Guiem Soldevila's Brontë

A 'Mediterranean' CD for the Brontë Sistersv

by Maddalena De Leo

A new CD of melodies entitled ‘Brontë’ has been released (check the teaser here, also on Spotify), featuring lyrics based on twelve poems written by the Brontë sisters. The music was composed for the first time by a Mediterranean musician and composer, the Spaniard Guiem Soldevila, who has devoted himself to this work with love and dedication over the last year to express his admiration for these English authors. Soldevila, who arranged the piano, electric guitars, harp and percussion parts, with the addition of vocals, states in the back cover presentation that throughout the production of the CD he considered not only the sisters but also Reverend Patrick, Maria and Branwell as a second family.

The novelty of this album lies in the fact that, for the first time, three poems by Charlotte and three by Anne have been set to music, in addition to those by Emily, which had already been the subject of musical attention in the past with similar projects (see the Dutch group Anois in 2008 and the English group Unthanks in 2018).

Charlotte's poems are the well-known “On the Death of Emily Jane Brontë”, “On the Death of Anne Brontë” and the lesser-known “Speak of the North”. The latter, through intense and evocative vocal and instrumental accompaniment, transports the listener into the mysterious atmosphere of the moors that always provided the backdrop for the Brontës' novels and lives. From Anne's poems, Guiem Soldevila chose the three most significant: “If this be all”, “Night” and “Lines composed in a wood on a windy day”, managing in this case to convey and make tangible, with sweet notes and a vague Mediterranean rhythm, the delicate soul of the youngest of the Brontës. The six poems chosen by Emily are very different from those usually remembered: while “Fall, leaves fall” leads the way, concluding the CD with a reprise,  followed by “The night is darkening round me”, the other poems set to music, such as “She dried her tears”, “The Moonlight” and “At Castlewood”, are little known but no less fascinating. Particularly noteworthy are the cadenced rhythm and sweet melody of “Come Walk with me”, which beautifully underscores the magnificent lyrics.

The album, with its attention to detail, features a chromatic green image of a woman walking alone towards the woods, while the back cover offers a perfect imitation of the three authors autographs, reproduced in the style of their own pseudonyms.

The singer and composer will play his works live in  Ciutadella, Menorca on November 14:

Brontë

Guiem Soldevila

Teatre des Born

November 14, 20:30 h

Les germanes Brontë, per mèrits propis, ocupen un lloc destacat en la literatura de parla anglesa. Les seves novel·les van revolucionar la narrativa a l’Anglaterra del segle XIX i van transformar els límits d’expressió permesos per a les autores de l’època. La present obra del músic i cantant Guiem Soldevila ens brinda un viatge fascinant al cor de la poesia de les tres germanes, i conforma una experiència literària i musical única i inoblidable.

Veu, guitarres, piano i sintetitzador: Guiem Soldevila

Veu: Clara Gorrias

Contrabaix: Lluís Gener

Violoncel: Pau Cardona

Arpa: Elena Armenteros

Bateria i percussions: Andreu Marquès

Dansa: Gêliah

Duduk: Pep Eroles

So: Eduard Florit

The release of the album is also in the local news. The music of Guiem Soldevila also appears prominently in the latest video by The Brontë Sisters UK.