Spanish Composer Xavier Montsalvatge passed away this past May 7th (nothing like up to date news from good old AOL!) at the age on 90.

Here is the article:

MADRID, Spain (AP)- Xavier Montsalvatge, an eclectic composter whose works ranged from opera to folk tunes and was considered one of the leading figures of 20th-Century Spanish music, has died at the age of 90.

Montsalvatge died May 7 of emphysema at his home in Barcelona.

Born into a family of bankers, Montsalvatge entered the world of music after receiving a violin as a Christmas present at age 8.

He began to study music but as a young man realized that he lacked the talent to become a concert violinist, and turned instead to composition.

His most famous works include a set of vocal pieces with piano accompaniment-Cinco Canciones Negras, or Five Black Songs. They are about Cuba, and feature an exotic rhythm that reflects Montsalvatge's fondness for the sounds of the West Indies. Written in 1945, they earned Montsalvatge international fame.

For all his creation- he wrote more than 100 songs- Montsalvatge believed his role as a composer was secondary. "In music, the performer is more important than the author," the newspaper El Mundo quoted him as saying.

"That's the advice I always give young people. If they want their music to be played, as they write they should think about the performers. If there is no performer, music is just writing on paper."

Montsalvatge is survived by his wife, Elena, daughter Yvette and son Xavier.

End Article.

Sorry to bring such sad news, but lets all raise a toast to this man!