Manuel Palau


Manuel Palau Boix was a Spanish composer and teacher in Valencia Conservatory. He wrote a large number of symphonic, band, choral and chamber works. He was one of the most popular and important composers of his time. He received the Spanish National Music Award twice, first in 1927 and again in 1945. His music is known within the Spanish classical music for being a representative of what it has been called “Mediterranean” style, like other Spanish musicians such as Vicente Asencio or Oscar Esplá.
The cities of Valencia, Alfara del Patriarca, Llíria, Alaquàs and Xirivella named streets after him. There is a Spanish choir called Manuel Palau in his honor.

Biography

Palau lived some of the sweetest and most bitter moments of art in Spain. He had the good fortune to be a contemporary of a large number of artists and scientists who had achieved international significance. However, he also had the misfortune of living through the horrendous events of the military insurrection against the legitimate government of the country and suffered the post-war horrors that severely impeded artistic production. But the Valencian musician composed until the end of his days, motivated by the satisfaction that his own creative activity gave him.
Born in Alfara del Patriarca on 4 January 1893, he started his musical education at the Conservatory of Music in Valencia. He studied composition with Charles Koechlin and Ravel and many of his compositions are influenced by the impressionism.
In 1927 and 1945 got the Premio Nacional de Música.
He was a teacher in the Conservatory of Valencia and became principal in 1951. Among his students there are international musicians such the conductor Manuel Galduf, the professor Salvador Seguí, etc.
Manuel Palau Boix died in Valencia on 18 February 1967.

Style

Palau looked into the French musical mirror, where he found some of his more important musical influences. The artistic currents that coexisted at that moment influenced his music to a greater or lesser degree. An review of some of those styles, Palau’s sources of inspiration, bring us closer to the European musical environment of that time. But, without doubt, one of the elements that marked his music in a definite way, was to be Valencian folklore. Originally from a small village in the Valencian countryside, the music that he heard sung at parties, weddings, etc., were to become his constant inspiration. Sometimes, he recreates a given popular themes, other times he invented melodies himself in the style of folk music, giving his compositions a peculiarity that differentiates his music from other Spanish music of the time that had become popular towards the end of the 19th century.
Manuel Palau looks for the Valencian’s colour: at a time in which Andalusian regionalism was dominant, the maestro sought inspiration in his own cultural roots.

Recordings

Orchestras as the ONE, ORTVE Joven Orquesta de la Generalitat Valenciana, have recorded his music, including soloists such Narciso Yepes, Bertomeu Jaume, Rafael Serrallet and Manuel Galduf, etc.

Legacy

In 2013 Palau’s heirs donated their musical material to the Valencian Library and IVM. 3.069 books and scores from his personal library, 196 recordings, 109 publications, and 1.242 documents from his personal archive.

Works

Despite his prolific musical production, Manuel Palau is relatively unknown in the music world. Palau left a very interesting collection of music, including guitar works and, additionally, he wrote a substantial concerto that is almost forgotten today and has been barely performed since his composition.
Manuel Palau wrote more than hundred Lieder, one guitar concerto, two piano concerti, three symphonies, choral music, ballet, the opera Maror.
Here a list of works.
Orchestra
1919 Coplas de mi tierra
1920 Escenes i paisatges valencians
Adagietto
Dansa
1921 Tres danses valencianes
Dansa dels xiquets
Dansa de la colla antiga
Dansa de la colla muntanyenca
1924 Danza morisca
1924 Tres impresiones orquestales
Andantino
Non tropo lento
Alla marcia
1927 Siluetes - Suite
Dolçainers
Llauradors
...i els xiquet passen
1928 Gongoriana
Noel
Celosa está la niña
Humoresca
Ecaristica
En el baile del agido
Glorioso parta Don Juan
1929 Cançó de bressol for voice and string orchestra
1929 Homenaje a Debussy
1930 Muntanyesa
1932 Four preludes for string orchestra
1933 Obertura española
1934 El ball de la falla for voice and orchestra
1935 La copla del inclusero for choir and orchestra
1935 Poemes de llum
Crepuscular
Nocturnal
Matinada
1935 València per a piano i orquestra
1936 Marxa burlesca
1936 Documental valenciana
Allegro non tanto
Andante
Vivo
1937 Divertimento
Obertura
Siciliana
Rigodón
Pavana
Giga
1938 O quam suavis for baritone, male choir and string orchestra
1939/1949 Mascarada sarcástica
1940 Simfonia núm 1 in e-mino
Allegro deciso
Largo. Andante cantabile
Animato. Scherzo
Allegro. Finale
1942 Salve for choir and orchestra
1944 Simfonia núm. 2 en re major - Murciana
Largo. Allegro energico
Lento. Tiempo de parranda. Lentamente
Presto
Allegro giocoso
1946 Dramatic Concerto for piano and orchestra
Lento. Allegro non tanto
Lentamente
Allegro deciso
1947/1959 Concert of Valencia for guitar and orchestra
Allegro non tanto. Allegro deciso
Larghetto. Animado. Larghetto
Presto
1950 Simfonia number 3
1950 Salmantinas for female choir and orchestra.
1951/1955 Escena y danza de Omar
1953 Two aquarelles for string orchestra
1956 Tríptico catedralicio
1963 Heráldica
Anthem for nuevo al Santísimo Cristo Verdadero for choir and orchestra.
Criatura dolcíssima for voice and orchestra. Texts by Joan Fuster
Suite in old stile
Wind orchestra
1920 Himne a la bandera for choir and wind orchestra.
1921 Marxa valenciana n. 2
1922 Himne a Bétera for choir and wind orchestra.
1922 La cançó del poble
1923 Marxa valenciana n. 4
1923 Pasodoble andaluz
1924 Penya truquera
1924 ¡Vaya lo fino!
1924 Danza mora
1925 Soc de Moncà
1925 Poemas de juventud
1929 Marcha n. 13
1930 Cançó de renaixença for choir and banda.
1936 Two school songs for children's choir and wind orchestra.
1946 Manises Anthem
1947 Blayo
1956 Marcha solemne
1961 Riberas del Jiloca
1961 Rumores del Genil
Himne escolar for choir and wind orchestra
Theatre
1917 Farandulerías
1918 Beniflors, Valencian zarzuela in one act
1920 Amor torna, Dramatic Valencian zarzuela in 2 acts
1922 A vora mar Valencian zarzuela in one act
1938 Lliri blau Ballet in two acts
1938 Sino Ballet in one act
1946 Joyel Ballet
1956 Maror, opera. Text de Xavier Casp
Choir
1941 Aclamaciones for male choir
1947 Hermosita, hermosita
1950 Two songs from Alicante
1951 Cançó innocent de Blanca Fe
1952 Dos líricas de Anacreonte for male choir
1952 Scherzino for female choir
1956 Bienaventurados
1958 Lletania en flor for female and children's choir
1958 Sega, segador
1959 Cançó d'hivern
1960 Four coral poems
1963 Laudate Dominum omnes gentes
1963 Quatre petites composicions
1965 La Santa Cena
1967 Cançoneta del balcó for female choir
Cançons humorístiques
More works
1918 Gozos al Patriarca San José for choir and organ
1918 Rosario for choir and organ
1942 Nupcias for organ
1944 Himno al Apostolado de la Oración for choir and organ
1944/1960 M in g-minor for soloists, choir and orchestra
1945 Atardecer for soloists, choir and orchestra
1945 Ave María for tenor, choir and orchestra
1946 Deus Israel conjugat Vos for children's choir and orchestra
1954 Anthem a Sant Vicent Ferrer for choir and organ
1955 Anthem for Coronació del Sant Crist de la Fe for choir and organ
1956 Credo for choir and organ
1956 Himno a la Santísima Virgen de la Fuensanta for choir and organ
1956 Himno de María Santísima de Araceli for choir and organ
1959 Cants de primavera for soprano, female choir and orchestra
1961 Cantarella for children's choir and organ
1961 Justus germinabit for choir and organ
1965 Balada a l'absent for soprano, female choir and orchestra
1965 Canción amatoria for female choir and orchestra
1965 Cançons de la llar for female choir and orchestra
1965 Cançons del folklore infantívol for female choir and orchestra
1965 Rapsòdia d'abril for soprano, female choir and orchestra
1965 Seguerilles for female choir and orchestra
1965 Vibración de estío for female choir and orchestra
Fughetta per a conjunt de saxòfons
Anthem to The Purísima for choir and organ
Anthem to Virgen de las Angustias for choir and organ