Isaac Albéniz

Iberia, Suite for Orchestra, No. 2: La Fete Dieu a Seville

Iberia was originally a suite for piano composed by Isaac Albéniz (1860 - 1909) between 1905 to 1909, published in four books comprised of 3 movements each. Albéniz wrote these in an impressionistic style to evoke Spain. After Albéniz attempted to arrange the pieces for orchestra, he became impatient and enlisted his friend and conductor Enrique Fernández Arbós to do the arrangement. Arbós arranged five of the pieces: "Evocación," "Fête-dieu à Séville," "Triana," "El Puerto," and "El Albaicín." Fête-dieu à Séville is the French name for one of the most important feast days of the Catholic Church. On this day in Seville, there is a procession through the city with the streets strewn with flowers. Occasionally spectators would improvise unaccompanied songs (saeta) and pass them between groups. Albéniz recreates this scene with an alternating processional march and mournful saeta ending with distant church bells. Instrumentation: 3(3rd d. Picc).2+EH.2+ECl,BCl.2+CBsn: 4.4.3.1: Timp: Perc(5-6): 2Hp:Clst: Str (9.8.7.6.5 in set). Reprint edition. (9:00)