Asturias from
the "Suite Española" for Piano Opus 47.
Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz was born in Camprodon,
Catalonia, on May 29 1860. He was a child prodigy who first
performed at the age of four.
At age seven he passed the entrance examination for piano
at the Paris Conservatoire, but he was refused admission for
his unruly behavior.
After going to the Madrid Conservatory, he ran away and became
a vagabond, making a living by playing.
By age fifteen, he had already given concerts worldwide. After
a short stay at the Leipzig conservatory, and with a pension
from King Alfonso XII of Spain, he entered the Brussels Conservatory
in 1876, graduating in 1879 with first prize in piano, which
was awarded unanimously.
 In
1880, he went to Budapest to study with Franz Liszt, only
to find out that Liszt was in Weimar, Germany.
He returned to Spain to establish himself as an accomplished
virtuoso; in addition he began to compose and conduct.
In 1883 he met the teacher and composer Felipe Pedrell, who
inspired him to write Spanish music such as the Suite Española,
Opus 47.
The Fifth Movement of Suite Española, Asturias (Leyenda)
is probably most famous these days in the classical guitar
world, even though it was composed for piano, and only later
transcribed to guitar by Francisco Tárrega.
During the 1890s Albéniz lived in London and Paris
and wrote mainly theatrical works. In 1900 started to suffer
from kidney disease and returned to the writing of piano music.
Between 1905 and 1909 he composed his most famous work, Iberia
(1906–1909), a suite of twelve piano 'impressions'.
Albéniz died in May 19, 1909 at age 48 in Cambo-les-Bains,
France, and is buried in the Cemeteri del Sudoest, Barcelona.
Classical Guitar Music
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