222
See also: The Bartered Bride 206 ■ Pictures at an Exhibition 207 ■
Finlandia 220–221 ■ El sombrero de tres picos 223 ■ Appalachian Spring 286–287T
he piano suite Iberia
by Isaac Albéniz is a
collection of 12 solo pieces,
published in four cuadernos (books).
Influenced by his friend Claude
Debussy and the Impressionist art
movement, Albéniz called these
solo pieces “impressions”—each
seeks to evoke a different place or
aspect of life in Spain. The pieces
in the last two cuadernos are
challenging to play, inspired by the
virtuoso skills of Catalan pianist
Joaquim Malats, for whom Albéniz
wrote them. Nearly all of the pieces
in Iberia are inspired by Andalusia,
southern Spain, reflecting Albéniz’s
great love of the region. The single
exception is “Lavapiés,” which
echoes the joyful buzz of the Jewish
quarter of Madrid.Historical influences
In the mid-19th century, Spanish
music came alive after centuries
of domination by foreign sounds.
Romantic nationalism swept
across Europe after the Napoleonic
Wars; in Spain, this gave rise to
figures such as Francisco AsenjoBarbieri—a composer and critic
who helped to revive the native
opera tradition, the zarzuela.
Catalan composer Felipe Pedrell
also renewed interest in Spain’s
musical heritage, both in classical
and folk and dance music.
Inspired by Pedrell, Albéniz and
his contemporaries drew on the
rhythms of Spanish dances, such as
the northern jota and the fandango
and zapateado from the south, as
well as Arabic-inspired melodies
that evoked Spain’s history as
Al-Andalus, a Muslim land. ■IN CONTEXT
FOCUS
Nationalism in Spanish
musicBEFORE
1874 Francisco Asenjo
Barbieri’s El barberillo de
Lavapiés (“The little barber
of Lavapiés”) is his most
successful zarzuela (traditional
Spanish opera), a form he
played a key role in reviving.1890 Felipe Pedrell publishes
Por nuestra música (“For our
music”), in which he explores
Spain’s musical heritage.AFTER
1915 Manuel de Falla’s Noches
en los jardines de España
(Nights in the Gardens of
Spain) mingles French
modernism with inspiration
from Spanish folk music.1939 Joaquín Rodrigo’s
Concierto de Aranjuez evokes
the history of the former royal
summer palace of Aranjuez.SPANISH MUSIC
WITH A UNIVERSAL
ACCENT
IBERIA (1906–1908)
ISAAC ALBÉNIZ
[Albéniz represents] the
reincorporation of Spain into
the European musical world.
Joaquín Rodrigo
Virtuoso pianist (1901–1999)US_222-223_Albeniz_deFalla.indd 222 26/03/18 1:01 PM