Isaac Albéniz: Iberia (for Solo piano & Orchestrated Version) & Other Piano Works

Featuring

Alicia de Larrocha
Manuel Rosenthal
Jean-Joël Barbier
Orchestre du Théâtre National de l'Opéra de Paris
Isaac Albéniz

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Composition History

After Albéniz's death, his widow requested Falla to interest Debussy or Ravel in orchestrating Iberia, but the task was eventually undertaken by Enrique Fernández Arbós, a Spanish conductor and friend of Albéniz.

Performer Biography

Alicia de Larrocha, the pianist on CD1, began her piano studies at age three and performed Mozart's 'Coronation' Concerto with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid at age 11.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Albéniz's musicologist compatriot, Felipe Pedrell, was a determining influence on his career, urging him to create music with a specific Spanish character.

Compositional Technique

The complexity of the piano technique in Iberia was so demanding that the composer, Albéniz, once considered destroying the pieces as unplayable.

Composer Biography

Isaac Albéniz, the composer, was a child prodigy who played piano in public at age four, passed the Paris Conservatoire entrance exam at six, and was touring at eight.

Performer Biography

Alicia de Larrocha, a Spanish pianist, is universally praised for her interpretations of Spanish composers like Albéniz and Granados, and has received numerous awards including three Grammy awards.

Compositional Technique

Albéniz's Suite Iberia is distinguished by its extraordinary complex piano technique, bold harmony, and occasional instrumental effects that imitate the guitar or castanets.