The nineteen-year-old Montserrat Torrent shines at the premiere of the organ of Sant Felip Neri

Miquel Iceta, Minister of Culture and Sports, and Natalia Garriga, ‘Councilor’ for Culture, have attended this Friday the blessing of the new organ of Sant Felip Neri. The church, filled to the brim less in the bank of authorities, had its most emotional moment came when Montserrat Torrent (Barcelona 1926), dean organist and promoter of this instrument for half a century, and performed two works. At 95 he performed the first concert after a speech where he thanked the organ builder Albert Blancafort his work. She also recalled all those who have supported her to finally see her dream come true: a baroque organ for Barcelona. “It is necessary that the effort does not give up to be able to have the complete organ next Christmas,” he said in a slightly different speech from the one that appeared on the program. You know, organists are masters of improvisation and variations. His speech ended with a meaning “Long live life and long live music!” and the audience stood up to applaud her.

The ovation when the first concert ended with the instrument baptized with his name that he offered below. He first interpreted the ‘Tiento XXXVI of half register of triple of tenth tone’ of Francisco Correa de Arauxo (1584-1654) and then the ‘Partita diverse sopra, Sei gegrüsset Jesu gütig’ by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). No one would say that they are 95 years old watching their hands and feet glide nimbly across keyboards.

Incense and screens

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Four screens located in the church made it possible not to lose any detail of his performance or of the blessing of the instrument by the archbishop of Barcelona, ​​Juan José Omella, made earlier, in which Juan de la Rubia responded with improvised invocations like this: “You , organ of Sant Felip Neri, which has emerged from the earth and the trees of nature and from the intelligence of the organ builder, get ready to sing to the Creator of all things “. An impressive ritual with incense included.

Other musicians also participated in the inauguration, such as the Sant Jordi Choir, directed by Oriol Castanyer, and Bernat Bailbé, veteran organist from Sant Felip Neri. The latter has been giving concerts in the parish for 20 years with another instrument. From now on you have the new Monsterrat Torrent organ that, even without being finished, sounds divine.