Iberia

The 12 pieces for solo piano comprising Isaac Albéniz’ Iberia were written between 1905 and 1908. Divided into four books and spanning 80 minutes in total, they triumphantly meld elements of French Impressionism with his deep affection for Spanish music and culture. “Evocación” opens the collection in a dreamily evocative fashion, but Albéniz’ sense of place soon sharpens in the bubbling “El Puerto”, depicting the southern port of Santa María at festival time. “Triana” exudes a strong flamenco influence, the clack of castanets and swaying of dancers clearly discernible in Albéniz’ flamboyantly rhythmic music. Traces of singing and guitar playing echo through the melancholically tinged “Jerez”, the Andalusian city renowned for making sherry. Iberia concludes with “Eritaña”, an inn on the outskirts of Seville where a party is evidently in progress. High-spirited and intensely Spanish in flavour, it crowns Albéniz’ dazzlingly colourful panorama of his native country.