Somnis radiants (2023) for piano

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Somnis radiants (Radiant dreams) (2023) for piano was written for and dedicated to Jaeden Izik-Dzurko, the 23-year old Canadian first prize winner of the 2022 Maria Canals Piano Competition.

After listening to Jaeden’s version of two movements of Portraits at the Canals competition, I became captivated by his colourful and multidimensional playing, as well as the sincerity and depth of all his performances, and his communicating abilities. Although Canadian, Jaeden’s family background is Hungarian and Ukrainian, and we both perhaps share some historical/cultural interests in color (timbre), light (mode/harmonic contrasts), intervallic distances and geometry, development of melodic/rhythmic motives, as well as an interest in polyphonic texture and the music of J.S. Bach.

Somnis radiants is the product of a kind of meeting of the minds. Being a Spanish/Catalan by birth, I have always needed light and color in my life (I used to paint and draw) and I think visually and geometrically, including in music. I am especially sensitive to intervallic distances and their directional tendencies, horizontally and vertically. Radiant dreams incorporate a high level of interaction/dialogue between right and left hand, harmonic and registral (timbre) changes, motivic development, spaced-out intervals and chords, and polyphonic texture. As for the spirit of the music, this work does not describe impressions but real feelings of warmth and luminosity emanating from a floating and dreaming world.

Structurally, I use a modified sonata-allegro form interpreted more as an emotional and psychological structure rather than the result of a functional use of keys. The tension in the piece is established by increased/decrease intervallic tension, modal changes, and melodic/rhythmic development and variation. There are essential melodic/rhythmic motives that tie it together. For example, toward the end, a wide-spaced ascending intervallic motive finally appears in its entirety and is calmly repeated sequentially in pianissimo. This motive comes from Image (first movement of Portraits) and is used and developed (sometimes in disguise) in many parts of the work. A more passionate and emotive passage from a climax of Image is borrowed, although transformed, and also used at a climactic point in the piece. In general, certain melodic/rhythmic motives are essential to the creation of this composition.

Somnis radiants will be available for sale after the premiere at the Ruhr Piano Festival in Essen, Germany, on June 8, 2023, and at the Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid, Spain, on June 14, 2023.

Published by Hidden Oaks Music Company, available at the http://elisendafabregas.com  web site.

Aires Catalans (2023) premiere by ‘Orchestra de Cambra Terrassa 48’ on April 23, 2023, Auditori Terrassa

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Aires Catalans for string chamber orchestra was commissioned by Orquestra de Cambra Terrasa 48 and will be premiered on April 23, 2023 at the Auditori Municipal de Terrassa. The concert, titled ‘Cau de llunes’, is an homage to Catalan poet Merçe Marçal.

Aires Catalans is a one-movement composition based on six traditional Catalonian songs, including: La mala nova; El testament d’Amelia; El Rosinyol; La mare de deu; el Bon Caçador; i Ball de gitanes. Melodic and rhythmic motives from the songs are loosely developed and combined in various types of imitative textures with an often modal sound.

The introduction, permeated by chanting-like modal sounds is loosely based on the trad. song La mala nova which prepares the entrance to the well-known melody in major mode of El Rosinyol, accompanied by pizzicato lower strings.

The end of the composition is a dance featuring El Rosinyol with a sardana rhythm in the lower strings in pizzicato.

‘Parlen les dones’ for mezzo, SATB Choir and Orchestra – El Cor Canta, March 5, 12:00, 2023 – L’ Auditori de Barcelona; and March 11, at the Auditori Enric Granados, Lerida.

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‘Castell de Miravet’ for Cobla (Memorial Joaquim Serra) commissioned by Agrupació Folklorica Barcelona and Musics per la Cobla. Premiere on November 21, 2022, 19:00

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  • The Agrupació Cultural Folklòrica Barcelona in collaboration with Músics per la Cobla has commissioned a new work for the Memorial Joaquim Serra 2022. Titled Castell de Miravet, this new work will celebrate the hundred years anniversary of Agrupació Cultural Folklòrica Barcelona at the premiere on November 21, 2022, 19:00. It will premiered by Cobla San Jordi-ciutat de Barcelona conducted by Marcel Sabaté at Casino de l’Aliança del Poblenou (Barcelona). Castell de Mirabet was recorded on June 29, 2022, on CD and available at the premiere in November 2022. 

 

Danses de la terra (2020) for cello

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Duration: 10′

Hidden Oaks Music Co. publisher (music available in this web page)

Video of premiere at Palau Güell in Barcelona by Roger Morelló Ros.

©Elisenda Fabregas

Danses de la terra for solo cello (2020) (10’) (Catalan dances) was written for Catalan cellist Roger Morelló Ros who premiered this work at Palau Güell on October 28, 2020.  Although not literally based on traditional Catalan music, this work is inspired by the composer’s childhood memories of Catalonian dances and folk music. As a Catalan living outside Catalonia since 1978, the author recreates a Catalan sound world of melodic and rhythmic folk idioms tinged with emotions from her childhood.

This work consists of four dances:

  1. Ball d’entrada (Opening dance)
  2. Dansa de rondalla amorosa (Dance of amorous tale)
  3. Ball ceremonial de purificació (Ceremonial dance of purification)
  4. Records de sardana (Memories of sardana)

Pluja brodada (Embroidered rain) (2017/21) for Harp

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Duration: 3’40”

Hidden Oaks Music Co. publisher

©Elisenda Fabregas

Pluja brodada was arranged and expanded from a song with the same name from the song cycle Imitacio del Foc (Imitation of fire) for tenor & piano.  It was arranged for Catalan harpist Ester Pinyol.

Duende for cello solo (2020)

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Duende for solo cello (2020)  was premiered by Catalan cellist Roger Morelló Ros at the Chamber Music Series of Reus, Tarragona (Spain), 10/16/2020).

Published by Hidden Oaks Music Company.

©2020 Elisenda Fabregas

Uphill: from Clara to Robert for vlc and piano (2021)

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Duration 7’30”

Uphill: from Clara to Robert for cello & piano (2021) was written for and dedicated to the Duo of cellist Roger Morelló Ros and pianist Anna Khomichkho. Uphill was inspired by a 16th century poem of Pedro Padilla, and also inspired by Clara’s feelings over her caring of Robert and the interruption of her composing activities.

My inspiration to write this one movement work came from two sources. I was inspired by a poem by Pedro Padilla (16th century Spain) entitled “Sierra áspera…” used by R. Schumann. I tied this poem with Clara and Robert Schumann’s relationship. I took the side of Clara as the wife/caregiver of Robert Schumann and imagined her struggles and feelings. Besides her duties as a wife and emotional support to Robert Schumann’s, Clara was also the mother of eight children, pursued her own career as a pianist/composer and left us 66 compositions. She was regarded as one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic era, with over 61 years of concert career, changing the format and repertoire of the piano recital from displays of virtuosity to programs of serious works.

We know from her quotes that she felt insecure as a composer in a time when women were seen only as mothers and not fit to pursue creative endeavors such as writing music. There were no women composer models to be followed. A famous quote from Clara corroborates such feelings: “I once believed that I possessed creative talent, but I have given up this idea; a woman must not desire to composer – there has never yet been one able to do it. Should I expect to be the one?”  Clara Schumann was a super woman doing it all, like many others during her time. This music is my way of honouring Clara Schumann.

©2021 Elisenda Fábregas

Masks for clarinet, cello, piano (2019/21)

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Duration approx. 9′

Hidden Oaks Music Company pub. (available in the music store for purchase – printed or pdf download)

Masks for clarinet, cello and piano (2019/21) was commissioned by the IonSound Project Ensemble for their 2019 concert season and CD recording project.  The New York City premiere took place 2/11/20 by Random Access Music (RAM) Concert Series.

I was asked to write a relatively short composition inspired by certain aspects of the Beethoven’s Clarinet Trio. The title Masks suggests various layers of meaning in the music: I used motivic development procedures from the Classical period on rhythmic and/or melodic motives taken from or inspired by Beethoven’s Clarinet Trio, but I dressed the new melodies with harmonies and rhythms reminiscent of Spain’s music.

An edited version (2021) of Masks was done for performances in Catalunya in April 23-24, 2021

Looking in hindsight, this work and title it anticipated the covid-19 pandemia and the use of surgical masks. The original version of Masks was finished at the end of September 2019.

Movement I – Incantation and consummation – In the first movement of Masks, I start the first and second themes with the half-step beginning melodic motive of the first theme of Beethoven’s first movement, as well as tree-note ascending design. The motivic connection with Beethoven is very subtle in the first movement.

Movement II. Mischievous spirits – In the second movement of Masks, I took almost the entire rhythmic motive of the beginning theme of Beethoven’s 3rd movement. In addition, I varied the theme, although not in strict Variations like in the Beethoven. The spirit of the 2nd movement of Masks is also light and playful, just like the Beethoven.

 

Repartido entre tiempo y espacio for soprano, trumpet & piano (2016)

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Repartido entre tiempo y espacio for soprano, trumpet & piano was commissioned and dedicated to Antoni Solé. The premiere took place in 2016 at Sala Sole Luthiers in Barcelona and was performed by soprano Margarita Natividade, and pianist Xavier Rivera.

This work is based on a poem in Spanish by Juan Eduardo Cirlot titled “A Osiris”.

Poetry in Spanish with translation.