Andalusian cadence
English composer
Definition
A characteristic descending four-chord progression (i – VII – VI – V) central to flamenco and Spanish folk music. In Phrygian or Phrygian dominant colouring, the sequence Am – G – F – E gives the 'Spanish sound' instantly recognisable in Albéniz. He uses it as a structural pillar and a rhetorical gesture, often ending sections on the dominant major chord (E major in A minor) for an ambiguous, suspended effect.
Interpretive Guidance
Give the Andalusian cadence its full weight — resist the temptation to rush through it as a formula. The arrival on the V chord (major, often with a raised third) should ring out like a flamenco guitarist's final chord. A slight tenuto on the final chord is idiomatic.