Josué Bonnín de Góngora

Josué Bonnín de Góngora
Josué Bonnín de Góngora was born in Madrid in 1970. At the age of eight he received his first piano lessons from his father. Soon after that, he starts writing his first compositions. Among them is the Waltz in C minor, a simple piece, yet one in which his characteristic expressiveness is already be perceived, and two groups of works that he finished during the next years: the Poems and the Tales of Solitude. In 1990 he made his debut in Madrid's San Juan Bautista concert hall, where he performed his own music along with works from Schubert and Chopin. By then he had already drafted two sonatas and the first movement of a piano concerto; composition had become his main activity.

Since Góngora’s debut, he has been present in all the musical seasons of the Spanish capital, his own works as well as music of other composers, particularly Beethoven and Chopin, but including Liszt (Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2) and some preludes of Rachmaninov. He has received several awards from Madrid's city council, thanking him for his close participation in the town's cultural life. He has also given concerts in other parts of Spain including Mallorca and Alicante.

Góngora’s music has been published on three CDs, Góngora performs his own works on two CDs; and the third is a performance of his work Poem to Maria Luisa Park, for piano, guitar and cello.

Compositions

Piano Works

7 Sonatas
25 pieces called Tales of Solitude
25 pieces called Poems
3 Waltzes
2 Preludes
Suite Ana
3 Ballades
Evocation
Piacevole
Bull trilogy: Blood, Pain and Death
Music for Piano inspired in several Spanish poets
Collection of short movements

Chamber and orchestral works

2 String Quartets: in C minor and in D minor
Piano and Choir Concerto in C minor
Poem to Maria Luisa Park, for piano, guitar and cello
Remembering Maria Luisa Park, for piano and cello
Ballet The Three Wise Men

Commentary of Works
The works that I present on this CD are of different nature, musically and psychologically. The Evocation (Evocation) and the Poems (Poesías) Nos. 23 and 24 are very lyrical works with an structure which is not subject to the form. These are pieces of inspiration, especially written for the piano. I wanted the Poem No. 23 to be smooth, with a melancholic theme. On the contrary, the chords in Poem No. 24 are static, unreal. It's a very sentimental composition. The themes of The Short Movements (Pequeño mov. Nos. 1, 2 and 3, and the Romanza) are taken from notes that I had for wider works, like sonatas and concertos. I wanted them to be very expressive bagatelles. The Tale of Solitude (Cuento del Retiro) No. 9 comes from a collection of 25 pieces, inspired in a very popular park of Madrid, El Retiro (The Retreat). These are romantic works but with a well defined formal structure. This one, which I also called "Fifteen" (Quince años), tries to reflect the innocence characteristic of that age. The Prelude to the Fall (Preludio al otoño) is dedicated to this season: with smooth harmonies, diffuse but clear melody and slow. It is a especial characteristic of this piece the use of the rests. The Ballad in C minor (Balada en do menor) is the first one of three. Of a conception and structure wider than the Poems and the Tales of Solitude, it is a lyrical work that tries to express a feeling of contained love, farewell and absence. The two first movements of the Sonata in D minor (Sonata en Re menor) are a example of how I write this genre. With themes clearly defined, they are very intense and strong, particularly the Scherzo. Both the sonata and the soloist extract of the piano concerto (Fragmento de piano solo...) are very wide works, with a psychological nature that differs from the poetic and romantic works. The waltz (Vals del abeto) is part of a children's ballet called "The Three Wise Men", which I was commissioned to write on Christmas of 2001. Later on, I transcribed to piano my favorites parts, like this "Fir Waltz".