Vallcorba, the man who thought a library – Newspaper

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Jaume Vallcorba in his office Muntaner Street, in 2009.

I come to a head two anecdotes that can help understand the key role it has exercised Jaume Vallcorba in contemporary Catalan culture. The first is located in Venice, in an exhibition on the life and work of the first great editor of history, I raise Manutius. Vallcorba, with a ruler in hand, comes close to the windows of the first editions, willing to understand the soul and the work of master typographer Cinquecento, the guards have to warn him, followed by all the venues thinking it is a criminal. Years later, Cliff released in the capital of the Venetian work, Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, a Bible edition.

The second story tells of Quim Monzo, the author franchise of Quaderns Cream, which has not only been a key element in the consolidation of publishing but also intervened in his role as designer, born in the image of those quaderns were cream because that was the color of the first decks and as a tribute to the Brown and Blue of Wittgenstein and Grey Josep Pla. Well, the first year, Uf, va dir ell, of Monzo, sold 250 copies. The second, 12 Vallcorba not desist. It began in 1979 with Poesies, of Ausiàs March, and the poems The Preludi, of Antoni Marí. Then came the explosion of Monzo and two unexpected successes. i Tristany romanc of Isolde, of Joseph Bedier, and Catalan metrics, of Salvador Oliva

Special Instinct

“There are those who are dedicated to publishing books that the public already knows he wants” , left word Vallcorba, “and who offers the reader the books who does not know you will like. “ It was his philosophy, like Xavier Folch, independent publishers a key moment, the 80 And he drank of classical sources, such as Bennet Cerf, the founder of the original Random House. ‘Publish distinguished books even unprofitable “

Vallcorba, however, did both. Edit what the Italians call a joiello, or key texts in the history of the humanities (Montaigne, Zweig or Boswell, to name just three), or emerging literature values ​​(think Pàmies, in Miller, in Serés in Monteagudo); and make out over the bestseller list

Using three struts that were already in the original ideals of Quaderns Cream. classics afford them an edition for a contemporary reader , Catalan voices of influence in the field of test platform for new writers in the country.

Vallcorba had these virtues from an almost unhealthy obsession (if not, it would not be) by the neatness, by perfection. “I became obsessed,” said one day, ‘to use the true small capitals “ (a font), and was also concerned with the role, which was to have a PH neutral and ‘slightly off-white tones, so that the page does not have a light impact too sudden’ and ink ‘black, slightly recessed. “ And with the corrections (the memorable examples of Andreu Rossinyol) and sewing thread, it had to be vegetable, because ‘experiences contractions and expansions. “

The Legacy Vallcorba is this formal discipline and commitment to a cosmopolitan culture, a great library where the books edited talked among themselves to set up an intense debate, with nothing of frivolity, yet relaxed, playful, with a will, in noucentista and edgy, that this country was installed in a “remote province of the spirit.”

Vallcorba was a gentleman who combined the elegance of above (a before riddled with Provencal poets and men of Barcelona) with the perfume of the times. A comprehensive aristocrat, watch old and slope of modernity. Metidido in editing a medieval and attentive to the sparkling performance of a sedan text.

It is no coincidence that his academic career (the work of an editor is his catalog, but in this case, too, the scholarly works, as a university professor, heir Riquer) outside Junoy D’Ors and the troubadours and Chanson de Roland, through Dante and futuristic. Foix Not forgetting, of course, who edited the complete works.

This Renaissance Vallcorba-dressed with class wearing a dandy and the cunning of a dilettante who did business- quite fit with following lines of the poet Sarria: “I enfilar colls follow ombroses per Valls, / Win, rabent, Guals els. Oh, novell món !! / Em plau, També suau l’ombra d’un tell, / l’antic museu, Madones borroses them, / i extrem d’avui painting! Càndid Rampell “

Reviewing, today that is no longer (nor are they Josep Maria Castellet, Albert Manent, Modest Prats and Francesc Vallverdú Gerard Verges. Horrible year this 2014 to Catalan culture), go over, say, the catalog of Quaderns Cream or Cliff (clone Castilian, 1999) is an exercise of devotion, nostalgia and recognition. In the great work of Boswell on Life of Samuel Johnson (edited, of course, by Corbella), we can read these sepulchral verses: “It does not take Greek or Latin to exalt the memory of Johnson or to decorate your grave. “

Here, either. The recent National Culture Prize (the last award he received Vallcorba) recognized a critical path for us all, but suffice it to look at the shelves filled with beauty and wisdom. Kertész De Balzac, Simenon Pessoa or Chateaubriand, Trabal to Galmés or Jódar Julià. From Marti Riquer to Monzo. I let many. Each has its quadern cream available to rebuild a sentimental story. The best tribute is to return to the catalog. Reread, standing, thinking we are as we are, in large part thanks to the man who thought a library.