Description

The twelve Danzas españolas composed by this Spanish composer between 1890-95 represent a significant milestone in his early piano works. These pieces follow the tradition of character pieces by composers like Chopin and Schumann, yet they also exhibit a distinct, individual character by drawing from diverse regional dances across Spain. This is especially true of the fifth dance, "Andaluza," which quickly gained popularity thanks to its catchy, somewhat nostalgic melody. Though this piece was only given its evocative title posthumously, it has come to epitomize perceptions of southern Spanish music, even though the composer did not originally conceive of it under that name.