Isaac Albéniz (1860 - 1909) Spanish

      Isaac Albéniz  (Wikipedia article)

      A List of Albéniz's Compositions


Albéniz's Work:

While Albéniz composed operas, zarzeulas, numerous songs and a few orchestra works, he is 
primarily known for his piano music written in Spanish folk music idioms.  His composition 
technique and harmonic language has influenced aspiring younger composers such as Claude 
Debussy and Maurice Ravel.

One musicologist said of his music:

"Taking the guitar as his instrumental model, and drawing his inspiration largely from the 
peculiar traits of Andalusian folk music‍—‌but without using actual folk themes‍—‌Albéniz 
achieves a stabilization of Spanish traditional idioms that while thoroughly artistic, gives 
a captivating impression of spontaneous improvisation..."

"Córdoba is the piece that best represents the style of Albéniz in this period, with its hauntingly 
beautiful melody, set against the acrid dissonances of the plucked accompaniment imitating the 
notes of the Moorish guslas. Here is the heady scent of jasmines amid the swaying palm trees, 
the dream fantasy of an Andalusian "Arabian Nights" in which Albéniz loved to let his 
imagination dwell."

Albéniz was extremely important of raising the status of Spanish classical music throughout Europe.



Solo Piano:
  
    "Córdoba" from Cantos de España for piano, Op. 232, No. 4  (1892, rev.1898)  

                          Marija Popovic, piano  (4:50)



    Suite Española, Op. 47  (1886)

               1.  Granada 

               2.  Cataluña  -  Revital Hachamoff, piano  (2:20)

               3.  Sevilla 

               4.  Cádiz 

               5.  Asturias  -  Luis Fernando Pérez  (6:40)

               6.  Aragón   -  Revital Hachamoff, piano  -  (5:00)

               7.  Castilla 

               8.  Cuba 



    Iberia (in 4 books)  (1905-09)

              Book 1:

                        Evocación

                        El puerto  -  Primavera Shima, piano  (4:10)

                        Fête-Dieu à Séville  -  Félix Ardanaz, piano  (9:15)


               Book 2:

                        Rondeña

                        Almería
           
                        Triana


               Book 3:

                        El Albaicín  -  Chelsea Randall, piano  (7:15)

                        El polo        

                        Lavapiés


                Book 4:

                        Málaga

                        Jerez

                        Eritaña


Piano and Orchestra:

         Rapsodia española, Op. 70  (1886)  (10:30) 

                             la Orquesta Sinfónica y Coro de RTVE, dir Antoni Ros Marbá, Miguel Baselga, piano