Te Deum Rafael Compta (1814)
-Música Antiga de Girona - Orquestra Clàssica de Catalunya
-Since the 13th century, Girona Cathedral has provided music which throughout the centuries has undergone many changes. One of these dates from the beginning of the 17th century at which time the Music Chapel had reached its peak of magnificence. There were 21 musicians and 4 choirboys. In a city where 7% of the 8,000 inhabitants belonged to the church, this chapel must have been of exceptional importance. This can be seen in the wide variety of music works kept in the archives of which only a minority can be used during liturgical services.
The changes that took place in the 18th century can be seen from the style of music within the archive. The citizens of that era, who had forgotten the stories of the wars against the city by Louis XIV, began to value time and money more than the glories of the Baroque period as well as the new ideas spread by the Enlightenment Movement.
In today's concert, we will be listening to some of the works typical of this evolutionary period. The works of Joseph Gaz, one of the best composers of Girona, shows intelligent composition and an effective use of the double choir. Bernat Bertran present typical Italianised music, where melody and a clear rhythm are dominant.
Rafael Compta was the last Chapel Master in Girona in the XVIII century.
Born in Vic (a town near Girona) where he studied the violin, he moved to Barcelona to study music composition and subsequently was appointed Chapel Master in Girona in 1794. Three years later he became a priest and remained in Girona until his death which occurred shortly after the French had left. He lived through the difficult times of the two devastating wars which affected our city being the 1793-95 war and the subsequent war against the French from 1808 to 1814.
The Te Deum we are going to hear today was written in 1814 for special occasions. There were in fact, three special occasions in 1814.
The first on 10th March when the French , having been defeated by the allied troops, left for France after 40 months occupation in Girona. There was a solemn farewell ceremony for Army General Suchet where there is no evidence of a Te Deum being sung even though the French had prior to the ceremony asked for one.
The second special occasion on Sunday 20th March was when the 1812 Constitution was solemnly proclaimed. In the morning there was a Mass in honour of the Mother of God and in the afternoon a reading of the Constitution followed by a swearing in ceremony, and then Te Deum was sung.
The third occasion was when King Ferran VII visited our city from 24th¬28th March 1814. However, it is not sure whether the present score was sung either on the 20th or on the 25th or on both occasions.
The king Ferran VII, who had previously left the prison in Valençay in France, travelled through Perpignan and Figueres where heavy rain had made the journey very difficult. On 24th March, lookouts were sent up the bell tower of Girona Cathedral to strike the bells as soon as the king was spotted in the distance.
The narration of the Cathedral Chapter is as follows:
"The pleasure was immense with the happiness and excitement of the event matching all expectation. At 2.30 pm the first strike of the cathedral bells was heard followed by the bells of all the surrounding parishes. As His Majesty had wanted to make his way from Pont Major (a neighbouring village) to Girona very slowly in order to greet his people, he did not enter the city until between 3.0 and 4.0 pm in the afternoon amidst enthusiastic cheers and applause which could be heard from far and wide. "
The following day 25th March, the King arrived at Girona Cathedral to attend the procession and the Te Deum which was held within the Cathedral. The score which starts with the rythm of a popular old melody called "Napoleon had a hundred soldiers" is very likely to be the score that we are going to hear today.
Jaume Pinyol i Balasch
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Música Antiga de Girona - Musicant - Campllong 2008- 2a partby dbosch12557 views
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