# Recommend me some further Spanish composers or Spanish flavoured pieces please!



## FPwtc (Dec 3, 2014)

God it has been a while since I posted on here, shame as I always get such great info on here. Anyway I have been exploring some of the most obvious Spanish composers like De Falla, Rodrigo and Albéniz. I was influenced to check them out after enjoying jazz works like The Individualism of Gil Evan, Ole Coltrane and Sketches of Spain which are influenced by their work. I most enjoy the darker works by De Falla and I am interested in some recommendations of other Spanish composers I may enjoy?

Also as a side note any other classical pieces, not necessarily by Spanish composers, which feature a strong Spanish flavour would be welcome!

Thanks


----------



## pokeefe0001 (Jan 15, 2017)

It's hard to recommend without knowing what characteristics of the music appeal. There are many Spanish-influenced pieces by non-Spanish composers throughout history: Boccherini, Rimsky-Korsakov, Lizst, Ravel, Debussy and many others wrote pieces with Spanis influence. But you might try listening to some Latin- and South-American composers. If you are into (very approachable) 20th century music with Spanish influence, give a listen to some of Alberto Ginastera's works.


----------



## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Joaquin Turina is among my favorite Spanish composers, especially his chamber music.


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

This fairly recent thread should help:

I love de Falla's "Nights in Gardens of Spain"; who else has a Spanish influence?


----------



## FPwtc (Dec 3, 2014)

pokeefe0001 said:


> It's hard to recommend without knowing what characteristics of the music appeal. There are many Spanish-influenced pieces by non-Spanish composers throughout history: Boccherini, Rimsky-Korsakov, Lizst, Ravel, Debussy and many others wrote pieces with Spanis influence. But you might try listening to some Latin- and South-American composers. If you are into (very approachable) 20th century music with Spanish influence, give a listen to some of Alberto Ginastera's works.


I love Alberto Ginastera! I also enjoy Ravel and Debussy's Spanish influenced works. I can't really put into words what I like but the darker music is more appealing.


----------



## FPwtc (Dec 3, 2014)

Strange Magic said:


> This fairly recent thread should help:
> 
> I love de Falla's "Nights in Gardens of Spain"; who else has a Spanish influence?


Brilliant thanks, will check this out.


----------



## FPwtc (Dec 3, 2014)

Weston said:


> Joaquin Turina is among my favorite Spanish composers, especially his chamber music.


This is very interesting thank you, I will look into more of his work.


----------



## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

My favourite Spanish composer has to Manuel de Falla, not an imaginative choice I know, but there we go....
The early death of Juan Arriaga deprived the musical world of a possible giant, his quartets and fine symphony in D attest to that.
If you really want the "taste of Spain" in music, go and discover the wonderful piano music of Enrique Granados! There's a lot beyond the justly famous Goyescas.


----------



## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Can I also recommend you seek out recordings of some of the traditional old Sephardic Jewish songs. Some of these are beyond gorgeous. The CD I play regularly is sung by the Czech singer Jana Lewitova, I can post an Amazon link if it's allowed...?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sephardic-Songs-Rudolf-Měřinský-Lewitova/dp/B00QIWIQG4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1509482722&sr=8-2&keywords=Sephardic+songs+lewitova


----------



## Taplow (Aug 13, 2017)

You might like the music of Joaquin Turina. He wrote a fair number of works for both guitar and piano in a distinctly Spanish style. And if you like music for the violin, then try Pablo de Sarasate.

Not Spanish, Brazilian, but you may find much of the same vibe in the music of Heitor Villa-Lobos.


----------



## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

Try Lorenzo Palomo! He's a veteran contemporary composer, and a bit like Joaquin Rodrigo. "Nocturnos de Andalucia" is a great guitar concerto with more than one recording. I saw Pepe Romero play it in Oslo around 15 years ago. Very Spanish music


----------



## Melvin (Mar 25, 2011)

Manuel de Falla
Joaquin Turina
Granados
Mompou

all these stay in a mostly tonal impressionistic vein, kind of like the "Spanish impressionists" I consider them, (though not always exactly), but if you like Debussy and Ravel, they are a great extension of that style, but with that Spanish flavoring.

I 2nd the recommendation of
Manuel de Falla: Nights In The Gardens Of Spain
I love the recording with Guiomar Novaes as pianist. Only on LP but it is a cheap LP, alternatively it is also uploaded to youtube.

If you are willing to hear music with a bit more of modernist tendencies, then Villa-Lobos and Ginastera are two of the greatest composers ever. (And also are a good jumping off point perhaps if you are looking to wade into more modern stylings because they are very accessible composers I have always found.)

George Russel and Bill Evans introduced Miles Davis to the music of Ravel and Debussy when he came to New York in the early 40s and it radically changed his playing style (as he did many times throughout his career)... Pushing him toward the development of Modal Jazz. (These classically trained pianists brought a brilliant addition to the world of jazz)


----------



## pokeefe0001 (Jan 15, 2017)

Melvin said:


> Manuel de Falla
> ...
> 
> all these stay in a mostly tonal impressionistic vein, kind of like the "Spanish impressionists" I consider them, (though not always exactly), but if you like Debussy and Ravel, they are a great extension of that style, but with that Spanish flavoring. ...


"Mostly" perhaps, but certainly not entirely. Take a listen to de Falla's Harpsichord Concerto:


----------



## Guest (Nov 1, 2017)

FPwtc said:


> God it has been a while since I posted on here, shame as I always get such great info on here. Anyway I have been exploring some of the most obvious Spanish composers like De Falla, Rodrigo and Albéniz. I was influenced to check them out after enjoying jazz works like The Individualism of Gil Evan, Ole Coltrane and Sketches of Spain which are influenced by their work. I most enjoy the darker works by De Falla and I am interested in some recommendations of other Spanish composers I may enjoy?
> 
> Also as a side note any other classical pieces, not necessarily by Spanish composers, which feature a strong Spanish flavour would be welcome!
> 
> Thanks


Have to admit that I know bugger all about Spanish composers or Spanish flavoured pieces but I did come across this -

http://www.favorite-classical-composers.com/spanish-composers.html

and this -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronological_list_of_Spanish_classical_composers

and this -

https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-composers-from-spain/reference

by typing in "Spanish Classical Composers" in a search engine.. Hope this helps... Looking over the lists of Spanish composers I suddenly realized that I actually may know MORE than bugger all after all!

As far as "Spanish influenced" is concerned if you're willing to extend that concept to Mexico you have Copland's El Salon México which I always thought was a really first-rate work and can recommend either of Bernstein's versions on Columbia (Sony) or DG.

Best wishes...Happy hunting - let us know if you uncover hidden gems...


----------

