Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz y Pascual was born in Camprodón (Gerona) in 1860. He debuted as a soloist at the age of four at the Romea Theatre in Barcelona. His crowning work is the Iberia Suite (1896), a late, extremely technically complex work which place him in the vanguard of the 20th century. He was able to combine elements of European music with Andalusian musical language and the best Catalan folklore. A piano virtuoso, an instrument he dedicated the best of his compositional creativity to, he also wrote many lyrical works such as the opera Pepita Jiménez (1895), a favourite of the composer. His meeting with Felipe Pedrell was key to the development of his highly personal style. He died in Cambo-les-Bains (France) in May 1909.
Awards
Légion d’honneur of the French Republic
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Iberia
This suite for piano is one of the highest points in composer Isaac Albéniz’s career, as well as for piano composition in the history of music.
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Other highlighted works
- Pepita Jiménez
- Spanish suite I
- Spanish suite II