The Music of Spain —————— ‘Throughout its long and colorful history, Spain traditionally has been known as a gathering place for many cultures. Much of its music was influenced by the Moors, who were tolerant of other religions during their 700 years of rule. A melting pot of musical styles and traditions, Spanish music is unique when compared to the development of music throughout the rest of Europe. ‘Spanish music typically includes impressionistic-sounding harmonies and free rhapsodic Passages imitating the percussive effects of the guitar, as well as traditional dance idioms such as flamenco and Argentinean tango. Spanish keyboard music has been greatly influenced by the work of Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757), the Italian-born court composer to King Fernando of Spain whose keyboard sonatas so brilliantly depict Spanish dance forms and instrumental effects, ‘Two monumental works stand out as contemporary masterpieces of Spanish piano literature, They are the famous Iberia by Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909) and the Goyescas by Enrique Granados (1867-1916). These works have set the standard for contemporary Spanish piano music, Yet there are a number of lesser-known Spanish composers who contributed greatly to the piano literature of 19th and 20th century Spain. Most notably are Jesus Guridi (1886-1961), whose piano music captures the spirit and vitality of his Basque countrymer the Catalonian composer Federico Mompou (1893-1987), whose music is often melancholic soul; Joaquin Turina (1882-1949), with exquisite melodies reflecting the depth of his ow: a prolific Spanish composer whose guitar mu is now standard repertoire; the Barcelona composer Xavier Montsalvatge (1912-2002), whose works for the piano are noted for their quiet and childlike simplicities; and Joaquin Rodrigo (1901-1999), a Mexican composer who, despite blindness, composed the continually popular Concierto de Aranjuez (1939), for guitar and orchestra. Thope that my works in the Spanish style will inspi piano students to explore the rich tradi nn of Spanish keyboard music, and also serve to give them an opportunity to envision the colorful and dramatic picture-posteard miniatures found in my Danzas Gitanas-Spanish Gypsy Dances for solo piano. With best wishes, =f fe Rr FFI736