Apel·les Mestres i Oñós
Apel·les Mestres i Oñós often short Apel·les Mestres (born October 29, 1854 in Barcelona , † July 19, 1936 there ) was a Catalan draftsman, musician and writer. He represented the concept of the work of art as a holistic manifestation and with this approach denied the independence of the various art genres. With this inner attitude, he developed into an incredibly versatile artist personality that transcended genres.
life and work
Mestres graduated from the Llotja of Barcelona as a professional draftsman. In 1914 he had to give up drawing because of eye problems. He created numerous book illustrations. He also worked as a draftsman for the following magazines: La Campana de Gràcia , L'Esquella de la Torratxa , El Liberal , La Publicitat and others. Mestres knew very well about the English Pre-Raphaelites . He was a pioneer of modernism , on which he himself exerted a great influence.
In 1875 he gave his collection of poems Avant! out. Numerous others followed: Microcosmos (1878), Balades (1889), Cançons íntimes (1889), Idil lis (1889), Vobiscum (1892), Odes serenes (1893), Epigrames (1894), Pom de cançons (1907) , Darreres strolls (1926) and others. Parallel to this lyrical work, he wrote narrative literature with epic intent, which served him as the basis for later dramatic works: Margarido (1890), Gaziel (1891), L'estiuet de Sant Martí (1892), Liliana (1907) and numerous others . He translated the Intermezzo (1895) and the Poesia xinesa by Heinrich Heine . As a prose writer, he wrote a biography of Pelegrín Clavé (1876), fairy tales and descriptions of folk customs and legends, as well as his memories ( Records i fantasies , 1896). In 1901 he began his active career as a playwright with the premiere of La Rosons . The music for this piece came from Enric Morera . His plays with a modernist twist show symbolist and positivist elements. Some of them reach far beyond modernism. Mestres wrote vocal works such as the Cançons il·lustrades (1879) with music by Josep Rodoreda , ballads for voice and piano and Twelve Madrigals (1926). He had professional musicians record some of the melodies he had invented in a popular way. These “note writers” in turn developed piano accompaniments for the pieces. Many of the lyrical and dramatic works of Apel·les Mestres were set to music or accompanied by music by composers such as Enric Granados , Amadeu Vives , Enric Morera, Josep Rodoreda, Joan Borràs de Palau and Cassià Casademont .
Apel·les Mestres also wrote music reviews such as Volves musicals (1926) and reviews of gardening. He saw the layout of a garden as a work of art. In the later years Mestres outlived himself as an artist. He did not accept the ongoing development of aesthetics. All in all, this has done some harm to his work. In 1909 he became Master of Gai Saber , Master of Merry Science ; so he won the Jocs Florals with his poetry . With the collection of poems Flors de sang he won the Englantina , the large-flowered jasmine , in 1915 .
literature
- Enciclopèdia Catalana: Mestres i Oñós, Apel·les . In: Gran enciclopèdia catalana. 2nd edition 5th reprint 1992. Volume 15 . Enciclopèdia catalana, Barcelona 1987, ISBN 84-7739-012-6 , p. 127 f . (Catalan).
- Enciclopèdia.cat: Apel·les Mestres i Oñós. Retrieved May 1, 2018 (Catalan).
Individual references and comments
- ↑ Attention: The point “·” in the first name “Apel·les” is constitutive and must not be removed! The character combination “l·l” stands for a specific phoneme in the Catalan language .
- ^ Text and music by Mestres; for some, the music was contributed by other composers.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Mestres i Oñós, Apel·les |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Mestres i Oñós, Apeles |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Catalan draftsman, musician and writer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 29, 1854 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Barcelona |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 19, 1936 |
| Place of death | Barcelona |