Eric Himy: Albeniz plays the guitar.....on the piano ?!

Prelude (better known as either Asturias or Leyenda) by Isaac Albéniz (1860–1909), is probably the best-known virtuosic guitar piece not originally written for guitar!! His inventiveness made full use of his knowledge of the guitar (which he could play), along with his love of flamenco and its rhythms, to create new melodies and colors in the Spanish idiom. Leyenda is a malagueña: the typical repetitive flamenco guitarist, the cante jonde (deep song) section, with its call and response melody between a cantaor (singer) and a guitarist. Albéniz himself best suggested that this impressionistic work be imbued “with color, sunlight, and the flavor of olives.” I have tried to make the guitar even more apparent with my strumming effect as you will hear!! Olé !!