Albeniz, I.: Complete Piano Music, Vol. 1

Featuring

Miguel Baselga
Isaac Albéniz

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Recording & Production

This album is the first in a seven-CD series dedicated to recording the complete piano music of Isaac Albéniz by Miguel Baselga.

Composer Biography

Isaac Albéniz was an infant prodigy who gave his first concert at the age of four and later studied with Antoine-François Marmontel in Paris.

Compositional Technique

Albéniz's Iberia Suite is considered a major work due to its advancements in instrumental technique, complex writing, and creative force, transcending mere picturesque Spanish themes into universal music.

Composer Biography

Albéniz led an adventurous life, including running away from home multiple times, playing concerts across Europe and the Americas, and even attempting to join a Benedictine monastery.

Composition History

Albéniz began composing Iberia in Nice in 1906, completing four books in two years, which were premiered by Blanche Selva.

Compositional Technique

Albéniz himself referred to the extreme difficulty of the Iberia Suite, which he intended for the Catalan pianist Joaquin Malats, though it was premiered by Blanche Selva.

Composer's Artistic Vision

A pivotal meeting with Felipe Pedrell, a musicologist, theoretician, and composer, convinced Albéniz to seek the sources of his creativity in native Spanish music.