Tracing Isaac Albéniz's childhood proved complicated, as he was prone to fabricating stories and toured Spain from an early age, giving concerts. His sister Clementina gave him his first piano lessons, and he was already performing publicly at the age of four.[1][3] Although his formal training remained incomplete, he traveled throughout the Spanish countryside and played for Masonic ceremonies. After a trip to Cuba with his father, he continued his studies in Brussels and won a prize in a piano competition in 1879.
Albéniz longed to study with Franz Liszt, but this encounter never took place.[4] In his youth, he created imaginative narratives to enhance his reputation. His "Concierto fantástico" premiered in Madrid in 1887 and garnered acclaim in Paris and London as well. His Rapsodia española, heavily influenced by Spanish music, received much praise for its rhythmic innovations. Enrique Granados, another outstanding composer associated with Albéniz, was working on an unfinished piano concerto. A highly esteemed musician, Granados tragically died in 1916 while trying to save his wife during a shipwreck.