Gerhard was one of the most visionary composers of the twentieth century drawing together ideas from science, philosophy, and the arts into an oeuvre that encompasses the folk song of his native Catalonia, to serialism and electronic music. The composer lived through some of the most tumultuous times in recent memory including the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War as an exile in England. This edited volume uniquely brings together specialists in Spanish cultural studies, exile, musicology, and analysis to explore how these events and the post-war cultural and political climate shaped Gerhard's life and work.

Marking the 125th anniversary of the birth of Roberto Gerhard, this work views the composer's life and oeuvre through the lens of the Spanish Civil War, exile, and cultural translation. Through these different threads, a new and more nuanced understanding of Gerhard and the political and cultural milieu that influenced his work emerges.