La Fontegara México - Luis Misón (1727-1766). Sonatas y tríos para flauta travesera, violín y bajo (2023)

The flute repertoire of the mid-18th century in Spain had its space in the following environments: religious, courtly and noble - in which the music would acquire a high degree of representativeness - as well as in the theatrical and domestic - with a more recreational purpose. –. Part of that context, in addition to Luis Misón himself, are composers assigned to the Royal Chapel such as Manuel Cavaza (?-1790), first oboe of the Royal Chapel and companion of Misón's music stand; José Herrando (1720 or 1721-1763), Manuel Pla (ca. 1725-1766) with his brothers Joan (ca. 1720-1770) and Josep Pla (1728-1762), Antonio Rodil (ca. 1730-1787) and Juan Oliver Astorga (1733-1830), who left Spain to settle in other European courts. Of all of them, a minimal but significant part of his works has been located.
An important testimony to the taste for the flute in Spain is the presence of some works by renowned European composers such as Johann Adolf Hasse (1699-1783) and Alessandro Besozzi (1702-1793) in the extraordinary musical library of the 12th Duke of Alba, to whom Misón dedicated twelve sonatas for flute and in which environment the composer possibly had the opportunity to become familiar with the new gallant style coming from Europe, which would leave its mark on his work.

This album aims to fulfill the double function of sonically recreating six unpublished works by Luis Misón – three sonatas for flute with bass and three trios for flute, violin and bass – and of contributing to the knowledge and dissemination of the Spanish flute repertoire of the second half of the 18th century.

The composer Luis Misón (also spelled “Misson”) was born in 1727 in Mataró, near Barcelona, into a family of artists. His father, Henri (Henri) Michon, of French origin, was a military musician as was his own father; His mother, Manuela Ferreira, possibly Portuguese, belonged to a family of comedians. In 1742 his father was assigned to the Royal Spanish Infantry Guards and moved to Madrid. Misón was then 15 years old. The training that made Misón an outstanding flute and oboe player must have been forged within his family. From 1747 he attended the royal functions organized by Carlo Broschi, Farinelli, in the Buen Retiro Coliseum and the Royal Site of Aranjuez, after having taken part as an oboe and flute player in the Royal Spanish Infantry Guards, as his son had done. father. In July 1748 he entered the Royal Chapel of Ferdinand VI as an oboe and flute musician by opposition, since “no one can compete with the superior skill that this subject has for the special execution of the flute, which he has recently acquired,” and “ […] He is also very intelligent in music and a composer.” Starting in 1757, his first theatrical compositions are documented (La fiesta chinesca, whose music has not been located) and his work as a composer of tunes for the Príncipe and de la Cruz theaters in Madrid, which would give him fame. . His skills as a flutist and composer earned him this inscription in a Christmas Comedy pamphlet of 1761, which included “the lyrics of all the tunes, whose meter and composition are from the inimitable, tasty, delicate Orpheo of this century, Don Luis Misón.” .

He belonged to the musical academies of Madrid and maintained a close relationship with the House of Alba. Luis Misón died in Madrid on February 13, 1766. Twenty years later, in 1789, he was still remembered, proof of this is the interpretation by the Julián brothers of a concerto of his for two flutes and orchestra at the Teatro de los Peral Pipes.