Montsalvatge/ Ensemble Barcelona 216/ Izquierdo - Piano Music: For Two Pianos 3

Xavier Montsalvatge was a major contributor to Catalonian culture in the 20th century. His works for two pianos collect most of his musical preoccupations into a single program. The jazz-tinted Barcelona Blues reflects his "passion for the ballet", and the Tres divertimentos his fascination with 'Les Six'. Borrowing the sonorities of Bartok, Sum Vermis expresses the "tortured symbolism" of Jacint Verdaguer's poetry. One of Montsalvatge's own favourites, the rarely performed 5 Invocaciones al Crucificado evokes biblical dramatic intensity, and the self-paraphrasing Calidoscopio looks back over the composer's own creative past. Jordi Mas+¦'s complete recording of Montsalvatge's solo piano music can be found on 8.570744 and 8.570756. Jordi Mase's over forty recordings include, for Naxos/Marco Polo, the complete works for piano of Gerhard, Mompou, Padre Donostia, Montsalvatge, Homs, Severac, Casablanacas and Turina. Miquel Villalba's outstanding course of studies led to the Premios de Honor for piano and accompaniment and he has been a prize-winner at various national and international competitions.