Album insights
Isaac Albéniz's early adventures in childhood have been described extensively, yet tracing his first years reliably poses a challenge due to his penchant for inventing tall tales. His musical journey began with piano lessons from his older sister Clementina, progressing swiftly enough for them to perform publicly when he was just four years old. Despite his enrollment in Madrid's Royal Conservatory in 1868, Albéniz, an unreliable student, never completed his formal education. By the age of eleven, he was already touring Spain and giving concerts, many of which were arranged through his father's Freemason contacts. Traveling with his father, who had been appointed to a government post in Havana, Albéniz ventured to the Caribbean in 1875.
Following successful performances in Puerto Rico and Cuba, Albéniz moved to Leipzig in May 1876 to study composition under Salomon Jadassohn and Carl Reinecke, although he discontinued his studies two months later. Upon returning briefly to Spain, he was awarded a scholarship by the royal family, facilitating his studies at the Brussels Conservatory. There, he studied piano under Louis Brassin. In his pursuit of a career as a virtuoso pianist, Albéniz sought lessons from Franz Liszt, as recounted in a fictional tale fabricated to elevate his standing in Spain.
In 1883, Albéniz began studying composition with Felipe Pedrell, a musician dedicated to exploring Spanish folk music for the development of a distinct national style. Around this time, Albéniz fell in love with Rosina Jordana Lagarriga, whom he soon married. Under Rosina's influence and Pedrell's inspiration, Albeniz started composing a series of works, mainly for solo piano, capturing the sounds and imagery of Spain. Among these works were his lone piano concerto titled Concierto fantástico and the Rapsodia española, both completed in 1887. Although he began work on a second piano concerto in E-flat major in 1892, he never finished it.
The Concierto fantástico, dedicated to his friend José Tragó, included influences from Schumann and Chopin, intertwining diverse themes and showcasing Albéniz's compositional flair. Its London premiere in 1890 and Paris performance in 1889 garnered widespread acclaim for its lyrical and dynamic qualities. The Rapsodia española, in contrast, drew direct inspiration from Spanish music, featuring various traditional dances and evoking the vibrant essence of Spain.
Albéniz's orchestral compositions posed challenges, leading him to seek assistance in orchestration from his friend Tomás Bretón for both the Concierto fantástico and the Rapsodia española. Bretón's orchestration of the concerto and the elusive history of different versions of the Rapsodia española highlight the complexities surrounding Albéniz's orchestral works. Spaniard Enrique Granados, another renowned pianist and composition student of Felipe Pedrell, shared a similar affinity for Spanish music through his compositions, notably Goyescas. Granados's Klavierkonzert fragments introduce a compelling narrative that Melani Mestre resurrected into a potentially complete work, shedding light on the depth of their musical legacies and unfinished masterpieces.