Càndid

Càndid Candi Casanovas

Cándido Candi Casanova

Castelló d'Empúries , 4 February 1844
Barcelona , 15 August 1911

Composer and Performer

Composer and organist

He started his studies with Josep Anglada and Jaume-Joan Lles. In 1859 he moved to Barcelona to study with Bonaventura Frígola and Bernat Calvó Puig. From 1864 he was appointed organist at Sant Just i Pastor, and later Kapellmeister of the monastery of Santa Clara (1872) and the parish of Sant Jaume (1887). In 1907, he retired to a convent. He composed a large number of religious compositions and some sardanes such as Records de l'Empordà (1888), composed for Barcelona's World Fair. He set to music many poems by Jacint Verdaguer - such as the famous La Barretina - and, together with Verdaguer, they produced Càntics religiosos per al poble, a collection that was in use for half a century. He also notated the melodies of the first volume of Cansons de la terra by Francesc Pelai Briz, which was awarded a price in Vienna in 1873. He was a central figure in the modernization of Catalan liturgical music.