In honor of the 150th anniversary of the birth of composer Enrique Granados (1867-1916) and the 90th anniversary of the birth of our own Emma Lou Diemer (b. 1927), the notable pianist Gustavo Romero, a professor at the University of North Texas, will play a recital at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 27, in Karl Geiringer Hall at UCSB.
Romero will also present a masterclass at 10 a.m Nov. 28 in the same venue, featuring performances by UCSB piano students. Admission to both events is free.
The program for Romero’s recital, part of UCSB Music’s Spanish Piano Festival, includes:
Six Keyboard Sonatas: “g minor, K. 8;” “c-minor, K. 526;” “f-minor, K. 466;” “C-Major, K. 487;” “b-minor, K.87;” “d-minor, K. 141” by Domenico Scarlatti.
Three pieces by Granados: “Coloquio en la Reja” and “Quejas, o la Maja y el Ruiseñor” from Goyescas [1911]; and “Allegro de concierto [1903].”
Three Paisages/Landscapes: “La Fuente y la Campana,” “El Lago,” “Carros de Galicia” (1942–1960) by Federico Mompou (1893-1987); and Emma Lou Diemer’s subtly Spanish-flavored “Piano Sonata No.3 (2001).”
Despite Domenico’s Italian name and parentage — his father was the great Alessandro Scarlatti — Spain can, with considerable justice, claim Domenico as a Spanish composer.
His Neapolitan birth, for one thing, made him a subject of the king of Spain. For another, he spent much of his professional life in the employ of Iberian royal families.
Many of his contemporaries considered Domenico the greatest keyboardist of his time.
He probably shared that opinion — until he found himself in an improvisational mano-a-mano with Georg Frederic Handel, after which he took to crossing himself when Handel was mentioned (implying, of course that Handel received help from the nether regions. Jeanne Moreau used to cross herself at the mention of Orson Welles).
Scarlatti wrote more than 500 of these miniature sonatas. I haven’t heard them all, but I am reasonably confident they are all priceless gems.
Spanish composers have long excelled in writing for the piano, and Granados is the wellspring. Most critical thought favors the “Goyescas” as his masterpiece. I lean toward the 12 “Spanish Dances.” He also wrote a number of beautiful songs.
I blush to say Frederic Mompou is a new one on me, but from what I have now heard, I think him a prime subject for further research. There is an appealing, almost child-like simplicity in everything I have heard.
Born in Catalonia, he also died there. Catalans do not always believe themselves to be part of Spain—which, of course, makes them the most Spanish of all.
Emma Lou Diemer is 90. As this sonata attests, never, I think, were Shakespeare’s words more aptly cited than on this occasion: “Age cannot wither, nor custom stale, her infinite variety.”
— Gerald Carpenter covers the arts as a Noozhawk contributing writer. He can be reached at gerald.carpenter@gmail.com. The opinions expressed are his own.