CANÇONS · CANCIONES · CANTI · LIEDER · SONGS

Preliminary issues

The title that gives this album its name is taken from the seventh epigram of the cycle of the same name by Marina Rodríguez Brià.

Sand physically evokes the beach and the desert, but metaphorically represents the passage of time and life that slips through the fingers. It also brings us closer to the idea of ​​infinity and the evolutionary and transformative cycle of life. All these essential elements are the object of poetry and in their diversity we find them in the songs that we present.

The composition of songs, in the format that we consider close to the tradition of the romantic Lied, has a long history in Catalonia. Lied, in German, means nothing other than Song and in musical theory it is defined as a form structured in three parts: A-B-A. But from the success of the songs written by composers of the second half of the 18th century and, especially, of the 19th century, it represents a genre of independent, highly elaborate musical composition, generally based on poetic texts of literary quality in various languages, in which singing and accompaniment are combined to create a characteristic musical form that goes beyond the song itself. An appropriate name in Catalan could be Cançó de concert (Concert Song). The piano, due to its versatility and harmonic capacity, is the most common instrument in this music, but it is sometimes accompanied by other instruments or even the orchestra.

The composer establishes an inherent dialogue between the text and the music. The music is not limited to supporting the poem with the intention of making the listener listen to and remember it, but is incorporated into its content by underlining, highlighting, reinforcing and interpreting the words and their musicality to create a new artistic work. For this reason, the understanding of the song as an artistic manifestation does not depend exclusively on the text, but is largely on the music. This explains why one can enjoy listening to a Lied in German, for example by Schubert or Brahms, without knowing the language. However, in the observation of any artistic work, various levels of depth can be reached and, obviously, knowledge of the song's lyrics will multiply the level of understanding and lead to the fullness of enjoyment and appreciation.

My choice of poems does not follow a pre-established plan. It is the result of various readings that at one time or another have aroused the interest in setting them to music, whether due to a state of mind, a conceptual affinity or a suggestive sonority.

For the cover I choose a work by my mother, a great artist who recently passed away, which fits perfectly with the content of the album.

Joan Josep Gutiérrez

If you want a CD, please request it at:  

joanjosepguti@gmail.com