| Birth: | Aug. 7, 1896, Cuba | | Death: | Nov. 29, 1963
Cantabria, Spain | 
Famed Cuban composer. Although a prolific composer of songs and music for stage and film, Ernesto Lecuona remains most widely known for his piano compositions. While demonstrating a varied range of pianistic oeuvre, the performances made evident Lecuona's astonishing virtuosity as well as improvisatory gift. Lecuona stands as a link between the virtuoso pianistic trandition of the late 19th century and the widened musical expression of the modern era that incorporated idioms ranging from jazz to popular Latin American dance rhythms. Yet, it may still come as a surprise the the composer of Malaguena and Aragon was also a leader of a New York dance band, Lecuona's Cuban Boys, and a renowned interpreter of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. Andalucia, Gitanerias and the celebrated Malaguena, three of six pieces from the Suite Espanola (1919) figure on this recording. The characteristic dance rhythms of the southern Iberian peninsula mark these pieces and reveal a vision of Spain as compelling and colorful as that of Bizet, Debussy or Ravel. Other evocative Spanish piano pieces include Ante el Escorial, Valencia mora and Zambra gitana. Two were published in 1929 and 1930, the latter designated danzas afro-cubanas. These singular important collections represent assimilation of the lyricism, elaborate meters and rhythms of popular Cuban music with bravura pianistic style. In addition to these dances, Lecuona wrote numerous piezas caracteristicas, or character pieces, genres of solo keyboard works of distinct form and sustained mood. The character pieces are distinguished by their variety, from the brilliance of the Mazurka en glisado to the quietude of the nocturne Preludio en la noche. Bell Flower, one of Tres miniaturas that include Cajita de musica and Polichinela, exemplifies the unrestrained exuberance of Lecuona's salon music style. The composer also cultivated concert waltzes, some of which, in the tradition of Chopin exude brilliance, others are marked by melancholy and romantic sentiment, notably Vals de Las sombras and Poetico. (bio by: I remember when. . .)
Search Amazon for Ernesto Lecuona | | | Burial:
Gate of Heaven Cemetery
Hawthorne
Westchester County
New York, USA |
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Record added: Nov 10, 2002
Find A Grave Memorial# 6917829 |
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Cuando escucho tu musica mas me enorgullesco de ser Cubano y Guanabacoence. Que Dios te bendiga y siempre escuche tu musica.
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Orlando
Added: Aug. 15, 2009 |
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Mellissa Lake Co. Illinois
Added: Aug. 10, 2009 |
Para Ernesto Lecuona, en estos momentos estoy escuchando tu musica y la misma estara entre nosotros hasta el fin de los tiempos. Descansa en paz maestro.
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Daniel Morales
Added: Apr. 7, 2009 |
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