I first became acquainted with the well-known Spanish organist and reigning Queen of Iberian organ music, Montserrat Torrent, in 1985. I owe a debt of gratitude to Guy Bovet for making arrangements for me to study with this remarkable woman, over the course of nearly thirty years!
I still remember my arrival in Barcelona, Spain in 1985 and soon discovered that Dr. Torrent did not speak any English; luckily I had a degree in Spanish Studies, so the language barriers where easily overcome.
I have been traveling to Spain yearly over a period of 30 years. The interview was conducted in Catalan, her native tongue, on November 5, 2011.
Some basic background and highlights on Dr. Torrent’s life are as follows. At the age of 5 years she began piano study under the direction of her mother, Angela Serra, who was a disciple of Enrique Granados. It is evident that Torrent came from a very musical family; her father, a physician, was an accomplished violinist, her sister a viola player, her brother a cellist. Evenings were spent playing and discovering chamber music, as well as each member of the family performing solo works. Montserrat Torrent was the head of the organ department at the Conservatorio Municipal Superior in Barcelona from 1959 until 1991. Her teachers have included Santiago Kastner, Luigi Ferdinando Tagliavini, Nöelie Pierront, Fernando Germani, and Helmuth Rilling. Dr. Torrent has over 50 recordings to her credit, in addition to having performed numerous concerts worldwide. She has been an advocate for the restoration of many early period instruments in Spain, as well as promoting the study of Iberian organ literature.
Q: Where were your initial musical studies?
A: Originally, I studied the piano with my mother. Later I attended the Conservatory of Music in Barcelona, focusing on the piano for my degree. At the end of my studies, the Civil War began just prior to my graduation recital, and my career, like many others, was put on hold.
Q: How did the Spanish Civil War affect your career?
A: I had just completed my final recital when the war began. It made an impact upon my life, as everything normal came to an end. There were no concerts or special events. I basically played the piano at home during the entire war, practicing for the day when I might begin my career.
Q: When were you first introduced to the organ?
A: I first encountered the pipe organ after the Civil War ended. I had an opportunity to play an organ and was moved by the variety of tonal capabilities of the instrument. I immediately began organ studies.
Q: Who was your first organ instructor?
A: My first instructor at the organ was Dr. Kastner, who taught at the conservatory. He was very demanding as an instructor. If you weren’t prepared, he wouldn’t even take time to listen to you.
Q: Was the transition from the piano to the organ an easy one?
A: No! At first it was horrific. My teacher had to completely transform and re-educate me on technique and my approach to sound production. It was very difficult at the onset.
Q: Did being a woman have any impact upon your career?
A: Of course it did! My goodness . . .
there were many who felt that women simply did not have the strength or ability to play the organ. I had a terrible time breaking into the concert scene . . . women simply did not fit the mold—especially in a male-dominated field. Women of today do not realize how different things are now.
Q: How does organ technique vary from piano technique?
A: On the piano, you utilize finger, wrist, and shoulder movement to exact sound in combination with the three pedals; however, in organ playing, the finger is the only element that has to be considered. The attack and release produce the desired effect . . . this alone makes for a completely different technique. Many people who have had years of piano never truly master organ technique fully, as they still attempt to utilize wrist, arm, and shoulder gestures to create sound. The only aspect that elicits sound is the digit (finger) . . . so making use of other gestures is merely wasted or unnecessary movement.
Q: You often state that technique leads to stylistics; what do you mean by this?
A: If you study the music of Bach, you obviously take into consideration the fingerings and pedalings used by Baroque organists, which in turn you apply to the music of Baroque composers. For example, a scale might be fingered 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4, which when played as such produces a distinctly different effect as compared to a modern fingering such as 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5. The intention is not to effect the musical selection, but rather subtle nuances occur as a result. The same would apply for each period of music. When playing classical music you apply classical technique, when playing Romantic works you would apply appropriate Romantic fingerings and pedal technique. As a result, the music takes on new subtleties that result in stylistics as an end result.
Q: Some would say that your approach is that of a “purist.” Would you agree?
A: Well, not to the point that such early fingerings or pedal techniques would be effective, but rather that the music is rather enhanced by the application of early fingerings and techniques, which renders a more authentic performance, not one hindered by a mere attempt to affect a particular style. Stylistics result from the application of historical approaches, not vice versa.
Q: Many would say that early fingerings produce uneven or jerky results.
A: Not at all. I can play a scale utilizing early fingerings such as 1-2-3-4-3-4-3-4 just as smoothly as 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5. One has to commit and practice intensely to master early fingerings just as one does modern fingerings—time, patience, and attention to detail. Period performance practices should be smooth and not sound affected or contrived.
Q: In Europe, Spanish repertoire seems to be very common on concerts, whereas in the United States, it is seldom heard. Why do you believe this is the case?
A: I’ve performed many times in the United States. I believe that many teachers of organ are simply unfamiliar with this particular repertoire; that being the case, it seems to seldom be covered, if at all even explored. I’ve noticed that even anthologies have very limited portions dedicated to Iberian music in comparison to other genres. A shame.
Q: You have made many recordings; which are your favorites or were the most enjoyable to record?
A: I have never listened to any of my recordings. I believe musicians grow if they are healthy, and how I played a work ten years ago will have matured as I have matured. Musicians should evolve and constantly be in a state of development or they become stagnant. Learning our craft is a continuous process, never ending.
Q: For nearly 54 years you have been teaching at the International Organ Course Música en Compostela. How did this famous course develop?
A: Several musicians including Pablo Casals, Andrés Segovia, Montserrat Caballé, Alicia de Larrocha, and I decided we needed an international course that emphasized Iberian composers, so we organized the course and it’s been running ever since those early years. We spend one month working with young people who compete for scholarships, who come with the sole purpose of mastering the works of Iberian composers representing various time periods. It is an intense institute; six days per week from 8 am until 10 pm, with a concert performance nearly every evening by students and faculty. It is one of the oldest running courses in Europe. We draw students from around the world.
Q: What advice do you have for young organists?
A: Study the piano to master technique, but remember that in transferring to the organ you have to master a new technique. What worked on the piano no longer applies to the organ. Study a varied repertoire and master techniques as they apply to those various periods of music. For example, a good player should be able to play smooth scales with fingers and pedals according to the period: Baroque pedal technique should produce a smooth scale on the pedal with all toes, just as a modern scale on the pedals using toe/heels. Mastering techniques means being able to adjust that technique to the repertoire/period one is playing, and do so flawlessly.
Q: What projects are you currently working on at this point in your career?
A: Currently I’m undertaking to record all the organ works of Correa de Arauxo. He represents the highest point in early Iberian Baroque composition. I’ve already completed five recordings and still have four to finish. Among other projects, I’m recording some of my favorite works for organ, which are varied—Baroque, Romantic as well as modern. I also continue to teach privately and conduct masterclasses and perform. I intend to remain active as long as I have breath and the bellows on the organ continues to provide air to make music!
I thanked Montserrat Torrent for her time and praised her for having made introducing and promoting the Iberian organ and repertoire her lifelong goal. She has always been the greatest of advocates for this particular genre and we hope her journey continues for many years to come.
