Isaac
Albeniz (1860–1909) was a piano prodigy who was known for using Spanish
nationalism in his music. It is only fitting that we listen to his music during
our series on nationalism in music.
After studying at conservatory and dabbling in
composition, Isaac Albeniz found his musical voice after working with Felipe
Pedrell, who sparked Albeniz’s interest in nationalism and writing music
inspired by the folk tunes from his native country. Albeniz is primarily known
for his piano works, many whose melodies, harmonies, and rhythms find
inspiration in the sounds of Spain. One of his most famous works, Iberia, is a suite of twelve piano works
broken into four books. Written in the early twentieth century, Iberia is not necessarily meant to be
performed in its entirety, and may be played in any order the pianist prefers.
The work is known for its difficulty and since its conception, has been
orchestrated by various composers over the last century. Like many of Albeniz’s
works, Iberia draws from Spanish
influences. A piece in Book 1, for instance, is a musical portrait of Cadiz. A
selection in Book 3 depicts the gypsy quartet in Granada. Let’s listen to a
portion, “El Albaicin,” from Book 3.
It’s
interesting to note that, while Albeniz was born in Spain and quite
nationalistic, he actually spent the majority of his life living outside of his
native land.
Who
else can you think of who writes in a Spanish flavor? We’ll look at another
example next time!
