V. CALMA

 

Calma is the fifth and last movement of Cants Màgics. It bears a resemblance to the third movement, profond-lent, for its generally deliberate pace and staticity. However, Calma is the piece in Cants Màgics that best illustrates Mompou’s idea of resonance in music. 

 

This movement is written in a ternary form. In section A a simple repetitive motive in F major is intercalated between dense chords that recall the sounds of far-away bells. These chords, formed of intervals of fourths and fifths, create the feeling of deepness. Mompou referred to them as metallic chords. 

 

Section B, marked as inquiet, restless, adds some movement to the piece. One of the reasons why is the change in time signature: it changes from an implicit 2/4 to a dancing 6/8. It is interesting to notice how Mompou performs this passage in his 1974 recording. He plays it as if the melody and its accompaniment had two different tempi. The effect he produces is a more marked distance between the left and the right hands, resulting in a very beautiful cantabile. 




Blanca's recording of "Calma", from Cants Màgics, inspired in Mompou's performance style. Recorded in 2020.

Mompou's recording of Calma, from  Cants Màgics. Recorded in 1974.