The traditional Catalan Christmas song, 'El cant dels ocells' (Song of the Birds), became a symbol of Catalonia due to cellist Pablo Casals playing his arrangement at every recital during his exile from Francoist Spain.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Enrique Granados, a Catalan composer, expressed a cosmopolitan artistic vision, stating, 'I consider myself as much a Catalan as anyone, but in my music I want to express what I feel … be it Andalusian or Chinese'.
Composition History
Pablo de Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen (Gypsy Airs) was composed in 1878, conflating Romani gypsy music with Hungarian folk music, and was originally for violin and orchestra.
Instruments
Violinist Francisco Fullana performs on the 1735 'Mary Portman' ex-Kreisler Guarneri del Gesù violin, on loan from Clement and Karen Arrison through the Stradivari Society of Chicago.
Composer Biography
Pablo de Sarasate, a Basque violinist-composer, was praised by George Bernard Shaw for his playing and by Carl Flesch for his 'aesthetic moderation, euphony, and technical perfection'.
Composer Biography
Joaquín Turina, a Spanish composer and pianist, moved to Paris in 1905 to study with Vincent d'Indy at the Schola Cantorum.
Compositional Technique
Joaquín Turina's Violin Sonata No.2, 'Sonata española', uses Spanish folk music, including Andalusian and gypsy melodies, harmonised with techniques from Parisian experiments in tonality.
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Stravinsky: Divertimento, Suite Italienne & Duo Concertant
Raff, J.: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1, 3 and 4
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