Cançons i Danses is the title of a collection of 15 pieces by Federico Mompou

Federico Mompou

Frederic Mompou i Dencausse was a Catalan Spanish composer and pianist. He is best known for his solo piano music and his songs.-Life:...

, written between 1918 and 1972. All were written for the piano

Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...

, except No. 13 for guitar

Guitar

The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

 and No. 15 for organ

Organ (music)

The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...

.

Each piece consists of an introductory slow Cançó, followed by a more animated Dansa in a related key but not necessarily in the same time signature. They are mostly based on existing Catalan folk tunes, although some of them are original works. Each takes between 3 and 5 minutes to play.

The Cançons i Danses were not written as a set, but as discrete pieces over a 55-year span. Cançó i Dansa No. 1 is one of Mompou's best known works, and has been arranged for various combinations of instruments. No. 6 is also very well known.

Many of them have been recorded individually, by pianists such as: Arthur Rubinstein

Arthur Rubinstein

Arthur Rubinstein KBE was a Polish-American pianist. He received international acclaim for his performances of the music of a variety of composers...

, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli

Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli

Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli was a virtuoso Italian classical pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century, as well as one of the most important Italian pianists along with Ferruccio Busoni and Maurizio Pollini.-Biography:Born in Brescia, Italy, he began...

, Stephen Hough

Stephen Hough

Stephen Andrew Gill Hough is a British-born classical pianist, composer and writer. He became an Australian citizen in 2005 and thus has dual nationality .-Biography:...

, Stanislas Niedzielski

Stanislas Niedzielski

Stanislas Niedzielski was a Polish pianist, noted for his playing of Chopin. His given name is also seen as Stanislaw or Stanislaus....

, Artur Pizarro

Artur Pizarro

Artur Pizarro is a Portuguese pianist of international acclaim. He performs internationally in solo recitals, in duos, with chamber music groups, and as a soloist with the world's leading orchestras. He has an extensive discography available on Linn Records, as well as on Naxos, Hyperion, Collins...

 and others. The complete collection has been recorded by: the composer himself, Martin Jones, Jordi Maso

Jordi Masó

- Biography and career :Jordi Masó was born in Barcelona, Spain, and studied at the Barcelona Conservatory with Josep M. Roger, at the Barcelona School of Music, with Albert Attenelle, and at the Royal Academy of Music of London with Christopher Elton and Nelly Akopian...

, Gustavo Romero, and Peter Fletcher (in his own arrangements for guitar).

List of Cançons i Danses

No.	Cançó	Dansa	Comments
1	Quasi moderato; F-sharp major; based on La hija de Crimson (La Filla del Carmesi)	Allegro non troppo; F-sharp minor - F-sharp major; based on Dansa de Castelltercol (or Castelltersol)	Written without a key signature
2	Lento; G minor; based on Dotze cavallers (Senyora Isabel)	Molt amable; G major; based on Galop de cortesia
3	Modéré; 3; based on El Noi de la Mare	Sardana-temps de marche; 6/8; original, salvaged from an unfinished string quartet	ded. Frank Marshall Frank Marshall (pianist) Frank Marshall King , was a Spanish, Catalan pianist and pedagogue born to parents of English heritage.... ; contains no bar lines
4	Moderat; 3/4; 1 sharp; based on A la vora de la mar (El Mariner)	Viv; 1 sharp; based on Ball del Ciri	ded. Madame la Princesse Bassiano
5	Lento liturgico; C-sharp minor; 8/4	Senza rigore; E major; 6/4	ded. Maria Canals; an original work, conceived in 1942 during a dream
6	Cantabile espressivo; E-flat minor; 4	Ritmado; E-flat minor – B-flat major; 6/8	ded. Arthur Rubinstein Arthur Rubinstein Arthur Rubinstein KBE was a Polish-American pianist. He received international acclaim for his performances of the music of a variety of composers... ; an original work; uses rhythms influenced by Cuban, Argentinian and Brazilian cultures
7	Lento; A major; 6/8; based on Muntanyes regalades	Danza; A major; 3/4; based on L'Hereu Riera
8	Moderato cantabile con sentimento; G minor; ¾; based on El testament d'Amèlia	Danza; G major; 3/4; based on La filadora	The tune of the Cançó is known in a number of countries, as far away as Sweden
9	Cantabile espressivo; E-flat major; 2/3; based on Rossinyol que vas a França	Allegro; E-flat major; 3/4	ded. Gonzalo Soriano Gonzalo Soriano Gonzalo Soriano was one of Spain's most distinguished classical pianists of the twentieth century.Born in Alicante, Soriano began studying music at an early age, but soon began to concentrate on piano. Graduating from the Royal Conservatory in Madrid in 1929, he went on to study piano and...
10	Larghetto molto cantabile; 4	Amabile; 3/4	1953, ded. La Infanta Dona Maria Cristina de Borbon-Battenberg Infanta Maria Cristina of Spain Infanta Maria Cristina of Spain, Countess of Marone was the fourth child of Alfonso XIII of Spain and Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg and paternal aunt of the current King Juan Carlos I.-Early life:Infanta Maria... ; marked Sobre dos Cantigos del Rey Alfonso X Alfonso X of Castile Alfonso X was a Castilian monarch who ruled as the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1252 until his death... ; also transcribed for guitar by the composer
11	Lent et majestueux - Allegro moderato; D minor; 2, leading to 6/8; based on Tema de la "Patum" de Berga	Grazioso; D major; 4/4; based on Ball de l'Aliga i Turcs I cavallets	ded. Rafael Puyana Rafael Puyana Rafael Puyana Michelsen is a Colombian harpsichordist.Puyana began piano lessons at age 6 with his aunt and at age 13 made his debut at the Teatro Colón in Bogotá. When he was 16, he went to Boston to continue his piano studies at the New England Conservatory...
12	Molto cantabile; F-sharp minor; 3; based on La dama d'Aragó	Danza; B minor (?); 3; based on La mala nova	ded. the memory of Léon-Paul Fargue Léon-Paul Fargue Léon-Paul Fargue was a French poet and essayist.He was born in Paris, France on rue Coquilliére. As a poet he was noted for his poetry of atmosphere and detail. His work spanned numerous literary movements...
13	Based on El cant dels ocells	Based on El bon caçador	1972, written for guitar Guitar The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... , for Narciso Yepes Narciso Yepes Narciso Yepes was a Spanish guitarist.-Biography:Yepes was born into a family of humble origin in Lorca, Region of Murcia. His father gave him his first guitar when he was four years old. He took his first lessons from Jesus Guevara, in Lorca...
14	Based on Petiteta l'han casada (Quan jo n’era petitet)	Based on La dansa de Castelltersol (Canco del Lladre)
15			Written for organ Organ (music) The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...

Sources

• entre88teclas.es
• this Recording&language=English# Naxos
• PRODigital Records – Program notes
• Quotesque.net