SOUL OF SPAIN
España. The word itself may call to mind colourful images: silvery olive groves surrounding tranquil towns of white-washed houses, Gothic cathedrals surrounded by narrow cobblestone streets, the luminescent glow of evening in vibrant cities and the sparkling colours of the Mediterranean. Spain has one of the world’s richest cultures and Spanish composers have produced a vast archive of beautiful and important music which, for whatever reasons, has not received the attention such a musical treasure deserves.
Given today’s international travel with permanent and instant worldwide communication the question arises: is there still such a thing as ‘Spanish piano music’? Obviously, any piano music composed in Spain or written by a Spanish composer is unquestionably Spanish piano music. Yet many people still continue to regard the works of Isaac Albéniz, Enrique Granados and Manuel de Falla as those which define Spanish piano music similar to the way that the names of Debussy and Ravel dominate the French piano music. However, the reality in Spain, just as in France, is that there are numerous types of Spanish piano
