Jaume Pahissa i JoBarcelona, 1880 - Buenos Aires, 1969

Universal Catalan artistMusician, composer, orchestra conductor,

educator,music critic and restorer of musical language…

An entire life dedicated to music.

Described by Eugeni d'Ors as a nineteenth century musician.

Josep Pla defined him: “he is not only an artist: he is

also a man of ideas - two things that in our country

have not been often seen in the same person".

From an artistic lineageSon of Jaume Pahissa i Laporta(Sants, 1846 - Barcelona,1928),illustrator and landscape paintercontemporary to Gaudí, Rusiñol,Utrillo, and Cases…

He searched for the keys ofcomposition in the knowledge of an acclaimed musician such as Enric Morera.

'Modernista, noucentista'

Immersed in the atmosphere of Modernist Barcelona,he frequented the socialgatherings ofEls Quatre Gats, La Punyalada,l’Ateneu Barcelonès.

Regular contributor of literary and music critic magasinessuch as "Catalunya Nova", "La Publicitat", “Pèl & Ploma”.

He shared friendships and interests with the mostimportant artists and thinkers of his time: EnricGranados, Eugeni d’Ors, Pau Casals, Manuel de

Falla,Francesc Pujols, Pompeu Gener, Rafel Moragas,

EnricMorera, Margarida Xirgu, Conxita Badia...

Educator, musicologistHe was a professor at the Liceu High MusicConservatory and director of the Barcelona

Municipal Music School.

He also wrote important books and essays on music.

The influence of Wagner, Beethoven i Straus andmodern trends in international music scene

broughthim to create a composition system that he

calledIntertonal System or of "pure dissonance".

His music

Jaume Pahissa left us with an extensive musicalproduction which includes symphonic pieces,

operas,music for theatre, sardanes, choral music, piano

pieces, chamber music...

Some of his symphonic music include the following pieces:

1905. Trio for a small string orchestra 1905. A les costes mediterrànies. Symphony. Prelude for orchestra. 1905. El combat. Symphonic poem for orchestra. 1908. El camí. Symphonic poem for orchestra. 1919. Nit de somnis. Symphonic poem for orchestra. 1925. Monòdia. Symphony for orchestra. 1926. Suite intertonal. Symphony for orchestra. 1941. Muntanyes del Canigó (Shepherd's song). For soprano and

orchestra.

Stage music1898. Èdip rei.1906. La presó de Lleida1910. Canigó.1912. Gal·la Placídia.1919. La Morisca.1923. Marianela.1928. La princesa Marguerida.

Chamber music1900-1905. Peces líriques (piano).1904. Sonata Fantasia (piano).1906. Sonata per a violí i piano.1916-1919. Escenes catalanes.1933. Quartet (two violins, viola and cello).

Pieces for vocal solist accompanied by chamber orchestra:1908. Per un bes (veu i piano) ((vocalist and piano) (Poem by Josep Lleonart).1916. Cançó del lladre )vocalist and piano).1920. El bastó (vocalist and piano) (Poem by Joan Pijoan, French translation of Alfons Maseras).1922. Rosa (vocalist and piano, version for orchestra) (Lyrics by Jaume Pahissa).1930. Madrigal A la manera de "El Tasso".1931. La promesa (vocalist and piano).1940. Canciones populares catalanas (vocalist and piano).

Commited to his country

and affected by exile

During the Spanish Civil War,he directed the MunicipalSchool of Music and wrotemusic in the film Aurora de esperanza, produced by SIEFilms (Entertainment IndustryUnion).

In August 1937 he took advantage of a contract to play

in Radio El Mundo in Buenos Aires to leave with hisfamily to Argentina.

On 18 December of that same year he played for the

first time in Argentina Cantata en la tumba de García

Lorca, sung by Margarida Xirgu.

The end of the war and the Republic’s defeat meant

that he would stay in exile. He only visited Barcelona

briefly in 1961.

Like for many Catalan artists, the civil war and exile

meant that his work was forgotten.

Les generacions actuals de Catalunya no coneixen

un dels músics més importants d'aquest país, perquè la difusió de la seva música ha estat molt

minsa i les seves obres més rellevants operístiques

i simfòniques no s’han programat mai. Avui, moltes

de les obres de Jaume Pahissa resten sense editar, enregistrar i interpretar.

Jaume PahissaFoundation

The Jaume Pahissa Foundation was created in order to spread the musical legacy

of the musician Jaume Pahissa and to recognise the importance of one of the most important

catalan and universal musicians of the 20th Century.

His work needs to return to Barcelona where itdeserves to available so that his music can be

played.

Main objectives of the Foundation James Pahissa:

• To spread his work in Catalunya and around the world.• To collect, classify and restore his work at the Foundation’s

headquarters.• To stage one of Jaume Pahissa’s operas in Liceu de Barcelona.• To have a street or square in Barcelona named after him.• To have a classroom in Conservatori Municipal de Música de

Barcelona named after him.• To repatriate the remains of Jaume Pahissa and his wife, Montserrat

Campà, which are currently in Buenos Aires.• To register all of his work.• To move the literary and artisitc heritage currently in Buenos Aires

to Barcelona and place it in the Foundation’s Headquarters.