Transcript Isaac Albeniz

ISAAC ALBENIZ
By: Amelia Dawn Solis
ISAAC MANUEL FRANCISCO
ALBENIZ
Born: May 29th, 1860
Died: May 18th, 1909
BACKGROUND
•
Isaac Manuel Francisco Albeniz was
born on May 29, 1860 in
Camprodón, Gerona, located in
northeastern Spain.
•
Isaac first learned elements of
playing the piano when barely out of
the crib from his sister.
•
His first public performance was in
Barcelona at the young age of four!
•
He was forced to practice relentlessly
by his father who was a tax collector
determined to make him a prodigy.
THE YOUNG ALBENIZ
•
At age six, Isaac’s mother took him to Paris to study for
nine months with celebrated pedagogue and piano professor
at the Paris Conservatory, Antoine Francois Marmontel.
•
Although he passed all examinations to enroll in the
Conservatory brilliantly, he happened to smash a mirror
while playing ball, and was postponed admission two years!
•
His father had him returned to Spain, whereupon Isaac
gave many concerts and published his first composition,
“Marcha Militar”.
•
In 1868 he moved to Madrid and entered what is known
currently as the Royal Conservatory.
LEGENDS & ADVENTURE
•
•
•
Legend has it that the young Albeniz,
•
reading tales of Jules Verne and feeling the
Espãna, as a stowaway bound for Puerto Rico, but
enticement, became rebellious and ran away
was set ashore at the first port, Buenos Aires.
from home beginning a concert tour, “on
•
his own” all over Spain.
a series of concerts that made a great sum of money,
His most exciting adventure was being
letting him embark to Cuba at thirteen.
robbed by highwaymen on the road from
•
Zamora to Toro.
transferred to Havana.
Rumor has it that while in Cadiz, the
•
governor threatened to arrest him if he
authority, seeing that his son was independent and
didn’t return home to his father.
rich.
Panic stricken, Isaac embarked on the steamship
He lived as a vagrant until he had help organizing
By fate, his father(now a custom’s agent) was
Upon seeing Isaac, he relinquished his parental
TRUTH & REALITY
•
Isaac went on to New York, but his
•
It’s true, the young Albeniz did perform
money ran out, so he began working as a
in the New World in the Spring of 1875,
dock porter, and was said to be seen playing
giving a string of concerts in Puerto Rico.
in waterfront dives with the backs of his
•
fingers while facing away from the piano!
dates indicated, he most likely traveled with
•
his father.
He made enough money to go on to San
In all reality though, during the same
Francisco, and eventually pay his way back to
•
Europe.
his father’s scheduled departure from Cadiz,
•
due to a transfer, Albeniz gave a performance
As fun as these tales are, much debate
has arisen over certain facts.
The records show that the night before
in Cadiz.
TEENAGE STUDIES
•
At fifteen years, young Albeniz returned to Spain and seemed to go
through the change of child prodigy to more thoughtful composer
and artist.
•
He enrolled in 1876 at the Leipzig Conservatory in Germany, where
many great composers such as Schumann and Bach once lived.
•
Here, he studied composition with Salamon Jadassohn, and piano
with Louis Maas (both were students of Franz Liszt).
•
Due to lack of funds, lack of skill with the German language, and a
dislike of the rigorous disciplining by the teachers, Isaac only spent
two months before returning to Spain where he obtained a royal
stipend (sum of money) from Alfonzo XII for study at the Brussels
Conservatoire.
DREAM OF LISZT
•
In 1879 Albeniz graduated the Brussels Conservatory with first
place in piano.
•
As most people do, the young Albeniz had a dream. His dream was
to meet and study with the great pianist and composer, Franz Joseph
Liszt.
•
At the age of 20 he left Brussels for Budapest where he intended to
fulfill his dream, but was met with great disappointment.
•
There was a journal entry of Isaac’s mentioning meeting Liszt for a
day, but the dates are inconsistent with records found, indicating that
the entry was merely to placate his father who funded the excursion.
END OF BOHEMIANISM
•
1883 marks the year of a great turning point in Isaac’s life from rebellious child
to complete mature musician.
•
This is the year he began to take lessons(in truth, they were more like
conversations) from the “Father of Spanish Music,” Felipe Pedrell.
•
Albeniz was deeply impressed by Pedrell’s conviction of Spiritual Orientation,
and Spanish Nationalism in Music(the belief that Spanish composers should
write Spanish music).
•
It is also noted that this was the year that Isaac married his pupil, Rosita Jordana
whom he eventually had three children with.
INNER SANCTUM
•
His career peaked in Madrid during the years 1889-1892 where he
was established a piano teacher and virtuoso.
•
Albeniz settled his family in Paris where he became acquainted
with a group of “serious musicians,” men with “high ideals and
complete mastery of their medium.”
•
These men, Vincent d’Indy, Ernest Chausson, Charles Bordes,
and eventually Paul Dukas and Gabriel Fauré, were a musical
support group for each other (encouraging creativity, etc.)
Together they formed an “Inner Sanctum” at the Schola
Cantorum where Albeniz taught piano.
PACT OF FAUST
•
Pact of Faust means, “Deal with the
devil,” and in this story, gives insight to how
Albeniz felt during this point in his life.
•
Francis Burdett Money-Coutts, a wealthy
• This pact enabled Albeniz to live
out the rest of his life in comfort, but
also caused him great agony.
amateur poet and playwright, longed to have
• Together they created 3 Operas,
“his words set to music and stage.”
only one (Pepita Jimenez)of which
•
was considered even remotely a
He offered Albeniz a hefty salary to set
his dramas, and only his drama’s, to music.
success.
OPERAS
•
Many of Albeniz’ early stage works have been lost, or were never
finished, but there are a few noteworthy drama’s.
•
The Magic Opal was a comic opera and one of his first works,
created in 1883.
•
Henry Clifford was a historical romance written by Money-Coutts
written in 1895.
•
Pepita Jimenez was the most successful of his Opera’s created in
1896 with Money-Coutts.
•
Last was “Merlin”, the first of three Opera’s in a succession and
commissioned by Money-Coutts, but the only one to be completed.
PIECES
•
Albeniz turned out hundreds of piano pieces with
fluency in earlier years, and many more as a “serious
musician.”
•
Some of his most famous works were, Leyenda, Tango
in D, Chants d’Espagne, Córdoba, Granada, Sevilla, Cadiz,
La Vega, and Asturias.
•
Though many of his works have a Spanish feel to them,
it may be surprising to know that his music lacked any
Spanish influence until he was 23 and studying with the
great Pedrell.
BRIGHT’S DISEASE
•
Soon after 1900, Albeniz began
suffering from what was known as
“Bright’s Disease,” (a form of kidney
disease with several classifications.) It
eventually took his life.
•
During this time, he also went through
a great depression due to the fact that
his wife was suffering from a serious
illness, and one of his daughters died.
IBERIA
• Iberia was Albeniz’ final masterpiece written between 1905 and
1909 subtitled, “twelve new impressions.”
• These twelve piano pieces were divided up into four books and
thought of by many as his greatest works.
• Much of his inspiration for these songs came from Andalusian
music, and rhythmic dances called fandango (an animated Spanish or
Spanish-American dance in triple time.)
END OF LIFE
• In March 1909 Albeniz moved his
family to Cambo-les-Bains in the
French Pyrenees where he finally died
of his affliction on May 18, 1909.
• His body was moved to the
Southwest Churchyard in Barcelona
where he was buried.
PERSONALITY
• In his young years, we can definitely extrapolate that Albeniz was
wildly independent and always looking for adventurer.
• In his later years, he was described as “a kind and generous man
with a keen sense of humor, an extrovert who was loved and
respected by all who knew him”
GREATEST CONTRIBUTION
•
Albeniz took his generation into the next
century, especially with his latter works.
•
His musical melodies were able to spike
people’s attention for longer periods of time,
and so he was able to build longer, more
captivating pieces.
•
He really allowed the entire world to honor
Spanish music and let it bring them together.
ADVENTURE, ROMANTICISM,
AND A GOOD CIGAR!
ENDING IMPRESSIONS
I really was “impressed” by this daring composer. I related to his
strict background and therefore, his creative but rebellious nature. It is beautiful
to see how his life turned into a true virtuoso’s career despite his early vagrant
years. I respect that he was able to live his dream, and support himself at such a
young age, and that he eventually emerged into a truly ripened musician. I also
deeply respect his faithfulness to his wife and family. There is no mention of
infidelity or great corruption beyond his rockier youthful years. Albeniz is still
inspiration today mainly because his music will never die.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
•
Barulich, Frances M. "Isaac Albeniz." Mac
•
Asturias by Isaac Albeniz. Photograph. Music
McClure. Macmcclure.com, 26 Sept. 2001. Web. 17
Aloud. Musicaloud.com, 11 Sept. 2009. Web. 18 Sept.
Sept. 2011.
2011. <www.musicaloud.com/2009/09/11/a-song-
<ww.macmcclure.com/compositors/Albeniz/bio
a-day-asturias>.
eng.html>.
•
•
Chase, Gilbert. "Albeniz and Granados." The
Music of Spain. 2nd ed. New York: Dover
Publications, 1959. 150-49. Print.
•
Fineman, Yale. Alhambrismo. Rep. University
Isaac Albeniz. Photograph. Naxos. Naxos Digital
Services Ltd, 2011. Web. 19 Sept. 2011.
<www.naxos.com/person/Isaac_Albeniz/17616.ht
m>.
•
Isaac Albéniz Amb La Seva Filla. Photograph.
Enciclopedia.cat. Grup Enciclopedia Catalana, SAU,
of Maryland, 2004. Web. 16 Sept. 2011.
2011. Web. 19 Sept. 2011.
<www.lib.umd.edu/PAL/YALE/albeniz2.html>.
<www.enciclopedia.cat/fotoGran.htm>.