After losing his mother in 1953 and subsequently the death of a friend, Mompou began composing music that was more introspective than ever before. 《Musica Callada》 (Silent Music) was also composed during this period. The Spanish title “Musica Callada” is sometimes translated as 《Silent Music》. In the text accompanying the first volume, it is noted that the title is a quotation from the poem “La Musica Callada, la Soledad Sonora (Resounding Solitude, Silent Music)” by the poet San Juan de la Cruz.

This collection was composed between 1959 and 1967. Across four volumes (Volumes I to IV), it contains small pieces, each no longer than two pages, with nine pieces in Volume I, seven in Volume II, five in Volume III, and seven in Volume IV. Indeed, many of the pieces were not written for concert performance but rather as if they were monologues. Only Volume IV was dedicated to Larrocha.

X.

2/4 time, Lento – Cantabile. Atonal. Composed mostly of simple quarter and eighth notes, it is played with a slow, lumbering gait.

XI.

2/4 time. Allegretto. A piece with the drive and rhythm of a dance. The inserted Lento sections contrast with the surrounding parts in terms of brightness and tempo. Be mindful of the coherence created by the slurs.

XII.

2/4 time. Deep, dark, bell-like chords are striking. The sounds woven by sextuplets and arpeggiated chords, marked ppp, are fantastical and beautiful.

XIII.

2/2 time. Tranquilo – Très calme. A beautiful, serene melody evoking nostalgia, beneath which bell-like chords, though dissonant, resonate warmly. The subsequent energico section abruptly breaks this atmosphere, played with a disturbing intensity.

XIV.

2/4 time, Severo – Sérieux. From the outset, the music is constructed with two short phrases echoing a single long phrase. The dissonant yet ff chords resonate with a satisfying grandeur. In this piece, one should try not to fluctuate the tempo too much.

XV.

2/4 time, Lento – Plaintif. Over an accompaniment that consistently continues in syncopated form, a questioning melody in two voices is repeated many times. As if lamenting.

XVI.

2/4 time, Calme. Sextuplets repeat in a cyclical manner, creating a ripple-like sound. The middle section is Molto cantabile, poco lento. Here, one should focus on hearing the music polyphonically. The piece concludes by fading away at pppp.