Rapsodia española, for piano & orchestra, Op. 70 (orchestrated by Enescu from original for piano): Allegretto - Andantino - Adagio - Lento - Allegretto non troppo - Allegretto - Andantino molto rite
The Magic Opal, comic opera in 2 acts (revised as "The Magic Ring", also "La sortija")
Piano Concerto in A minor, "Concierto fantástico" (orchestrated by Trayter; also arranged for 2 pianos), Op. 78
These works by Isaac Albéniz come from the period before the great breakthrough to a distinctively Spanish style that he achieved at the end of his life. With the exception of the suite from the comic opera The Magic Opal, they were orchestrated partly or completely by others. To a degree, the appeal lies in trying to hear how an audience of Albéniz's time found the music more surprising than we do today, but none of it is dull, and pianist Martin Roscoe, with the BBC Philharmonic under Juanjo Mena, touches on the Spanish ...
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These works by Isaac Albéniz come from the period before the great breakthrough to a distinctively Spanish style that he achieved at the end of his life. With the exception of the suite from the comic opera The Magic Opal, they were orchestrated partly or completely by others. To a degree, the appeal lies in trying to hear how an audience of Albéniz's time found the music more surprising than we do today, but none of it is dull, and pianist Martin Roscoe, with the BBC Philharmonic under Juanjo Mena, touches on the Spanish elements without belaboring the point. The Piano Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 78 ("Concierto fantástico"), is the least nationalistic work and follows the example of the Schumann concerto with which it shares its key. But sample the Rapsodia Española, Op. 70, orchestrated by George Enescu and turning into a sort of hybrid of the two composers' styles. This 13-minute work adds something entertaining to the piano-and-orchestra repertory. The Suite española represented an important...
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