Ricard Lamote de Grignon

Ricard Lamote de Grignon i Ribas (25 September 1899 – 5 February 1965), was a Catalan Spanish composer and orchestra director.

Ricard Lamote de Grignon was born and died in Barcelona. He was son of the composer Joan Lamote de Grignon and Florentina Ribas. He was initiated into the world of music by his father, then later studied at the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu and at the Academia Marshall, [The most important student of Enrique Granados was Frank Marshall (1883-1959) who took over the directorship of the "Academia Granados" in Barcelona, later renamed "Academy Marshall".] both in Barcelona. At the age of 20 he joined the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and the Gran Teatre del Liceu as a cellist. In 1930 he was appointed director of the Girona Symphony Orchestra and in 1932 he won the appointment as assistant conductor of the Barcelona Municipal Band.

At the onset of the Spanish Civil War he fled to Valencia to join his father, working alongside him as assistant director of the newly-created Municipal Orchestra. In 1948 he returned to Barcelona but, finding it impossible to regain his place as director of the Municipal Band, dedicated himself to musical composition and study. In 1957 he occupied the post of deputy director of the Municipal Orchestra, collaborating with his great friend Eduard Toldra until his death in 1965.

Important Works

His work includes many pieces for piano, symphonic poems, also chamber music and music for choir with symphony orchestra, not forgetting his additions to the repertoire of sardana dance and band music.

*Symphonic works like "Facècia" (1936) which was awarded the Juli Garreta prize in 1938, "Dos Petits Poemes, Cartell Simfònic" (1936), "Tres Sonates del Pare Soler or Simfonia Catalana" (1950), among others, and "Concierto Mágico", music for the film of the same name and "Tríptico de la Piel de Toro", for piano and orchestra.

*Ballets like "El Rusc", first performed at the Gran Teatro del Liceo, "Somnis" (1929) and "Un Prat", dedicated to his "father and maestro" and "Divertimento" (1936) for symphonic jazz orchestra.

*Large-scale operas like "La Cabeza del Dragón" (1939), first performed in 1959, with libretto by Valle-Inclán, and chamber operas like "Le Petit Chaperon Vert", with French text by Marià Camí, or "Mágia", whose libretto he wrote himself, first performed in 1952, and a children's opera, "La Flor", which premiered in 1934 and was performed again on several occasions.

*The symphonic poem "Enigmes" won the Premio Ciutat de Barcelona in 1950, as did his posthumous work "El Càntic dels Càntics", completed before his death in 1962.

*Vocal music includes works for voice and piano on poems by Carner and Maragall, among others, and choral pieces like "Romance del Caballero", and the harmonisation of traditional songs.

*Small works for piano and several pieces for different instrumental ensembles like: "Toccata", which was awarded the Premio Santa Llúcia, 1957 de Juventudes Musicales; the work "Goya, Six unpleasant pieces for ten soloists"; and a series of pieces for different wind ensembles entitled "Miniatures", designed as pre-rehearsal exercises for the instrumentalists of the Orquesta de Valencia.

*Sardanas for Cobla: "Amical", "Camí de Llum", "Nupcial", "El Noguer", "El Mas", "Sant Telm" and "Enyor". [Sardanas for Cobla published by [http://www.dinsic.com/en DINSIC Publicacions Musicals, S.L., Barcelona] ]

The archive of the Lamote de Grignon family, with works by Ricard and his father Joan, are at the Document repository of the Generalitat of Catalunya and are actually to be found in the music section of the Biblioteca de Catalunya.

Music

* [http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/pages.html?cart=34278700294645677&target=/store/smp_artbrowseresults.html%26style%3Dartist%26artist%3DRicard%2520Lamote%2520De%2520Grignon&s=pages-http%253A//www.google.co.uk/search%253Fhl%253Den%2526rlz%253D1G1GGLQ_ENGB264%2526q%253DRicard%252BLamote%252Bde%252BGrignon%2526btnG%253DSearch%2526meta%253D&e=/sheetmusic/artist/G/Ricard_Lamote_De_Grignon.html&t=&k=&r=wwws-err5 Music of Ricard Lamote de Grignon at Sheet Music Plus]
* [http://www.di-arezzo.co.uk/detail_notice.php?no_article=LAMAD00038 GOYA: Six unpleasant pieces for 10 soloists]

Recordings

* [http://www.emusic.com/album/Joan-and-Manel-Cabero-Cancons-Joan-Lamote-de-Grignon-Ricard-Lamote-d-MP3-Download/11002296.html Songs of Joan and Ricard Lamote de Grignon]
* [http://www.amazon.co.uk/Grignon-Goya/dp/B00005B1RP/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1218896293&sr=1-2 GOYA: Six unpleasant pieces for 10 soloists] Barcino [Barcino = Barcelona] Emsemble, Adolphe Pla (director)

External links

* [http://www.clivis-music.com/compositors/autors/lamote/lamote.html Ricard Lamote de Grignon: Short biography and list of works published by CLIVIS] (in Catalan, Spanish and English)
* [http://www.geocities.com/mymg27/grignon.htm Biography and Musical Works] (in Spanish)
* [http://www.bnc.es/fons/inventaris/smusica/lamote/lamote.pdf Biblioteca Catalunya: Archive of Joan and Ricard Lamote de Grignon (pdf))] (in Catalan)
* [http://sardanista.cat/boigperlasardana/llistat.asp?criteri=1&sql=idautor=419 Sardanista.cat: List of sardanes of Ricard Lamote de Grignon]

Notes