Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909) was a child prodigy who toured Spain and Cuba as a piano virtuoso in his early teens.
Performer Biography
Miguel Baselga, the pianist on this recording, previously recorded the complete piano works of Manuel de Falla in 1996, receiving excellent critical reception.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Albéniz aimed to create a Spanish national style in his solo piano works, combining Romantic harmony with Spanish rhythm and melody.
Compositional Technique
Several pieces in the Suite Espagnole, such as Asturias (Leyenda), imitate guitar techniques like the alternation of thumb and forefinger and percussive strumming (rasgueo).
Composition History
Albéniz's Suite Espagnole has a complex history; he never finished it, and later publishers inserted other pieces, adjusting their titles to match his original list.
Historical Context
Albéniz's Suites anciennes feature dances like the sarabande and chaconne, which were of Hispanic origin and initially known for their lasciviousness before acquiring courtly elegance in Europe.
Composer Biography
Albéniz's Sonata No. 4 is dedicated to his friend and patron Count Guillermo Morphy, who used his connections to facilitate Albéniz's studies in Brussels.
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