Spanish—and Catalan music in particular—was hugely enriched by the contribution made to its development in the latter part of the twentieth-century by Xavier Montsalvatge. Both as a composer and critic, his influence was widespread, and his music stylistically broad. Folia daliniana explores elements of fantasy and French-tinged refinement whilst one of his major song cycles, Cinco invocaciones al Crucificado, is a passionately intense meditation on Christ’s suffering. Whether rhapsodic or invoking rhythmic or popular dance forms, Montsalvatge’s music remains brilliant, clear and individualistic.
