classical sensibility 1.2.3 . cinco canciones negras montsalvatge pdf
Dramatic and violent, Chévere stands in stark contrast to the rest of the cycle. Guillén was a leader of the Afro-Cubano poetry movement. The term "chévere" here refers to a stylized street thug. The music is aggressive, dissonant, and highly percussive, depicting a man cutting his lover with a knife out of jealousy.
The songs are inspired by Afro-Cuban music and dance traditions, but Montsalvatge's treatment of the material is anything but traditional. He infused the songs with his own brand of lyricism, wit, and harmonic sophistication. The cycle sets text by various poets, including
The strength of the cycle lies in its masterful fusion of text and music. Montsalvatge selected poems by four prominent Spanish-language poets: Rafael Alberti, Néstor Luján, the Afro-Cuban poet Nicolás Guillén (who is represented twice), and Ildefonso Pereda Valdés.
In 1945, Catalonia was still recovering from the devastation of war and the censorship of the Franco regime. Montsalvatge, a young composer in Barcelona, was commissioned by soprano Mercé Plantada to write a single song. He chose a lullaby text by Uruguayan poet Ildefonso Pereda Valdés. The resulting song, "Canción de cuna para dormir a un negrito," was such an immediate sensation that he quickly composed four more to create a complete cycle. Cuba dentro de un piano (Cuba Inside a
In the devastating aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, Catalan composer Xavier Montsalvatge shifted away from the Germanic, Wagnerian aesthetics favored by his academic peers. He looked toward the historic ties connecting Spain to Cuba.