Juan Manén

Juan Manén (or Joan Manén; 14 March 1883 – 26 June 1971) was a Spanish violinist and composer, born in Barcelona. As a child, his progress in music was so rapid that his father exhibited him as a piano prodigy. Then, having studied the violin under Clemente Ibarguren, he debuted as a violinist, and met with such success that in Germany he was compared to his famous countryman Sarasate. Likewise he attracted much attention as a composer, not only in Spain, but perhaps to even a greater degree in Germany, where he resided at different times for protracted periods. His works comprise: the operas Giovanni di Napoli (1903), Der Fackeltanz (1909) and Neró i Acté (1928) with his own libretto; the symphonic poem Nova Catalonia; at least three violin concertos; “Fantasia - Sonata” for guitar; a suite for violin and piano; a piano quartet, a string quartet, and a number of exquisite miniatures for violin and orchestra. He also made a completion-cum-arrangement of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in C, which otherwise only survives in its first 259 measures. Life Joan Manén was born in Barcelona, Catalonia. Precociously gifted, he learnt solfège and piano with his father from the age of three, and