Estimada Marta
Inside Pages
Author/Composer
Text
Field
Music Schools and Conservatoires Intermediate Level
Scores Intermediate
Collection
Música vocal (paper copy) Nr. 89
Language
Spanish, Catalan, Music, English
Format
Score
Contents
In 1984 I finished setting one of the poems from Miquel Martí i Pol’s collection ‘Estimada Marta’ (Dear Marta) to music for a choir with three voices. This collection of fifteen poems was written between November 1977 and February 1978 in Roda de Ter (Catalonia). In 2022 I blew the cobwebs off my folder of compositions - a relatively small folder - and rediscovered this piece. And that’s when I came up with the idea of setting the rest of the poems to music too with compositions faithful to Martí i Pol’s work which would reflect musically the development and meaning of the fifteen poems.
During this second stage, as I wrote the remaining fourteen compositions, I considered whether to continue with the same structure of three voices throughout the cycle or to take the liberty of varying the style and using four or more voices according to the possibilities of each poem. I finally decided to continue using the three-voice composition style for all fifteen poems in the collection. In some of the pieces, the tessitura or vocal range is a little more stretched than what would be ideal, especially for the deep voice parts. For the part of the male voice, covering the tenor-baritone range, I suggest using a combination of voices of these two voice types so that they can compensate each other at moments of vocal tension.
To prepare my compositions, I used the edition of the book ‘Estimada Marta’ de Miquel Martí i Pol, Llibres del Mall, Barcelona 1981 which I strongly recommend, not just for the poems but also for its prologue. Despite the restrictions of sticking to three voices, I worked to ensure neither the harmonic tensions nor the melodic flow were affected. I am well aware of the challenge this means for the singers in the final result of my compositions but it was impossible to reach a different agreement with my muses.
I used musical motifs to try and give unity to the body of work. I also aimed for each song to be a well-written piece which could stand on its own, independently of its role within the 15-poem cycle. For this reason, any of the songs can be performed on their own.
I leave the indications of tempo and dynamics and the few decisions regarding articulation in the hands of the performers to follow as they believe best, as I well know they need to be able to use a certain degree of interpretation to give life to the written music. This means that the indications for metronome and the compositions’ dynamics are purely for guidance, and simply express how I imagine the pieces as the composer. The day they are performed I will be pleased to discover new nuances and aspects I hadn’t previously imagined.
I dedicate these compositions to my parents who are always in my thoughts.
The composer
Instrumental and vocal formations
Three-part mixed choirStructure
ESTIMADA MARTA
Quinze cançons sobre quinze poemes de Miquel Martí i Pol
I.- De les hores mortes
II.- Aquests profunds silencis
III.- Marta, per tu i per mi no hi ha records
IV.- Sàviament i tendrament
V.- Evoco rams de fosca
VI.- Abrupte i prepotent
VII.- No em prens ni et prenc
VIII.- Marta, la plenitud no és un erm
IX.- Les clares rutes del teu cos
X.- Imagino preguntes
XI.- Bacanals de vent i mar
XII.- Tots els miralls
XIII.- Corfes de llum
XIV.- Reposes, Marta
XV.- Lluny, Marta, lluny
Technical Specifications
Measurements
21 x 29,7 cm, vertical
Binding
Staple
Number of Pages
68
ISMN
979-0-69239-219-4
Editor
DINSIC Publicacions Musicals
