The Story Behind The Reputable Spanish Opera Composer Federico Moreno Torroba

Federico Moreno Torroba

Born on March 3, 1891, Federico Moreno Torroba was destined to be a musician from an early age.  His father, Jose Moreno Ballesteros was the one who introduced him to the fine art of music and everything it has to offer.  His father was a well known organist who knew a great deal about music himself.

While it was his father who introduced him to music, Moreno moved on to study composition with Felipe Pedrell, who was a great Catalan musicologist.  In addition, he also studied with the composer Conrado del Campo for some time.   A big breakthrough came in 1918 when his tone poem, La ajorca de oro made a premiere at the conservatoire.  This is also where he met a great guitarist by the name of Andres Segovia.

Following this premiere, Moreno included writing guitar into his repertoire for the rest of his life.  Over time, he would go on to produce 80 different pieces including dances, impressionistic pieces, sonatas, suites and concertos and compositions.  Thanks to his affiliation with Segovia, Moreno quickly became a reputable image internationally as one of the foremost composers of the 20th century renaissance of the classical guitar. 

While Moreno was a terrific guitar composer, this was just one of the elements that made him shine.  In addition, he was a supporter of a light Spanish opera form known as zarzuela that was characterized by a varying blend of sung and spoken dialect.  The 1930s and 1940s proved to be a hectic time in his life as he travelled throughout the United States and Latin America performing.  He often travelled with several different stage companies. 

Although his first zarzuela was written in 1912, it was not until 1925 that he gained a great deal of respect and enthusiasm for this style of music thanks to the success of La mesonera de Tordesillas.  From that point on, he produced a great deal of brilliant pieces including La marchenera in 1928 and Luisa Fernanda in 1932.  In all, he would end up producing nearly 80 operas before it was all said and done.

There is no question that Moreno Torroba had a huge impact on the Spanish musical culture.  He continues to be one of the dominant figures for that time and it carried on well past the Spanish Civil War in 1939.  Following the war, he founded a new zarzuela company in 1946 and began touring again.

Although he had great fame and had built up a reputable image, it was not until 1957 that he finally became the most popular Spanish opera of the decade.  Following the war, he would write a total of nine ballets, numerous choral and orchestral music, a piano concerto and many different piano solos. 

If that were not enough, he also wrote a variety of songs and miscellaneous works while continuing his interests in the guitar.  There are numerous Classical guitar pieces that allowed him to remain in the public eye as a true guitarist as well.  This hectic lifestyle continued with Moreno all the way up to his death at the age of 91.

What made Moreno Torroba stand out so much from other composers was his willingness to experiment.  He ultimately would find that he preferred lyrically melodic music with tonal harmony. 

Many consider his philosophy composition to be ‘castizo,’ meaning a blend of folk elements that related to the traditions of Iberian culture.  In addition, this combined with basic forms and impressionistic works that celebrated dance genres.  His guitar stands out because of the rich use of color, melody, and lively rhythms that would truly reel in listeners.  It was an expression of poetic and romantic sensibility that many other composers could never achieve.

Eric Henderson in Concert * San Luis Obispo * The Sanitarium

Presented by Enchanted Productions & the Central Coast Guitar Society

Two Special Performances
March 20, 6 pm–9 pm
March 21, 4 pm–7 pm

The Sanitarium
1716 Osos St. • San Luis Obispo, CA

Sanitarium Video

Both shows begin with a reception
of complimentary hors d’oeuvres
and no-host wine bar

Tickets $27 in advance
Send payment to:
Enchanted Productions
560-F Higuera Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
MasterCard & Visa accepted
by phone: 805.439.0972

Enrique Granados Music Lives On

Born on July 27, 1867, Enrique Granados is a highly accredited Spanish Catalan pianist and composer.  It was his unique Spanish style and creativity that captivated audiences as he build up a recognizable image in the Classical music industry. Many of his piano compositions have been transcribed for the classical guitar.

Enrique was born in Lleida, Catalonia to Calixto Granados and Enriqueta Campina.  Unlike some of the other recognizable composers and musicians of classical music, Enrique did not actually pick up music at a very young age.  He began to study piano in Barcelona as a young man.  He had a few different teachers including Francisco Jurnet and Joan Baptista Pujol. 

It was in 1887 when he really became serious about music as he went to Paris to study with Charles-Wilfrid de Beriot and Felipe Pedrell.  After studying in Paris for two years, he returned to Barcelona in 1889.  Despite hard work and dedication, he did not have instant success as it was not until the late 1890s that he became recognized with the zarzuela Maria del Carmen.  This actually gained attention from King Alfonso XIII.

Skip ahead to 1911, Enrique Granados premiered his suite for piano Goyescas.  This easily became his most famous work to date as it included a set of six separate pieces that were based on paintings of Goya.  Enrique was actually a talented painter as well in the style of Francisco Goya. 

Because of the instant success he had with this series, he expanded on it and wrote an opera in 1914 based on it.  Unfortunately for Enrique, the timing could not have been any worse.  The outbreak of World War I canceled his European premiere and he had to wait for two years as it was first performed in New York City on January 28, 1916. 

The crowd in New York City took liking to his musical piece and he was even invited to perform a piano recital for President Woodrow Wilson.  In addition to this, he also made live-recorded player piano music rolls for a New-York-based Aeolian Company.  These were some of his last recordings and can actually be heard today.  One could say his trip to New York was quite successful to say the least.

It is as if bad timing always caught up to Enrique Granados.  Because of his acceptance for the recital invitation, he wound up missing his boat back to Spain.  As a result, he ended up taking a ship to England.  Tragically, the ship that he boarded to Dieppe, France was torpedoed by a German U-boat across the English Channel. 

The boat, Sussex, was hit as part of the German unrestricted submarine warfare policies during World War I.  Enrique attempted to save his wife Amparo, but was unsuccessful as she drowned in the water.  He then jumped out of his lifeboat and drowned himself. 

What is startling is the fact that Enrique Granados actually had a horrific fear of water his entire life.  His return was the first-ever series of ocean voyages in his life.  While the ship broke in two parts and only one sank, ironically his side of the ship did not sink.  Most of the passengers did survive on his side of the ship, but he and his wife were among the few that did not make it.  The couple left behind six children of their own: Eduard, who became a musician, Solita, Enric, Victor, Natalia and Francesc.

Despite the short-lived career of Enrique Granados, his music still lives on today.  The highly talented Spanish pianist will forever be remembered for his creativity and exquisite style that captivated audiences.  As mentioned above, his last recordings in New York can still be heard today as they did survive.