Remembering Daniel Montorio

Daniel Montorio Fajó was born on January 4, 1904 in Huesca, Aragon, Spain. Daniel had a hard childhood, full of misfortunes, as he came from a very poor family with five children to support and few resources. Daniel's father played guitar in Sertoriana Rondalla and it is believed it is here that Daniel started his musical vocation, although studies were few and far between because of the limited income of the house. Don Alejandro Crowns, a great professional musician, gave him his first lessons in music theory, which followed the piano, from which he studied various applications. Upon the death of his teacher, Mariano he continued his studies until his father died when he was fourteen in 1918.

 
As the eldest brother, Daniel must deal with the needs of the house, for several hard years. Thanks to the help and protection of Ramon Mayor, Daniel gets a Huesca Provincial pension of one hundred twenty five pesetas monthly for a year, to broaden his musical studies. When just eighteen, he goes to Madrid and Studies at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Here he received first place prizes in piano and harmony. He competes and wins a position in the Alabarderos Band in 1928.
 
Little by little he reveals in various performance pieces, which will add to a fruitful career as a composer, along with a life entirely devoted to his art. He compose ninety-five plays and composed music for over one hundred films. Among the plays should be noted “Una rubia peligrosa”, “Las noches de Montecarlo”, “Vampiresas 1940”, “Tabú”, “Una mujer imposible”, “Tentación”, “El conde de Manzanares” and “Luces de Madrid” among many others.
 
As a musician and film composer, Daniel Montorio is a remarkable figure, both for the variety of his compositions but for the importance of the films on which he worked. He participated in the silent films synced some Spanish film, but it was in the sound (in Spanish cinema of the 1930s), that his greater activity prevailed. He had an easy and brilliant melody, song lyrics that was added to black and white sound versions of silent films. He also composed the music for descriptive “Fermín Galán”, one of the first Spanish films of the 1930s. For Jean Grémillon Dolorosa, he made the adjustment and the addition of background music which led to great a success. Personal and bright is the score for “El negro que tenía el alma blancaa!” ( Benito Perojo ). He worked with Luis Buñuel between 1935-1936. He scored three Euro-westerns during his career “Dirty Gold” (1941), “Relevo para un pistolero” and “Shoot to Kill” both 1963.
 
Daniel Montorio died on March 24, 1982 in Madrid, Spain.
 
Today we remember the great Spanish composer on what would have been his 110^th birthday.