| Turina (1882-1949):
Piano Quartet in A minor, Op.67
The Spanish composer, pianist and conductor
Joaquin
Turina first studied in Seville and in Madrid, and later in Paris,
where he lived from 1905 to 1914. Studying with d'Indy at the Schola
Cantorum, he was greatly influenced by Cesar Frank's music, to which he
remained indebted for the rest of his life, but also fell under the spell
of Debussy (who was considered an "enemy" by the Schola Cantorum).
At the same time, he formed a strong friendship with the two Spanish composers
Albeniz and Falla, who were also in Paris at the time and who fired up
his interest in their country's folk music.
From this eclectic background Turina formed
his own distinctive personality, and although like his colleagues he frequently
used material from Spanish folk music, at the same time he tried harder
than his Spanish contemporaries to write music using standard European
forms: it is strongly indicative that his Opus 1 is a piano quintet based
on German and French models, and that he is the only one of the major Spanish
composers to write a symphony.
The Piano Quartet Op.67, written in 1931
is in three movements: Lento; Vivo; Andante - Allegretto. With melodic
and rhythmical material from Spanish folk music, the adoption of the cyclic
form which he had absorbed in Paris from Frank and d'Indy, and the use
of instrumental colour inspired by Debussy, Turina has given us an elegant
and quite unique chamber work.
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