Fantasia for Harp and Guitar

Fantasia for Guitar and Harp (1983) Xavier Montsalvatge (1912-2002) I- Claroscuro (Moderato) II- Cadencia (Calmado semplice) III- Brasilado (Moderato) Xavier Montsalvatge was a leading Spanish composer who was born in Girona on March 11th, 1912. He has had works performed and premiered all over the world. Among some of his many distinctions is the Barcelona City Award, (1970), the National Music Award from the Government of Catalonia, (1991), Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters from the French Government, and the Medal for Artistic Merit from the Spanish Ministry of Culture. Fantasia for Harp and Guitar by Xavier Montsalvatge was written in 1983. It was dedicated to and also commissioned with great enthusiasm by both Nicanor Zabaleta (harp) and Narcizo Yepes (guitar), two very experienced Spanish music performers. The world premiere of Montsalvatge’s Fantasía for guitar and harp took place at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. The next day they performed at Carnegie Hall in New York. The New York Times review said of Montsalvatge’s Fantasia for harp and guitar: “…In fact, as with most unusual instrumental combinations, the music written specifically for harp and guitar made the most telling impression… It achieved an arresting exoticism of harmonic language and contrapuntal colour…” At this time of his life, Montsalvatge was also opening himself up compositionally to a more eclectic and diverse source of musical influences. Montsalvatge exploited the differences and similarities of the two instrumental resources in Fantasia for harp and guitar to create a most interesting and rich sound palate. Movement one ‘Claroscuro’ is a journey through contrasting sounds, between a transparency and a more opaque texture. ‘Cadential’ is a play with the possibilities of oppositions and differences of intervals. The movement ‘Brasilado’ dances around intense colours and energetic cascades of bright sonorities.