Cançó del MarWhen I came across these Catalan texts they immediately suggested a musical setting. I had a vision of an itinerant band of musicians playing on a street corner for anyone who would care to listen – Catalan was the language of the Mediaeval troubadours after all. In this song the object of their devotion is the sea rather than a personification of the feminine ideal. The text is a compilation from two of Maragall's works: the whole poem Excèlsior and one verse from the long work Himne Ibèric. The first links images of the sea with the single-minded pursuit of a goal and the second with the struggle for freedom. The setting is very simple making extensive use of echo between the two choirs, a time-honoured device that helps reinforce the folk music feel of the piece. The instrumental ensemble has its own circling, languorous theme, usually independent but sometimes commenting on the text. Listen to the MIDI |
El
mar és gran i es mou i brilla i canta,
dessota els vents bramant en fort combat, és una immensa lluita ressonanta, és un etern deler de llibertat.
|
The
ocean is great and it moves and shines and sings,
under the shrieking winds it struggles with all its might, it is a huge, noisy fight, it is the eternal longing for freedom
|