Juan Manén

Juan Manén (or Catalan: Joan Manén, 14 May 1883 – 26 June 1971) was a Spanish violinist and composer, born in Barcelona.

His progress in music was so rapid that his father exhibited him as a piano prodigy. Having studied the violin under Clemente Ibarguren, he suddenly appeared 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.