Albéniz, Isaac (1860-1909)

Spanish nationalist composer and pianist. His works include numerous zarzuelas and operas, the orchestral suites Española (1886) and Catalonia (1899-1908) (with the assistance of Paul Dukas), and 250 piano works including the Iberia suite (1906-09), which helped to establish a distinctive national flavour, based on folk idioms.

Born in Cataluña, Albéniz appeared in public as a pianist at the age of four.

Works operas The Magic Opal (London, 1893), Henry Clifford (Barcelona, 1895), Pepita Jiménez, San Antonio de la Florida, Merlin (unfinished first part of Arthurian cycle); zarzuelas Cuanto más viejo, Los Catalanes en Grecia; contribution to Millöcker's operetta Der arme Jonathan for the London production in 1893, Catalonia, orchestrated with the aid of Dukas; c. 250 piano pieces, including Catalonia, La Vega, Navarra, Azulejos and the cycle of 12 entitled Iberia; 13 songs.