Tomás Bretón · Romanticism
1894
Orchestal Suite · Madrid
Tonality
Without a unique tone. It's a suite of several numbers and everyone has his own.
From the atril
To the Andalusian scenesfrom 1894, they are an orchestral suite in several movements in which Bretón recreates the folklore of Andalusia with the language of the symphonic orchestra. That same year it premiered The verbena of the PalomaAnd he was at the top of his popularity. The work is part of the effort of the Spanish composers of the time to create a national concert music, in parallel to what the Russians or the Czechs did.
Each movement evokes a dance or a typical scene, with characteristic rhythms, flamenco melodies and orchestral effects that imitate guitar, castanets and taconeo. Breton alternates moments of great rhythmic vitality with more lyrical and nostalgic passages, such as serenades to the fence. The orchestration is brilliant and colorful, showing the trade of a musician who knew the orchestra from within. It is a work that is heard with pleasure, very representative of the Spanish nationalism of the 19th century, which would open the way to the great Andalusian works of Albéniz, Granados and Falla.
What to hear
- The Andalusian dance rhythms.
- The effects of guitar and chestnut.
- The lyrical passages, like serenades.
