Granados: Album Of Melodies / Cardboard Soldiers / The Mermaid

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Cat No: 8557142

Release Date: 01 February 2005

Label: Naxos / Naxos Classics

Packaging Type: Jewel Case

No of Units: 1

Barcode: 747313214228

Genres: Classical

Composer/Series: GRANADOS

Description
Enrique Granados (1867-1916)Piano Music 8Enrique Granados was born on 27th July 1867 inLerida, near Barcelona. Son of an army captain, hebegan his study of the piano in 1879 and the followingyear he continued with Joan Baptista Pujol (1835-1898)at the Academia Pujol. Three years later he performedSchumann's Sonata, Opus 22, in an academy-sponsoredcompetition, for which one of the jury members was thenoted composer Felipe Pedrell (1841-1922). Thesixteen-year-old Granados won the competition andobviously impressed Pedrell, who began givingGranados classes in harmony and composition in 1884.In 1887 Granados went to Paris, where he studied withCharles de Beriot (1833-1914). He was highlyinfluenced by the latter's insistence on tone-productionand pedal technique. In addition, Beriot emphasizedimprovisation in his teaching, reinforcing his pupil'snatural ability in the skill. After returning to Barcelonain 1889, Granados published his Danzas espanolas,which brought him international recognition.In his lifetime Granados gave concerts in Spain,France and New York collaborating with conductorssuch as Isaac Albeniz and Pablo Casals, the violinistsEug?¿ne Ysa??e and Jacques Thibaud, pianistsMieczyslaw Horszowski and Camille Saint-Sa?½ns. Inaddition to his numerous piano works he composedchamber music, vocal music, operas, and symphonicpoems. He was also a fine teacher and in 1901 hefounded the Academia Granados, which produced suchnoted musicians as Paquita Madriguera, ConchitaBadia, and Frank Marshall.In 1912 Granados met the American pianist ErnestSchelling, who was the first pianist to performGranados's music outside Spain. Schelling arranged forhis works to be published in New York and encouragedGranados in his plans to convert the piano suiteGoyescas into an opera, later arranging for its premi?¿reat the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Terrified of theocean, Granados nevertheless sailed to New York forthe premi?¿re of the opera on 28th January 1916. Whilein the United States he performed numerous concerts,made piano-roll recordings, and also performed at theWhite House in Washington. He and his wife set sail forEurope via Liverpool, but while crossing the EnglishChannel on the British ship Sussex, their boat wastorpedoed by a German submarine and they bothperished.About the year 1912 Granados wrote: \My mottohas always been to renounce an easy success in order toachieve one that is true and lasting. Today he isuniversally recognised as one of Spain's most importantcomposers, with music that is multi-faceted, although itis essentially Romantic with some nationalistcharacteristics. He has been variously described as "theSpanish Chopin", "the last Romantic", and by hiscompatriots as "our Schubert", but no singlecharacterisation adequately describes his personality.He had a distinctive voice that is instantly recognisableand entirely his own.Granados was primarily influenced by midnineteenthcentury European Romanticism, especiallythe music of Schumann and
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