Mompou: Piano Works

Description

The lyricism and discreet charm of Mompou by pianist Marina StanevaMarina Staneva presents a program of works by the Hispano-Catalan composer Federico Mompou. The program opens with Paisajes (Landscapes), written in 1942, 1947, and 1960. The first two pieces are dedicated to the Catalan pianist Carmen Bravo, whom Mompou met upon his return from Paris to Barcelona in 1942 and later married. Mompou's Variations on a Theme of Chopin were begun in 1938 but completed in 1957 following a commission from the Royal Ballet of London to succeed The House of Birds (a 1955 ballet that used piano pieces by Mompou orchestrated by John Lanchbery). Mompou sought to create "a contrast between lyricism and rhythm, to avoid having one collection of songs and another of dances."