ISSAC ALBÉNIZ: SUITE ESPAÑOLA NO. 1 & NO.2

Isaac Albéniz’s Suite Espanola No. 1 and No. 2 provides a depiction of Spain through ten brief piano pieces that represent areas such Aragon, Granada and Seville. Their pleasant, simple melodies call to mind Spanish folk music. Although the pieces are brief, each contains a unique character and could easily stand on its own. In her article on Albéniz in the Grove Music Dictionary, Frances Barulich gives insight into the style and importance of Albéniz:
Albéniz, one of Spain’s foremost musicians, not only contributed to the rebirth of Spanish nationalism but also gained international recognition for Spanish music . . . Albéniz preferred to suggest, rather than quote, rhythms and melodic elements to evoke the Spanish landscape. (Grove Music Online S.v. “Albéniz, Isaac”).

In his book Isaac Albéniz: Portrait of a Romantic, Walter Clark points out Albéniz not only influenced other Spanish composers such as Manuel de Falla, but that he also influenced “composers such as Claude Debussy, Gabriel Fauré, and, later, Olivier Messiaen and Pierre Boulez” (p. 5). Albéniz’s unique position in music history makes his music worthy of study.
Many of the pieces in these suites share common stylistic features. One of the most prevalent features is the use of an ostinato. This usually appeared in the left hand while the right hand played the melody such as the chromatic ostinato in “Cataluna (Corronda).” One of my favorite appearances of an ostinato pattern was in “Castilla (Seguidillas),” where the galloping ostinato in the left hand is repeatedly interrupted by insistent accented chords in the right hand, forming something of a conversation or maybe a war between the two voices. Spanish dance rhythms play a prominent role in the majority of these pieces (Walter Clark, Issac Albéniz: Portrait of a Romantic, p. 65). Clark writes:
The suite contains the ever-popular ‘Sevilla (Sevillana),’ which employs the spirited rhythms of the sevillanas (a light-hearted song and dance performed during the summer feria in Seville) in the A section as well as a stirringly lyrical and animated copla in the B section, interspersed with motivic reminiscences of the A section. (Isaac Albéniz: Portrait of a Romantic, p. 68).

Another common feature is the dominance of melody and lack of virtuosity. I was surprised at the simplicity of many of these pieces. Albéniz emphasizes beautiful, flowing melodies usually in the right hand and sometimes doubled in octaves. The left hand material tends to be relatively modest with any chords, arpeggios, accented downbeats, or ostinati serving as secondary material to embellish and accentuate the main melody. “Granada (Serenata)” and “Cuba (Capricho)” are two good examples of these flowing, mellow, melodic lines.
I noticed many similarities in form among all the pieces. Most of them open with a two to four bar introduction before launching into the main melody and are in some version of ternary form. I found that Albéniz was fond of ending A sections rests or dramatic fermatas before starting the B section. The B sections tended to contrast with the A sections and were more free in tempo than the A sections in the Naxos recording (catalog no. 8.554211-12) that I listened to. This gave them a more cadenza-like quality such as the beginning of the B section in “Sevilla (Sevillanas).” Sometimes there was an increased level of virtuosity as well. In order generate contrast, Albéniz usually changed to a minor key in the B section, as in “Granada (Serenata),” “Sevilla (Sevillanas),” “Asturias (Leyenda),” “Castilla (Seguidillas),” and “Cuba (Capricho).” Walter Clark discusses how Albéniz used the Aeolian and Mixolydian modes in the B section of “Granada” to evoke Moorish vocal music (Isaac Albéniz: Portrait of a Romantic, p.67). Occasionally, there seem to be smaller sub sections within the B sections before the return of the A theme. Once the A theme returned, it was usually repeated in full before the conclusion, which could either be loud, with an exciting chordal finish, or soft, with an understated finish that faded away.
The second suite contained only two pieces which had some differences from the pieces in first. Both pieces in the second suite called for a higher level of virtuosity than had been used in the first suite, each making use of running triplet or sextuplet rhythms. The opening piece titled “Zaragoza,” contained a chromatic ostinato and a passionate melody doubled in octaves in the right hand. The final piece, titled “Sevilla,” was interesting because it was the only piece in the suite that was in rondo form. Albéniz made effective textural contrasts by juxtaposing a rollicking, driving, triplet reprise with darker, more cadenza-like episodes.
I found the pieces on this recording pleasant, but slightly bland. I expected them to be more virtuosic and exciting and was a little surprised by how simple and mellow they were. After a while, it became rather predictable to listen to them because their form and texture was so similar. However, just because they did not live up to my expectations does not mean that they are not worth listening to. With their simple yet beautiful melodies, colorful ostinato figures, and straightforward form, they would be a welcome contrast to standard piano works of Schumann, Liszt, and Chopin that often get performed on recitals. The different local colors of Spain that are apparent within each piece add an additional layer of interest. Although they can not compete with the works of these giants in terms of virtuosity, structure, or depth, the pieces from Suite Española No. 1 & No. 2 provide simplicity and playfulness that make for pleasant light listening, even if they do not quite deserve a place within the Canon.