Isaac (Manuel Francisco) Albeniz

Spanish composer and pianist. Born in Catalonia. A child prodigy who is said to have made his debut at the age of four, he studied under Marmontel in Paris at the age of six and began touring at the age of eight. However, he loved adventure and led a life of wandering, including smuggling himself to Central and South America at the age of 12, which may have led to kidney disease and his death at the age of 49 in the Pyrenees region of France near the Spanish border. His perfection of his performance technique was largely due to his meeting with Liszt in 1880, but another turning point came three years later when he settled in Barcelona. He prioritized composing over performing and began to write pieces based on the music of his native country. In 1893, he moved from London to Paris, where he became acquainted with d'Andy and Dukas, and had a strong influence on modern French music such as Debussy and Ravel. His forte was in piano pieces rather than zarzuelas (Spanish operas) or songs, and his representative works include "Spanish Suite" (1886), "Memoirs of a Voyage" (1887), and the four-volume "Iberian Suite" (1906-1908). "Iberian" in particular is a masterpiece that makes full use of advanced performance techniques and bold effects such as imitation of guitars and castanets, and is also famous for its orchestral arrangement by F. Albos.

[Toshiko Sekine]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

スペインの作曲家、ピアノ奏者。カタルーニャ地方に生まれる。4歳でデビューしたといわれるほどの神童で、6歳のときにパリでマルモンテルに師事、8歳から演奏旅行を始めた。しかし冒険を好み、12歳のときには1人で中南米に密航するなど放浪の一生を送ったためか腎臓(じんぞう)病に苦しめられ、スペイン国境に近いフランスのピレネー地方で49歳の生涯を終えた。彼の演奏技巧の完成には1880年のリストとの出会いによるところが大きいが、もう一つの転機はその3年後、バルセロナに居を構えたときに訪れる。演奏よりも作曲活動を優先させ、故国の音楽を素材とした作品を書き始めたのである。1893年、ロンドンからパリへ活躍の舞台を移し、ダンディ、デュカスらと交際、ドビュッシーやラベルなどのフランス近代音楽に強い影響を与えた。彼の本領はサルスエラ（スペインの歌劇）や歌曲よりもピアノ曲にあり、代表作に『スペイン組曲』（1886）、『旅の思い出』（1887）、『イベリア組曲』全4巻（1906～1908）がある。とくに『イベリア』は高度な演奏技巧、ギターやカスタネットの模倣など大胆な効果を駆使した傑作で、F・アルボースの管弦楽編曲でも有名。

［関根敏子］

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