L’illa de la Galera (The Galera Island) – Catalan Rhapsody #2 (cobla)

The piece was composed from December 22^nd, 2001 to January 6^th, 2002, having been commissioned by the Fundació Orfeó Català/Palau de la Música Catalana.

The Galera Island is a paradisiacal place off the Cape Creus, in the North-East of the Iberian Peninsula. It is only accessible by boat and the winds often blow very strongly.  It is called Galera island because it is located in front of the beach that bears the same name, and it is an ideal place to relax, fish and suntan.

The piece is a small symphonic poem, 13 minutes long, with a Catalan and Mediterranean flavour. We are brought nearer the island by a fast opening section. Once on the island (a majestic and bright principal theme), one can relax fishing and enjoying the purest air.  In its development, one can hear echoes of sardana (a popular Catalan dance) and other music with bright happy rhythms. The music begins to relax into a calmer and evocative central part fully based on the poetic popular song La calma de la mar (The calm of the sea). In this intimate section, as its lyrics suggest, we are transported to childhood memories and a yearning for an irrecoverable past. After a slightly modified re-exposition of the first section, we are brought to an euphoric and brilliant ending where the popular song is combined with the majestic principal theme.