Description
Llorenç Barber’s involvement in the Ferienkurse für Neue Musik in Darmstadt during the late 1960s and 1970s stands as a critical moment in his development as a composer and a figure in the Spanish avant-garde. In this paper, I explore Barber’s experience at Darmstadt, both as an observer and participant in a musical world that contrasted sharply with the political climate of Franco’s Spain. Having attended the courses in 1969, 1970, 1972, and 1976, Barber witnessed the experimental music scene, forging connections with key figures such as Mauricio Kagel, György Ligeti, and George Crumb, as well as contemporaries from Spain like Eduardo Polonio, Paco Otero, and Ángel Oliver.
The paper delves into Barber’s personal account of the transformative impact of Darmstadt on his musical journey. He highlights key moments, such as the European premieres of Terry Riley’s In C and Helmut Lachenmann’s Air-Musik for large orchestra and percussion, and the premiere of Stockhausen’s Aus den sieben Tagen. These encounters deeply influenced Barber’s creative trajectory, including his engagement with new trends such as neotonality, minimalism, and mysticism, which were emerging as alternatives to European post-serialism. Notably, his involvement in the 1976 Kranichsteiner Musikpreis-winning composition Quatre Caps reflects his commitment to exploring new forms of collective music-making.
However, Barber’s experiences at Darmstadt were set against the backdrop of political upheaval in Spain, marked by the final years of Franco’s dictatorship and the violence that accompanied its end. His account juxtaposes the revolutionary spirit he encountered in Darmstadt with the constraints and tensions he faced back in Spain, where musicians struggled to confront their dictatorial past. In this context, Barber's founding of Grup Actum in Valencia and his broader engagement with the international avant-garde reflect his response to the political and musical challenges of the era. This paper seeks to illuminate Barber’s unique perspective on Darmstadt and its significance for composers in Spain during a time of profound political and cultural transformation.
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