Albéniz: Suite española No. 1, Op. 47

Isaac Albeniz (1860-1909), along with de Falla and Granados, is considered to be not only one of Spain’s leading composers, but one of the founding fathers of modern Spanish music. He began his musical career as a virtuoso pianist, producing a concerto that shows the influence of Liszt, and many short brilliant display pieces.

He studied at the Leipzig Conservatory, and looked set to become a pianist composer in the central European tradition – until he met and studied with Felipe Pedrell (1841 -1922) who awakened in him an interest in traditional Spanish music.

Albeniz combined his mastery of classical form gained from his studies in Germany with the colour and honest simplicity of folk music to create his unique form of what can be considered very high quality salon music for guitar.

The two works on this CD consist in their original form of eight and five movements respectively of characteristic, picturesque miniatures of high skill and great charm. It has become the norm for guitarists to create their own ‘favourite’ selection from such suites to form their own arrangement, which is what Giuseppe Feola has done.

Reviews of this talented pianist use terms such as ‘sublime musicality’, ‘poetic elegance’ and ‘technical brilliance’. She is an international artist and has appeared as soloist with many orchestras. These works by Albeniz are deservedly famous. They are derivative yet totally original.

The name of Alicia de Larrocha is synonymous with Spanish music and her substantial and wide-ranging discography for Decca includes several recordings of music by Albéniz and Granados which are regarded as definitive. Larrocha first recorded Iberia for Decca in 1972 and revisited the work in 1986. It is this second, multi award-winning recording which now appears in Decca "Originals", and for the first time at mid-price.