But together with this impressive work of creative maturity, we may find a whole series of works for piano...which, from his first compositions in 1880, show us the zigzag path that –from the stylistic point of view– Albéniz cultivated until the composition of the aforementioned Iberia. These works have been rarely recorded on disk; in them, we may discover some ways of composing that are formally contrasted but always with constant sparkles of his personal creation.

Most of the works that we present on this CD were composed during his long stay in Paris and have been chronologically arranged. The waltz Champagne (Carte-blanche) refers to the wellknown sparkling drink. Written in 1888, it seems to have been composed as the beginning of a series of dances (it was published in Madrid as nr 1 in a “cotillón” [cotillion]) that finally was not to be completed.

L’Automme (autumn) was written the next year and is also a waltz, or, so to say, a composition with a waltz rhythm, quite long for this type of piece. In a neo-romantic style, it was edited the same year by the publishing company of the wellknown (in those years) pianist and composer Joan Baptista Pujol (1835-1898) (some sources also mention the latter as his teacher). Later on, Albéniz himself orchestrated this work...

With Ręves (dreams), composed in 1891, the romantic spirit turns into a more intimate and impressionist style; it seems as if we are beginning to hear a “pre-Mompou”. It is a collection of three pieces; the first one is a lullaby, the second one a scherzino and the third one, entitled Chant d’amour (love song), contrasts with the first two ones given its greater expressiveness, in which the composer gets the most out of his most passionate vein.

The following series of works for piano on this CD is made up of four miniatures, each devoted to a season of the year. They continue with the impressionist style that we found in Ręves (in fact, it was composed the following year). Primavera (spring) appears to be full of gaiety and optimistic: the birth of the year. Verano (summer) seems to convey to us a maritime air (waves, water…), although, obviously, it is a very subjective impression. With Otońo (autumn) we return to the intimate atmosphere (leaves falling from trees, wind sweeping them away); finally, we may listen to Invierno (winter) that seems to present a landscape with snow falling.

This CD concludes with the work Espagne (souvenirs). It is the work that gets the closest – in spirit and date (it was written in 1897)– to the Suite Iberia. It includes two pieces: Preludio and Asturias. In this work we may still see more clearly the intimate expression that reminds us of the compositions (20 years later) by Frederic Mompou (1893-1987), but here the similitude appears to be much closer. In it we may already find the genuine Albéniz who is able to paint the landscapes with his delicate and original harmonies, full of colour."

Roger Altisent
English translation: Beatrice Krayenbühl
album liner notes