Suite española, Op. 47 (Albéniz)
Encyclopedia
Isaac Albéniz
’s Suite española, Op. 47, is a suite for solo piano
. It is mainly composed of works written in 1886 which were grouped together in 1887, in honour of the Queen of Spain. Like many of Albeniz’s works for the piano, these pieces depict different regions and musical styles in Spain
.
).
The four pieces that Hofmeister added do not exactly reflect the geographical region to which they refer. A clear example of this is Asturias (Leyenda), whose Andalusia
n Flamenco
rhythms have little to do with the Atlantic region of Asturias
. Opus 47, the number assigned by Hofmeister, does not have any chronological relation to any of Albéniz’s other works, since the opus numbers of the pieces were randomly assigned by publishers and Albéniz himself. Despite the spurious nature of the Suite española, however, it has become one of the most performed of Albéniz's piano works, a favorite of both pianists and audiences.
in Andalusia there is a Serenata, from Catalonia
a Curranda or Courante, from Sevilla a Sevillanas and from Cuba
(which was still part of Spain in the 1880s) a Notturno in the style of a habanera
, from Castile
a Seguidillas, from Aragon
a Fantasia in the style of a jota
, and from Cadiz
a Saeta. This last example, like Asturias (Leyenda), is geographically inaccurate.
The suite has been orchestrated by other hands, including a well-known version by Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
. Arrangements of individual works and indeed the entire suite are often played in concert by classical guitarists.
In fact, "Granada", "Sevilla", "Cadiz" and "Asturias" are more often heard on guitar than in their original piano versions; all four have been staples of the guitar literature since early in the 20th century. "Cataluña" and "Cuba" became solo guitar staples in the 1980s. The remaining pieces, "Aragón" and "Castilla," have been transcribed for guitar solo but are more often heard in multiple-guitar transcriptions.
Isaac Albéniz
Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz y Pascual was a Spanish Catalan pianist and composer best known for his piano works based on folk music idioms .-Life:Born in Camprodon, province of Girona, to Ángel Albéniz and his wife Dolors Pascual, Albéniz...
’s Suite española, Op. 47, is a suite for solo piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. It is mainly composed of works written in 1886 which were grouped together in 1887, in honour of the Queen of Spain. Like many of Albeniz’s works for the piano, these pieces depict different regions and musical styles in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Origins of the suite
The work originally consisted of four pieces: Granada, Cataluña, Seville and Cuba. The editor Hofmeister republished the Suite española in 1912, after Albéniz's death, but added Cádiz, Asturias, Aragón and Castile. The other pieces had been published in other editions and sometimes with different titles (Asturias was originally the prelude from the suite Chants d'EspagneChants d'Espagne
Chants d'Espagne op. 232, is a suite of three, then five parts pieces for the piano by Isaac Albéniz. Prélude, Orientale and Sous le palmier were published in 1892, the pieces Córdoba and Seguidillas were added in the 1898 edition.-1...
).
The four pieces that Hofmeister added do not exactly reflect the geographical region to which they refer. A clear example of this is Asturias (Leyenda), whose Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
n Flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
rhythms have little to do with the Atlantic region of Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
. Opus 47, the number assigned by Hofmeister, does not have any chronological relation to any of Albéniz’s other works, since the opus numbers of the pieces were randomly assigned by publishers and Albéniz himself. Despite the spurious nature of the Suite española, however, it has become one of the most performed of Albéniz's piano works, a favorite of both pianists and audiences.
The music
In these works the first title refers to the geographical region portrayed, and the title in parentheses is the musical form or dance from that region. From GranadaGranada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
in Andalusia there is a Serenata, from Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
a Curranda or Courante, from Sevilla a Sevillanas and from Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
(which was still part of Spain in the 1880s) a Notturno in the style of a habanera
Habanera
Habanera may refer to:*"Habanera" , an aria from Bizet's Carmen*Habanera , a 1984 Cuban film*La Habanera , a 1937 German movie...
, from Castile
Castile (historical region)
A former kingdom, Castile gradually merged with its neighbours to become the Crown of Castile and later the Kingdom of Spain when united with the Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Navarre...
a Seguidillas, from Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
a Fantasia in the style of a jota
Jota
Jota may refer to:*the name of J, the tenth letter of the Spanish alphabet and Portuguese alphabet*Jota , a type of Spanish music and dance*Jota, a bean-sauerkraut soup of Slovenian/Croatian origin*Laverda Jota, a motorcycle...
, and from Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
a Saeta. This last example, like Asturias (Leyenda), is geographically inaccurate.
Pieces
In the works constituting the Suite española, the first title makes reference to the region that each piece represents and the subtitle in brackets indicates the musical form of the dance of the region.- Granada (SerenadeSerenadeIn music, a serenade is a musical composition, and/or performance, in someone's honor. Serenades are typically calm, light music.The word Serenade is derived from the Italian word sereno, which means calm....
) - Cataluña (CouranteCouranteThe courante, corrente, coranto and corant are some of the names given to a family of triple metre dances from the late Renaissance and the Baroque era....
) - Sevilla (SevillanasSevillanasSevillanas are a type of folk music, sung and written in Seville in Spain. Historically, they are a derivative of Castilian folk music . They have a relatively limited musical pattern, but rich lyrics, based on country side life, virgins, towns, neighborhoods, pilgrimage, and love themes...
) - Cádiz (SaetaSaeta (flamenco)The Saeta is a revered Spanish religious song, whose form and style have evolved over many centuries. They evoke strong emotion and are sung most often during public processions.-Performance:...
) - Asturias (Leyenda)
- Aragón (FantasíaFantasia (music)The fantasia is a musical composition with its roots in the art of improvisation. Because of this, it seldom approximates the textbook rules of any strict musical form ....
) - Castilla (SeguidillaSeguidillaThe seguidilla is a quick, triple-time old Castillian folksong and dance form. The song is generally in the major key and often begins on an off-beat...
) - Cuba (Nocturno)
The suite has been orchestrated by other hands, including a well-known version by Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos is a Spanish conductor and composer.Frühbeck studied violin, piano, and composition at the conservatories of Bilbao and Madrid...
. Arrangements of individual works and indeed the entire suite are often played in concert by classical guitarists.
In fact, "Granada", "Sevilla", "Cadiz" and "Asturias" are more often heard on guitar than in their original piano versions; all four have been staples of the guitar literature since early in the 20th century. "Cataluña" and "Cuba" became solo guitar staples in the 1980s. The remaining pieces, "Aragón" and "Castilla," have been transcribed for guitar solo but are more often heard in multiple-guitar transcriptions.
Media
External links
- A free copy of the Suite can be downloaded from the International Music Score Library ProjectInternational Music Score Library ProjectThe International Music Score Library Project , also known as the Petrucci Music Library after publisher Ottaviano Petrucci, is a project for the creation of a virtual library of public domain music scores, based on the wiki principle...
. - Variations of Asturias by Carolina García and Pedro Gan
- Asturias by Edgardo Roffé
- Granada by Paulo López
- Seville by Edgardo Roffé