Isaac Albéniz/Arnold

Tango in D, op. 165, no. 2

            Isaac Albéniz was in the forefront of Spain’s composers during the nineteenth century, and was responsible for the surging interest and respect for the art music of the country during that time.  A child prodigy, his peripatetic travels took him all over Europe, as well as to the Americas.  But, his primary focus was in Madrid, Barcelona, and Paris.  Early on, he concentrated on music for the piano, especially of the pleasant, short, salon genre, but during his lifetime was active in works for the stage, as well.  While he is inextricably connected with Spanish nationalism, and is, in some ways, often considered the most “Spanish” of Spanish composers, he eschewed authentic indigenous folk material.  Rather, he crafted a style that is original, but infused with the harmonies