Cançons i danses (singular: Cançó i dansa; Catalan for "Songs and Dances"; each piece originally published under the Spanish title Canción y Danza) is the title of a collection of 15 compositions by the Catalan composer Federico Mompou (1893–1987), written between 1918 and 1972. All were composed for piano, with the exception of No. 13 (for guitar) and No. 15 (for organ).
Structure and style
Each piece consists of an introductory slow Cançó (song), followed by a more animated Dansa (dance) in a related key, though not necessarily in the same time signature. The works are mostly based on existing Catalan folk tunes, although some are original compositions. Each piece typically takes between 3 and 5 minutes to perform.
The Cançons i danses were not conceived as a unified set but were written as discrete pieces over a 55-year span. No. 1 is one of Mompou's best-known works and has been arranged for various instrumental combinations; No. 6 is also particularly well known.
Notable recordings
The complete collection has been recorded by the composer himself, as well as by pianists Alicia de Larrocha, Martin Jones, Jordi Masó, Gustavo Romero, and others. Individual pieces have been recorded by Arthur Rubinstein, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Stephen Hough, and Artur Pizarro, among many others.
List of pieces
| No. | Cançó | Dansa | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Based on La Filla del Carmesi | Based on Dansa de Castelltercol | Written without a key signature |
| 2 | Based on Senyora Isabel | Based on Galop de cortesia | |
| 3 | Based on El Noi de la Mare | Original, salvaged from an unfinished string quartet | Dedicated to Frank Marshall; contains no bar lines |
| 4 | Based on El Mariner | Based on Ball del Ciri | |
| 5 | Original work | Original work | Conceived in 1942 during a dream |
| 6 | Original work | Original work | Dedicated to Arthur Rubinstein; the Cançó was a favorite encore of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli |
| 7 | Based on Muntanyes regalades | Based on L'Hereu Riera | |
| 8 | Based on El testament d'Amèlia | Based on La filadora | |
| 9 | Based on Rossinyol que vas a França | Original | |
| 10 | Based on two Cantigas of King Alfonso X | Based on two Cantigas of King Alfonso X | Also transcribed for guitar by the composer |
| 11 | Based on a theme from the Patum of Berga | Based on Ball de l'Àliga i Turcs i Cavallets | |
| 12 | Based on La dama d'Aragó | Based on La mala nova | |
| 13 | Based on El cant dels ocells | Based on El bon caçador | Written for guitar, for Narciso Yepes (1972) |
| 14 | Based on Petiteta l'han casada | Based on La dansa de Castelltersol | |
| 15 | — | — | Written for organ |
