The Municipal Music School of Tudela has inaugurated an exhibition titled 'Fernando Remacha: between music and life' to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the institution. The exhibition opened on 23 October and will run until 13 November at the Palacio del Marqués de Huarte, a historic building that houses the town's archives and library.
This showcase highlights the life and career of Fernando Remacha, a prominent Navarrese composer who lived from 1898 to 1984 and was awarded the National Music Prize three times. The exhibition features a collection of photographs, letters, documents, and personal items related to Remacha, including family photos and images from various stages of his life, some taken by local photographer Nicolás Salinas.
Among the notable items on display are photographs from Remacha's time in Italy during the 1920s, a picture with filmmaker Luis Buñuel from 1957, and images of the Tudela Choir's performance in 1955. The exhibition also includes significant documents, such as a letter from Buñuel, for whom Remacha composed music, as well as correspondence from composers Carl Orff and Pedro Iturralde.
One of the exhibition's highlights is the presentation of the 1980 National Music Prize, which recognised Remacha's extensive contributions to music. The selection of materials was curated with the assistance of Rebeca Madurga Continente, a professor at the Superior Conservatory of Music in Pamplona.
Additionally, the exhibition features documentation from the Municipal Archive of Tudela, including Remacha's birth certificate and commemorative items related to a bust created by sculptor Antonio Loperena, which is displayed alongside Remacha's desk in the museum room of the palace.
Remacha's legacy is preserved across various institutions. His musical archive was acquired by the Government of Navarre in 1988 and deposited in the General Archive of Navarre in 2017. In December 2020, his daughter, Margarita Remacha González, donated additional documentation to the Royal and General Archive of Navarre. The City Council of Tudela also received a collection of materials and objects from Margarita and Fernando Remacha González in 2016, which includes 459 books and a piano.
The exhibition is organised by the Municipal Music School 'Fernando Remacha' in collaboration with the Municipal Archive of Tudela and the Archive of Music and Performing Arts of Navarre.
