NOTES

Gypsy Dances
The Turina Danzas paid homage to a people who have been one of the major creators of Spanish music, the gypsies, the gitanos – or gitanas as Turina refers to them with a nod to their dancing skills.
The sequence began with the Arabic influenced Zambra, followed by the Dance of Seduction, lyrical and entreating, the Ritual Dance breaking the spell briefly, before recreating the Moorish dreaminess with an evocation of the Generalife - the gardens of the Alhambra – and on the opposite side of the gorge of Granada, the legendary Sacro-monte home of the Gypsies, a magical and bustling neighbourhood of music and voices.

Fantastic Dances
Danzas fantásticas consists of three sections. A descriptive passage from the novel by José Mas precedes each in the score.
I. Exaltación (Exaltation): “It seemed as if the figures in the incomparable picture were moving inside the chalice of a flower.” Turina based this dance on the jota of Aragon in Central Spain.
II. Ensueño (Dream): “The guitar’s strings wounded the lament of a soul helpless under the weight of bitterness.” The zortziko of the Basque region was probably the basis for this quieter movement.
III. Orgía (Orgy): “The perfume of the flowers merged with the odor of manzanilla, and from the bottom of raised glasses, full of wine incomparable as incense, joy flowed.” A dance from Turina’s native Andalusia, specifically the farruca, is the probable source of this most raucous movement.

Sonata by Antonio José
It is quite surprising to notice how the completely forewent any hint at, or any kind of inspiration from Spanish music. He was absolutely unscathed by nationalistic interferences. We might detect some kinship with French music, particularly with Ravel. (Pavana triste, third movement from the Sonata - Pavane pour une infante défunte).

Concierto de Aranjuez
He came back to Spain only after the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 - 1939.
He brought with him the Concierto de Aranjuez, a breakthrough work he had composed at the suggestion of guitarist Regino Sainz de la Maza, to whom the concerto is dedicated.
The central Adagio presents one of the most memorable of melodies, the simplest of intervals over elemental harmony, but enriched with the inflections of cante jondo, the deep song of Andalusia.

PROGRAM

Joaquín Turina (1882-1949)
Danzas gitanas Op 55
    Zambra
    Danza de la seducción
    Danza ritual
    Generalife
    Sacro-Monte

Danzas fantásticas Op 22
    Exaltación
    Ensueño
    Orgía
.................
Antonio José (1902-1936)
Sonata
    Allegro moderato 

Joaquín Turina (1882-1949)
Fandanguillo Op. 36
Sevillana Op. 29

(1) Eduardo Sainz de la Maza (1903 - 1982)
Platero y yo
    Platero
    La azotea
    Paseo
    La Muerte

(2) Joaquín Rodrigo
Concierto de Aranjuez
    Adagio

.................

(1) - London, Tokyo, Chicago
(2) - Lyon, New York, Athens