Instrumentation
Piano
Collections
Musical Terms (7)
- danza española SpanishA stylised Spanish dance piece; in Granados, each of the 12 Danzas españolas evokes a different regional dance tradition.Bring rhythmic vitality and tonal colour to capture the regional character of each dance.
- floreo SpanishAn ornamental figure in Spanish keyboard music; a rapid decorative flourish, often imitating guitar ornamentation.Execute lightly and quickly; the effect should suggest improvised guitar decoration rather than written-out passage work.
- goyesco SpanishRelating to the style evoked by the paintings of Francisco de Goya; in Granados, a rich, ornate keyboard texture imbued with Spanish character.Bring a theatrical, improvisatory quality; imagine the sound of a Spanish guitar within the piano writing.
- maja SpanishA female figure from 18th-century Spanish popular culture, associated with Goya's paintings of vibrant street life.Relevant background for understanding the narrative world of Goyescas.
- majo SpanishA male counterpart of the maja; a gallant, stylishly dressed young man in Goya's Madrid.Relevant background for understanding the narrative world of Goyescas.
- punteo SpanishGuitar plucking technique; single-note melodic lines. Granados uses this concept in piano writing to suggest a guitarist's sound.Play single-note melodic passages with a light, detached touch to suggest guitar punteo.
- rasgueo SpanishGuitar strumming technique; rapid arpeggiated chords. Granados transfers this idiomatic guitar gesture into his piano textures.Roll broken chords from the bottom with rhythmic energy, imitating the sweep of a guitarist's hand.