Photo: AlbertRA · CC BY-SA 4.0 · credits
Tier 3 · vertical & regionalfull biography
Xavier Montsalvatge
Person · male · Spain · Girona · born 1912 · died 2002 · recording since 2010
Spanish composer (1912–2002)
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Also known as 沙維爾·蒙特薩爾瓦吉
Timeline
17 events✦ Award 7▣ Album 7◦ Birth 1† Death 1★ Debut release 1
1910s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
· Debut release
Debut release: Piano Music, Volume 1
First documented Album in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
· Album
Album: Simfonia de Rèquiem / Calidoscopi simfònic / Cinco canciones negras / Partita 1958
Album
source: musicbrainz
· Album
Album: Madrigal / Cinco invocaciones al Crucificado / Folia daliniana / Concertino 1+13
Album
source: musicbrainz
Biography
English biography655 words · 4 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1355090637
Biography
Xavier Montsalvatge i Bassols (Catalan: [ʃəβiˈe munsəlˈβadʒə]; 11 March 1912 – 7 May 2002) was a Spanish composer and music critic. He was one of the most influential figures in Catalan music during the latter half of the 20th century.
Life
Montsalvatge was born in Girona, and studied violin and composition at the Barcelona Conservatory. His principal teachers were Lluís Maria Millet, Enric Morera, Jaume Pahissa, and Eduard Toldrà. After the Spanish Civil War, Montsalvatge began work as a music critic when he joined the weekly Destino in 1942, a publication he would eventually direct in 1968 and 1975. He wrote additionally for the daily La Vanguardia after 1962. Montsalvatge also returned to teach at his alma mater, becoming a lecturer in 1970, and then a professor of composition in 1978.
In 1982 he served on the jury of the Paloma O'Shea Santander International Piano Competition.
He was awarded Spain's Premio Nacional de Música for composition in 1985. He died in Barcelona, aged 90, and was buried at the Sant Gervasi Cemetery Barcelona.
Work
Montsalvatge's style evolved over several different phases. At the start of his career, he was strongly influenced by the twelve-tone technique and by Wagnerism, which together dominated the Catalan music scene during the period represented by his Sinfonía mediterránea of 1949. In the following period, he found inspiration in the music of the Antilles (Cinco canciones negras, 1945; Cuarteto indiano, 1952). His steady contact with the French composers Olivier Messiaen and Georges Auric led to a crucial change in his style, which soon became characterized by free polytonality (Partida, 1958). The final phase of Montsalvatge's work revealed the influence of the avant-garde.
Montsalvatge explored virtually all musical forms in his composition. His work ranges in scale from operas (El gato con botas, Una voz en off) to chamber music (Cuarteto indiano), in between which lie his orchestral works, such as the Desintegración morfológica de la Chacona de Bach, the Laberinto o Sinfonía de réquiem, and the prizewinning Sinfonía mediterránea and many solo piano works including the well known Sonatine pour Yvette (Sonatina for Yvette) written and inspired by his young daughter at the time. He owed his international fame chiefly to one charming and outstanding work: the Cinco canciones negras for mezzo-soprano and orchestra, a blend of Antillean rhythms and themes; among them, the best known is the Canción de cuna para dormir un negrito (Lullaby to sleep a black child). He wrote film music and in 1987, his score for the picture Dragon Rapide, about Francisco Franco, was nominated as the best original music at the Goya Awards.
Important works
Cinco canciones negras (1945) (Five black songs)
Concerto breve (1953) for piano and orchestra
Canciones Para Niños (1953) (Songs for Children)
Sonatine pour Yvette - piano solo (1962)
Babel (1967)
Homenaje a Manolo Hugué (1971)
Serenata a Lydia de Cadaqués (1971)
Reflexions-obertura (1975)
Concert capriccio (1975) for harp and orchestra
Fantasía (1985) for harp and guitar
Simfonia de Rèquiem (1985)
Bric à brac (1993)
"Partita 1958" (1958)
"Euro fanfàrria"
Choral works
Tres canciones negras (1946) for soprano, mixed chorus, and piano
Operas
El gato con botas
Una voce in off
Babel 46 (opera, 2002 premiere)
Ballet
Perlimplinada, music in collaboration with Federico Mompou
Manfred (1945)
Music for cobla ensemble
Elegia a Juli Garreta (1946)
Madrigal en forma de sardana (1945)
Piano Music
3 Impromptus (1933)
4 Dialogues for piano (1940)
3 Divertimentos (1941)
Divagación (1950)
Elegía a Maurice Ravel (1952)
Sonatina para Yvette (1961/2)
Sketch (1966)
Alegoría a la Memoria de Joaquín Turina (1982)
Si, a Mompou, for left hand alone (1983)
Berceuse a la memoria de Oscar Esplá, for left-hand alone (1986)
Una página/Balada para Rubinstein, for left-hand alone (1987)
El Arca de Noë (Noah's Ark) Suite (1990)
Dialogues in Memory of Ricardo Viñes
Schubertiana (1993)
Pastoral d'Automne (1995)
5 ocells en llibertat (1997)
Bressoleig (1998)
Homenatge a Victoria de los Ángeles (Piano 4 hands) (1998)
Alborada en Aurinx (1999)
Improviso epilogal (1999)
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 17 | 76.4th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 8 | 81.1th |
| Studio albums | 8 | 88.9th |
| Awards recorded | 8 | 98.4th |
| Timeline events | 17 | 92.4th |
| Recording span (years) | -8 | 8.8th |
| Genres | 5 | 88.3th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (8 release groups · 8 studio albums)
Albums · 8
2010 · studio album
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Tracklist · 18 tracks · 1:00:55
13 impromptus, nº 1: Molto delicato2:2923 impromptus, nº 2: Semplice2:1733 impromptus, nº 3: Leggero3:314Siciliana2:5353 divertimentos, nº 1: Con decisión2:2963 divertimentos, nº 2: Muy dulce1:5773 divertimentos, nº 3: Vivo2:088Ritmos3:229Elegía a Ravel2:5110Divagación3:0411Sonatine pour Yvette: I. Vivo e spiritoso3:1212Sonatine pour Yvette: II. Moderato molto4:0213Sonatine pour Yvette: III. Allegretto2:1214Sketch2:2915Recóndita armonía: I. Allegro con brio7:0316Recóndita armonía: II. Andante sostenuto6:3017Recóndita armonía: III. Allegro con brio1:2318Recóndita armonía: IV. Moderato7:032010 · studio album
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Tracklist · 26 tracks · 1:08:27
1Alegoría a la memoria de Joaquín Turina3:522Tres piezas para la mano izquierda, nº 1: Sí, a Mompou3:213Tres piezas para la mano izquierda, nº 2: Berceuse a la memoria de Òscar Esplà5:194Tres piezas para la mano izquierda, nº 3: Una página para Rubinstein3:485El arca de Noé: I. La oveja1:226El arca de Noé: II. El gallo0:327El arca de Noé: III. El elefante1:258El arca de Noé: IV. La pulga0:369El arca de Noé: V. El gato1:2910El arca de Noé: VI. El canguro0:4511El arca de Noé: VII. Vals0:5912Schubertiana2:2113Pastoral d'automne2:1314Milonga2:1115Impromptu en el Generalife2:0716Cinc ocells en llibertat, núm. 1: El pardal0:4417Cinc ocells en llibertat, núm. 2: El rossinyol1:2718Cinc ocells en llibertat, núm. 3: La merla1:3819Cinc ocells en llibertat, núm. 4: El pinsà1:3420Cinc ocells en llibertat, núm. 5: El cucut1:3621Bressoleig1:2722Alborada en Aurinx5:3623Improviso epilogal1:4824Concierto de Albayzín: I. Con spirito6:5225Concierto de Albayzín: II. Adagietto8:2526Concierto de Albayzín: III. Moderato - Allegretto5:002011 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks · 54:35
1Poema concertante12:402Cinco canciones negras: I. Cuba dentro de un piano4:273Cinco canciones negras: II. Punto de habanera1:444Cinco canciones negras: III. Chévere2:035Cinco canciones negras: IV. Canción de cuna para dormir a un negrito2:286Cinco canciones negras: V. Canto negro1:257A la española5:198Concerto breve: I. Enérgico10:019Concerto breve: II. Dolce9:5510Concerto breve: III. Vivo4:33Piano Music, Volume 3: Music for Two Pianos
2012 · studio album
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Tracklist · 14 tracks · 1:03:12
1Barcelona Blues5:172Calidoscopio: I. Aproximación a la fuga5:073Calidoscopio: II. Capricho sobre la banalidad camuflada5:194Calidoscopio: III. Collage para Albéniz2:505Homenatge2:006Tres divertimentos sobre temas de autores olvidados: I. Deciso (en forma de Chotis)2:307Tres divertimentos sobre temas de autores olvidados: II. Dolce (en forma de Habanera)1:528Tres divertimentos sobre temas de autores olvidados: III. Vivo (en forma de Vals Jota)2:169Sum Vermis15:30105 invocaciones al Crucificado: I. De passione Christi4:11115 invocaciones al Crucificado: II. Pianto della Madonna4:08125 invocaciones al Crucificado: III. La Vierge couronnée3:01135 invocaciones al Crucificado: IV. Lamentatio6:33145 invocaciones al Crucificado: V. D'oració de temps2:38Simfonia de Rèquiem / Calidoscopi simfònic / Cinco canciones negras / Partita 1958
2012 · studio album
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Tracklist · 19 tracks · 1:07:58
1Partita 1958: I. Fanfare. Avec allegresse et dureté1:392Partita 1958: II. Sarabande. Délicat – Plus animé – Tempo I – Tempo I5:333Partita 1958: III. Intermezzo. Passioné – Plus calme – Tempo I5:314Partita 1958: IV. Final. Entraînant – Solennel4:065Cinco canciones negras: No. 1. Cuba dentro de un piano (Cuba in a piano). Lento – Rubato – Lento – Rubato – Lento – Rubato – Lento – Rubato – Lento – Rubato (Molto lento) – Violento e rapido – Calmando (lento)4:336Cinco canciones negras: No. 2. Punto de habanera (Habanera rhythm). Tempo de guajiras – A tempo – Coda a tempo1:517Cinco canciones negras: No. 3. Chévere (The dandy). Lentissimo2:018Cinco canciones negras: No. 4. Canción de cuna para dormir a un negrito (Lullaby for a little black boy). Lento2:329Cinco canciones negras: No. 5. Canto negro (Negro song). Leggiero1:2510Calidoscopi simfònic, op. 61: I. Introducció. Moderato3:0411Calidoscopi simfònic, op. 61: II. Ronda i pantomima. Allegretto mosso – Meno mosso – Poco più (come prima)4:5612Calidoscopi simfònic, op. 61: III. Cànon i havanera. Allegretto deciso – Meno mosso – Semplice – Tempo d’havanera4:3013Calidoscopi simfònic, op. 61: IV. Final ‘a la indiana’. Andante ritmico – Poco meno – Tempo I3:3914Simfonia de Rèquiem: I. Introitus. Andante moderato – Poco più sostenuto – Tempo I (Andante moderato)3:1715Simfonia de Rèquiem: II. Kyrie. Andante doloroso3:4316Simfonia de Rèquiem: III. Dies irae. Allegretto con brio – Poco meno mosso – Moderato ritenuto – Tempo I (Allegretto con brio)3:4617Simfonia de Rèquiem: IV. Agnus Dei. Adagietto3:3418Simfonia de Rèquiem: V. Lux æterna. Andante moderato4:3019Simfonia de Rèquiem: VI. Libera me, Domine. Moderato solenne, molto tenuto3:48Madrigal / Cinco invocaciones al Crucificado / Folia daliniana / Concertino 1+13
2013 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 1:02:18
1Folia daliniana14:072Madrigal sobre un tema popular5:153Concertino 1+13: I. Allegretto5:004Concertino 1+13: II. Moderato5:065Concertino 1+13: III. Moderato energico2:056Serenata a Lydia de Cadaqués9:337Cinco invocaciones al Crucificado: No. 1. De passione Christi4:448Cinco invocaciones al Crucificado: No. 2. Pianto della Madonna4:209Cinco invocaciones al Crucificado: No. 3. La Vierge couronnée2:5910Cinco invocaciones al Crucificado: No. 4. Lamentación6:1611Cinco invocaciones al Crucificado: No. 5. D’oració de temps2:53Simfonia de Rèquiem / Manfred / Bric à brac
2014 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 1:01:05
1Manfred24:452Bric à brac: I. Evocador5:283Bric à brac: II. Sesgado6:104Bric à brac: III. Tenso2:185Bric à brac: IV. Lúdico1:446Simfonia de Rèquiem: I. Introitus3:297Simfonia de Rèquiem: II. Kyrie3:378Simfonia de Rèquiem: III. Dies irae3:419Simfonia de Rèquiem: IV. Agnus Dei3:2810Simfonia de Rèquiem: V. Lux aeterna3:3011Simfonia de Rèquiem: VI. Libera me, Domine2:55— · studio album
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Tracklist · 21 tracks · 54:37
1Canciones para niños: Paisaje3:022Canciones para niños: El lagarto está llorando2:153Canciones para niños: Caracola1:164Canciones para niños: Canción tonta3:105Canciones para niños: Canción china en Europa2:006Canciones para niños: Cancioncilla sevillana1:137Cançó amorosa4:318Bergerette3:439Canciones negras: Cuba dentro de un piano4:3410Canciones negras: Punto de habanera2:0011Canciones negras: Chévere2:1612Canciones negras: Canción de cuna para dormir a un negrito2:4713Canciones negras: Canto negro1:1314Nana3:5615No t´abandonaré2:4016Quatre rimes de Carner: Destins1:5617Quatre rimes de Carner: Estiu1:5618Quatre rimes de Carner: Pietat de la natura2:0219Quatre rimes de Carner: Comiat1:2420Alhelí1:4221Pastor hacia el puerto5:01
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Xavier Montsalvatge head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 17 | 76.4th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 8 | 81.1th |
| Studio albums | 8 | 88.9th |
| Awards recorded | 8 | 98.4th |
| Timeline events | 17 | 92.4th |
| Recording span (years) | -8 | 8.8th |
| Genres | 5 | 88.3th |
Awards & honours
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Saint George's Cross | won | |
| 1985 | National Music Prize for Composition | won | |
| 1985 | honorary doctor of the Autonomous University of Barcelona | won | |
| 1987 | Goya Award for Best Original Score | won | |
| 1993 | Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts | won | |
| 1998 | Prize Tomás Luis de Victoria | won | |
| 1999 | Gold Medal of the Generalitat of Catalonia | won | |
| — | Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres | won |
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Montsalvatge.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/8823e127-b2c6-40b6-a4de-f8e2d8e1e1b8discography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/8823e127-b2c6-40b6-a4de-f8e2d8e1e1b8core—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q535320genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q535320seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xavier_Montsalvatgebiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xavier_Montsalvatge
Why this artist is in the database
- List of composers by name
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
Image: AlbertRA · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q535320 · MusicBrainz: 8823e127-b2c6-40b6-a4de-f8e2d8e1e1b8
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