THEY DO NOT MAKE THEM LIKE ALBENIZ ANYMORE
Saturday, August 10, 2013 @ 9:36 AM
They don’t make them like that anymore. Isaac Albeniz is one of Spain’s most enduring musical composers. His Espana, Sevilla, Rapsodia Espanola, Granada, and so many of similar melody, conjure up images not just of Spain but sultry afternoons or sub-tropical evenings.
As so often happens the lives of composers are often as rich as is their music. This will give you pause for thought. Born in 1860 Isaac Albeniz was giving piano recitals to Barcelona audiences at the age of four.
As an eight-year old he was bored of school and travelled throughout Spain. The child, not yet ten years old and travelling solo, became nationally famous as a musician. He was eleven when he finally went home but he was soon on his travels again.
Picked up by the police in Cadiz he escaped when he slipped aboard a ship as a stowaway. The vessel was bound for Puerto Rico. The child then went merrily on his way. As a musician / composer he toured Cuba, Latin America and the United States. Later, having saved $2,000 the child returned to Europe.
Settling in Leipzig for just two months he returned to Spain. There he was granted a scholarship by the Spanish king. By his twentieth birthday he had travelled the world, met the Spanish king, formed a deep friendship with Franz Liszt, and then, after making a lousy investment Albeniz finally married and settled down.
They don’t make men like Albeniz anymore. How do today’s so-called musicians compare? Have you got a favourite Spaniard?
Mike quite_write@yahoo.co.uk