Albéniz and Satie

A village in Austrias. Credit – wikimedia commons – Markus Bernet

The Spanish or acoustic guitar and the piano are two favorite Western classical instruments. Here are two pieces: one on the guitar and the other on the piano.

First a composition by Isaac Albéniz (1860 – 1909), the Spanish virtuoso pianist and composer. He composed it for the piano but the piece is more popularly played on the guitar. It’s titled Asturias — after the Spanish region called Asturias.

Here’s John Williams the guitarist playing Asturias:

Up next is a piece by the French composer and pianist Erik Satie (1866 – 1925). Gnossienne No. 1 was published in 1891. Turn down the light, put your feet up and listen.

I also like John Williams’ transcription of the piece.

I have to admit that the first time I heard Satie, I was not moved. Only after a while did I get it. Thank goodness I did.

I notice that I had mentioned Asturias in a previous post: Two Guitar Pieces (Oct 2022.) Please do listen.

Be well, do good work and keep in touch.

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Author: Atanu Dey

Economist.

One thought on “Albéniz and Satie”

  1. I understand your passion for spanish music; forgive me that I would like to point out,
    from a certain cultural POV, Bharat and Spain are diametrically opposite:
    Bovines are revered in Bharat while the spaniards enjoy watching the massacre of bulls.

    Carmen, an iconic opera with a spanish story theme, has 2 major characters:
    –Escamillo, a toreador/bull fighter,
    –Carmen, a Gypsy femme fatale — Historians and geneticists told us Gypsies are descendents
    of dalits. Eating beef is a major reason dalits are despised in Bharat.

    Like

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