Morales, Lux aeterna The renowned early music scholar Gustav Reese called Cristóbal de Morales (1500-1553) the “first great Spanish master of the Late Renaissance.” Where does that fit with our discussion a few weeks back about Juan de Anchieta (1462-1523)? Morales belonged to the generation … Read more
Anchieta, Bone Jesu The composer Juan de Anchieta (c. 1462-1523) served in the court of Ferdinand and Isabella in one of the most dynamic periods of Spanish history. In 1469, Ferdinand II of Aragon (1452-1516) married Isabella I of Castile (1451-1504), uniting Catholic Spain after … Read more
Granados, Intermezzo from Goyescas This intermezzo by Enrique Granados (1867-1916) comes from his 1915 opera Goysecas. It has become a popular concert piece for piano and for piano and cello. The opera is in the form of a Zarzuela, which developed initially as a Baroque-era … Read more
Sarasate, Zigeunerweisen Pablo de Sarasate (1844-1908) was one of the premier violin virtuosos of his day. He wrote approximately 50 compositions, all for the violin. Most of these fall into the category of virtuosic showpieces. The most famous of these are his Carmen Fantasy and … Read more
Albéniz, Asturias You may recall my post a couple of years ago on Francisco Tárrega. A prominent composer for classical guitar, he ran away at age 10 to play in restaurants and again at age 13 to join a band of gypsies. Tárrega had nothing on … Read more
Tárrega, Recuerdos de la Alhambra Francisco Tárrega (1852-1909), considered the “father of the classical guitar,” is best known for his Recuerdos de la Alhambra (Memories of Alhambra) written in 1896. My travels in Spain have not taken me to Alhambra yet, but it appears to be a rather … Read more
Manuel de Falla: La Vida Breve (Danza Española No. 1) We frequently hear about starving composers, but here’s a composer with his own currency. Manuel de Falla (1876-1946) often ranks as Spain’s most important 20th-Century composer. His one-act opera La Vida Breva features a lot of … Read more
