A curious picture: my father in 1947 as a double bass player at the "Banda Municipal de Terrassa". He is the one standing and holding his instrument at the left side of the photo. Particularly during the forties and the fifties, this band had played a lot of symphonic repertoire, including the Fifth Symphony by Beethoven on the concert celebrating its 25th anniversary in 1951.
Playing the second flugelhorn at the cobla, probably "La Principal de Terrassa". Year unknown.
My father conducting the orchestra of the Conservatorium in Terrassa, probably 1980.
My father has played the flugelhorn, has been a conductor (orchestra and choir), professor at the Conservatorium of Terrassa, and even trombonist when he did the military service, apart from organist and singing director on sundays at the parish. But of all things he is really a cellist, as I said before. So, let's now have a look at his instrument:
This is a charcoal drawing of him playing the cello, made by the painter Badia in the year 1957 or 1958.
And one picture with only his hands. Year unknown.
Here is the program of what was probably the last public concert of my father, when he was 81.
It was a concert in the summer of 1997, in which he played accompanied by me at the organ, and which we performed for three times at three catalan churches having a baroque organ: L'Aleixar (Baix Camp), La Pobla de Cérvoles (Les Garrigues), and Torredembarra (Tarragonés).
Here there are a few samples of that concert:
the recording of the
Praeludium of the Sonata in D minor, by Corelli,
and the
Cant dels ocells (Song of the birds), which he played as an encore.
I also add a piece I played solo at the organ, the
Tiento de medio registro de 2 tiples de segundo tono, by F. Correa de Arauxo.
A more recent picture of him playing the cello, in 1999 at the age of 83.
Finally, my father and my mother in Montserrat. My father had a strong relationship with the monastery, as he participated during many years at the "gatherings for leaders in liturgical singing", and he even had had the litle cellists of the famous children choir taking examinations with him.
