Enrique Granados

Few composers have incorporated nationalistic folk traditions into their music as successfully as Spanish composer Enrique Granados (1867-1916). Marked by pleasantly colorful tone and flamenco-inspired rhythms, his work is decidedly Spanish in flavor. As Grieg had in Norway, Granados quickly became a source of national pride, earning him enormous popularity as well as official commendation from the government. An internationally known concert pianist, Granados wrote most of his works for that instrument. Perhaps the most well known of his works is Goyescas, a series of piano pieces inspired by the paintings of Goya. The work's understated beauty, rhythmic vitality and remarkable resonance with Goya's style make it a classic of the early twentieth century.