Pedrell, Felipe

Pedrell, Felipe , eminent Spanish musicologist and composer, uncle of Carlos Pedrell; b. Tortosa, Feb. 19, 1841; d. Barcelona, Aug. 19,1922. He became a chorister at Tortosa Cathedral when he was about 7, receiving instruction from Juan Antonio Nin y Serra. In 1873 he went to Barcelona as deputy director of the Light Opera Co., where he produced his first opera, L’ultimo Aben-zeraggio (April 14, 1874). After a visit to Italy (1876–77) and a sojourn in Paris, he settled in Barcelona (1881), where he devoted himself mainly to musicological pursuits. In 1882 he founded the journals Salterio Sacro-Hispano and Notas Musicales y Literarias, both of which ceased publication in 1883. He then was founder-ed. of the important journal La Illustración Musical Hispano-Americana (1888–96). During this period, he worked on his operatic masterpiece, the trilogy Los Pirieneos/Els Pirineus (1890–91), and also publ, the book Por nuestra música (1891), which served as its introduction and as a plea for the creation of a national lyric drama based on Spanish folk song. In 1894 he went to Madrid, where he was named prof, of choral singing at the Cons, and prof, of advanced studies at the Ateneo; was also elected a member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Upon his return to Barcelona (1904), he devoted himself to writing, teaching, and composing. Among his outstanding pupils were Albéniz, Falla, Granados, and Gerhard. Although Pedrell was admired as a composer by his contemporaries, his music has not obtained recognition outside his homeland. His lasting achievement rests upon his distinguished as a musicologist, in which he did much to restore interest in both historical and contemporary Spanish sacred music.

Writings

Gramática musical or manual expositivo de la teoria del solfeo, enforma de diálogo (Barcelona, 1872; 3^rd ed., 1883); Las sonatas de Beethoven (Barcelona, 1873); Los músicos espanoles en sus libros (Barcelona, 1888); Por nuestra música (Barcelona, 1891); Diccionario técnico de la música bibliográfico de músicos y escritores de música españoles, portugueses y hispano-amerianos antiguos y modernos (Barcelona, 1895–97); Emporio cientifico e histórico de organografia musical espanola antigua (Barcelona, 1901); Prácticas preparatorias de instrumentación (Barcelona, 1902); La cançó popular catalana (Barcelona, 1906); Documents pour servir à l’histoire de théâtre musical: La Festa d’Elche ou le drame lyrique liturgique espagnol (Paris, 1906); Musicalerias (Valencia, 1906); Catàlech de la Biblioteca musical de la Diputació de Barcelona (Barcelona, 1909); Músicos contemporâneos y de otros tiempos (Paris, 1910); Jornadas de arte (Paris, 1911; memoirs and articles, 1841–1902); La lirica nacionalizada (Paris, 1913); Tomás Luis de Victoria Abulense (Valencia, 1918); P. Antonio Eximeno (Madrid, 1920); Jornados postreras (Valls, 1922; autobiography); Musique-rias (Paris, n.d.; autobiography). editions:Hispaniae schola musical sacra (Barcelona, 1894–98); Teatro lirico espanol anterior al sigio XIX (La Coruña, 1897–98); T.L. de Victoria: Opera omnia (Leipzig, 1902–13); El organista litú;rgico espanol (Barcelona, 1905); Antologia de organistas clásicos españoles (Madrid, 1908); Cancionero musical popular español (Valls, 1918–22; 2^nd ed., 1936); with H. Anglès, Els madrigals i la missa de difunts d’en Brudieu (Barcelona, 1921).

Bibliography

G. Tebaldini, F. P. ed il dramma lirico spagnuolo (Turin, 1897); R. Mitjana, La música contemporanea en España y F. P. (Má;laga, 1901); H. de Curzon, F. P. et “Les Pyrénées” (Paris, 1902); L. Vilalba Muñoz, F. P.: Sembianza y biografia (Madrid, 1922); F. Bonastre, F. P.: Acotaciones a una idea (Tarragona, 1977).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire