Heitor Villa-Lobos

Canciones Leonesas Vol. 1

Canciones Leonesas (Leonese Songs) is a collection of folk melodies from the Leon region of north-west Spain, collected and arranged for solo Piano by Rogelio Villar. Volume One is the first of five by the composer. Rogelio Villar (1875-1937) was a Spanish composer, musicologist and pedagogue. Born in Leon, he studied at the Madrid Conservatory, where he later taught as well. His compositions were predominantly instrumental works; he avoided operatic music and gradually became more and more nationalistic in his style. He travelled widely throughout the Leon region, collecting and preserving many folk songs, which he later used in many of his compositions.