Albenis, Isaac

At the age of four, young Isaac made his first public appearance in Barcelona , and at the age of ten he traveled with solo concerts all over Spain. He studied in Barcelona (E. Compta, H. Puchol - piano), Brussels (L. Brassen - piano, F. Gewart - composition), Budapest ( F. Liszt - piano in 1878-79), Madrid ( F. Pedrell - composition). Concerted in many countries of Europe , North and South America . He was close to the " generation 98 ".

In 1890 he left Spain and went to London, but in 1892 he returned. From 1893 or 1894 he lived in Paris . In 1897-1898, Isaac Albenis studied at the Schola Cantorum (second Paris Conservatory) with the greatest musicians of France - Vincent d'Andy , Gabriel Foret . Acquaintance with C. Debussy influenced his later works. Debussy praised the work of Albeniz: “Never before has music touched upon such a variety of impressions, so vivid that you want to close your eyes from the abundance of images, like from the bright sun.”

A turning point in the creative path was Albenis’s appeal to Spanish folklore - “gold placers of folk art,” according to the composer. In the last years of his life, he headed a new direction in Spanish music - the so-called Renacimiento .

Piano compositions (about 300 in total) are the best part of the composer's heritage. These works combine the traditions of folk song and dance genres of various regions of Spain (jota, segidilla , sortsico , malagenia, etc.) and musical classics. Among the most famous works: “The Spanish Suite” (1886), cycles of the plays “Spain” (1890), “Two Spanish Dances”, “Spanish Chants” (1892), “Iberia” (1905–09), “Navarra” (completed French composer Deoda de Severac), symphonic suite "Catalonia" (1899, completed only the first part). Among the other works of Albeniz: Zarzuela - "St. Anthony" (1894, the Apolo Theater, Madrid) and others; the opera Henry Clifford (1895, Liceo Theater, Barcelona), Pepita Jimenez (1896, Liseo Theater, Barcelona); romances and others

He died in 1909 from chronic nephritis ( English Bright's disease ). He was buried in the Montjuic cemetery ( Cat. Cementiri de Montjuïc ) in Barcelona.

Cecilia Sarkozy , the second wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy , is the composer's great-granddaughter.

• Opera
  • The Magic Opal (1893)
  • “ Henry Clifford ” (1895)
  • Pepita Jiménez (1896)
  • King Arthur Trilogy (Round Table) ( Le roi Arthus (La table ronde) ):
    • Merlin (1898-1902)
    • Lancelot (1902-1903, incomplete)
    • Guinevere (work on the opera has not been started)
• Music for piano:
  • 3 “ancient suites” ( Suites anciennes )
  • Spanish Suite No. 1 ( Suite española no. 1 , 1886). Includes 8 plays dedicated to various cities or regions of Spain: Granada , Catalonia ( Cataluña ), Seville ( Sevilla ), Cadiz ( Cádiz ), Asturias ( Asturias ) - used by the Doors group as an introduction to the composition "Spanish Caravan" ( Spanish Caravan ), Aragon ( Aragón ), Castile ( Castilla ) and Cuba ( Cuba ) (the island at that time still belonged to Spain).
  • Spanish Suite No. 2 ( Suite española no. 2 , 1889). Includes 2 plays: Zaragoza and Sevilla.
  • Iberia ( Iberia ). Suite of 12 piano pieces grouped in 4 notebooks:
    • 1st (1906): 1.Evocación (Recollection), 2.El Puerto (Port), 3.El Corpus Christi en Sevilla (Feast of the Body of Christ in Seville).
    • 2nd (1907): 1.Rondeña ( Rondeña ), 2.Almería ( Almeria ), 3.Triana (Triana - Gypsy quarter in Seville).
    • 3rd (1907): 1.El Albaicín (Albaicin - Gypsy Quarter in Granada), 2.El Polo ( Polo ), 3.Lavapiés (Lavapies - a suburb of Madrid).
    • 4th (1908): 1.Málaga ( Málaga ), 2.Jerez ( Jerez ), 3.Eritaña (Eritanya - the name of the vegetable marrow in Seville).
  • 12 characteristic pieces ( 12 piezas características , 1888).
  • Characteristic Suite ( Suite característica , 1889?)
  • Memories of the journey ( Recuerdos de viaje , 1886-1887), suite for piano. Includes 7 pieces: At Sea ( En el mar ), Legend ( Leyenda ), Alborada, or Morning Serenade ( Alborada ), In the Alhambra ( En la Alhambra ), Puerta de Tierra , Rustles La Caleta ( Rumores de la Caleta ), On the Seaside ( En la playa ).
  • 7 sonatas (2nd lost completely, 1st and 7th partially).
  • Navarra ( Navarra , completed by D. de Severac and published in 1912). Perhaps intended for the Iberia Suite.
• Zarzuela:
  • St. Anthony ( San Antonio de la Florida ) (1894).
• Compositions for orchestra (including with the participation of soloists):
  • Spanish Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra ( Rapsodia española para piano y orquesta ). There are authoring for 2 pianos and for piano solo.
  • Concert No. 1 for piano and orchestra Concierto fantástico . There is authoring for 2 pianos.
  • Concert No. 2 for piano and orchestra. Not finished.
  • Alhambra ( The Alhambra , 1896-1897), a symphonic poem. Incomplete.
• Not preserved:
  • Christ ( Cristo ), oratorio.
  • ¡Cuanto más viejo ...! , zarzuela.
  • Catalanes de Gracia , Zarzuela.
  • El canto de salvación , Zarzuela .

• Isaac Albenis: sheet music for international music score library project
• Complete publication in "Rhymes Becker" by Isaac Albenis
• Mallorca ( Shockwave ) BinAural Collaborative Hypertext
• Excerpts from "Rhymes Becker" by Isaac Albenis