Cho - Interpretive Issues in Performing The Piano Suite "Goyescas" by Enrique Granados

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
May 21, 2008

Date:___________________
Soyoung Cho
I, _________________________________________________________,
hereby submit this work as part of the requirements for the degree of:
Doctor of Musical Arts
in:
Piano Performance
It is entitled:
Interpretive Issues in Performing the Piano Suite "Goyescas" by Enrique Granados
This work and its defense approved by:
Miguel A. Roig-Francoli, Ph. D

Chair: _______________________________
Frank Weinstock, Professor
_______________________________
Elisabeth Pridonoff, Professor
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
Interpretive Issues in Performing the Piano Suite “Goyescas” by
Enrique Granados
A doctoral document
submitted to the
Division of Graduate Studies and Research of the University of Cincinnati
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS
In the Division of Keyboard Studies of the College-Conservatory of Music
2008
by
Soyoung Cho
M. M., Ewha Womans University, 1997
B. M., Kyung-Won University, 1992
Committee Chair: Miguel A. Roig-Francoli, Ph.D.

Abstract
Goyescas is a very challenging work full of Granados’s artistic devotion for searching the
authentic Spanish character in a variety of ways. Numerous Spanish elements – references to
Goya’s works, tonadillas, Spanish dances and songs, sound of guitars and castanets, etc. – are
incorporated into this work. It is, indeed, a complex art work that interrelates visual arts, poetry,
and music, all with a Spanish subject. Any pianists planning to study Granados’s Goyescas
should first acquire the necessary background based on a thorough study of the music and its
history. Knowledge of Granados’s inspiration from Goya’s works, the piece’s narrative elements
related with the opera Goyescas, Spanish idioms, and the improvisatory nature of Granados’s
piano style, is indispensable for fully understanding, interpreting, and performing this work.
However, the more important task for pianists is applying these various aspects into performance.
This document will assist pianists in this endeavor, dealing with various aspects related to the
interpretation of Goyescas that are necessary for an imaginative performance of the work.
The first three chapters are about important background aspects of Goyescas which
should be considered by the pianist for a proper interpretation of the suite. Chapter four is an
interpretive analysis for pianists dealing with each piece of Goyescas and discussing all aspects
related to performance. The discussion includes overall structure, related paintings or etchings by
Goya, comparisons with corresponding scenes from the opera, and detailed performance
suggestions for each individual selection. As six pieces from Goyescas are discussed one by one,
the corresponding painting or etching by Goya related to the piece is included as a helpful tool
for performance.
iii
Table of Contents
List of Figures . . . . . . . . . . . v
List of Tables . . . . . . . . . . . vi
List of Musical Examples . . . . . . . . . vii
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chapter
I. Imagination – Influences from Goya’s Works . . . . . 3
II. Performing as a Storyteller – Conceiving the Story and Sound of the Opera Goyescas .
. . . . . . . . . . . 16
III. Spanish Temperament – Spanish Dances, Songs, and Sound of Guitar . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 19
IV. A Pianist’s Interpretive Analysis
1. “Los requiebros” . . . . . . . . 27
2. “Coloquio en la reja” . . . . . . . . 42
3. “El fandango de candil” . . . . . . . 58
4. “Quejas o la maja y el ruiseñor” . . . . . . 72
5. “El amor y la muerte” . . . . . . . . 84
6. “Epílogo: Serenata del espectro” . . . . . . 94
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . 105
iv
List of Figures
Figure 1. Francisco Goya, Merienda a la orilla del manzanares, 1776 . . . 5

Figure 2. Francisco Goya, El columpio, 1787 . . . . . . 5
Figure 3. Francisco Goya, El pelele, 1791-2 . . . . . . . 6
Figure 4. Francisco Goya, El quitasol, 1777 . . . . . . . 7
Figure 5. Francisco Goya, La maja y los embozados, 1777 . . . . . 7
Figure 6. Enrique Granados, La maja de paseo . . . . . . 8
Figure 7. Enrique Granados, La maja de paseo . . . . . . 8
Figure 8. Enrique Granados, La maja dolorosa, self-portrait, and La maja en el balcón . 9
Figure 9. Enrique Granados, Majo . . . . . . . . 9
Figure 10. Francisco Goya, Las majas en el balcón, 1808-1812 . . . . 10
Figure 11. Enrique Granados, La maja en el balcón . . . . . . 10
Figure 12. Francisco Goya, La duchesse d’Albe, 1795 . . . . . 11
Figure 13. Francisco Goya, La duchesse d’Albe, 1797 . . . . . 11
Figure 14. Francisco Goya, La gallina ciega, 1788-1789 . . . . . 12
Figure 15. Francisco Goya, El cacharrero, 1779 . . . . . . 12
Figure 16. Francisco Goya, Retrato del torero martincho, c. 1790 . . . . 12
Figure 17. Francisco Goya, Ni asi la distingue . . . . . . 13
Figure 18. Francisco Goya, Muchachos al avío . . . . . . 13
Figure 18. Francisco Goya, Bellos consejos . . . . . . . 14
Figure 19. Francisco Goya, Dios la perdoe:Y era su madre . . . . . 14
Figure 20. Francisco Goya, Tal para cual . . . . . . . 28
Figure 21. Francisco Goya, Coloquio galante . . . . . . 28
Figure 22. Enrique Granados, Coloquio en la reja . . . . . . 42
Figure 23. Francisco Goya, El amor y la muerte . . . . . . 84
Figure 24. Francisco Goya, Nun Frightened by a Ghost, 1819 . . . . 94
v
List of Tables
Table 1. Spanish Idioms in Goyescas . . . . . . . . 19

Table 2. Formal Structure of “Los requiebros” . . . . . . 28
Table 3. Formal Structure of “Coloquio en la reja” . . . . . . 45
Table 4. Formal Structure of “El fandango de candil” . . . . . 59
Table 5. Formal Structure of “Quejas o la maja y el ruiseñor” . . . . 73
Table 6. Formal Structure of “El amor y la muerte” . . . . . . 85
Table 7. Formal Structure of “Epílogo: Serenata del espectro” . . . . 94
vi
List of Musical Examples
Example 1.1. “Los requiebros,” mm. 350-357 . . . . . . 22

Example 1.2. Tirana del Trípili by Blas de Laserna . . . . . . 24
Example 1.3. “Los requiebros,” mm. 1-25 . . . . . . . 30
Example 1.6a. “Los requiebros,” mm. 73-81 . . . . . . . 35
Example 1.6b. Opera Goyescas, Tableau I, Scene 3, mm. 34-35 . . . . 35
Example 1.11a. “El majo olvidado,” mm. 25-46 . . . . . . 39
Example 1.11b. “Los requiebros,” mm. 205-230 . . . . . . 40
Example 2.1a. Sketch for “El amor del majo” . . . . . . 43
Example 2.1b. “Coloquio en la reja”, Theme D, mm. 41-48 . . . . . 44
Example 2.1c. “Coloquio en la reja”, mm. 166-173 . . . . . . 44
Example 2.2. “Coloquio en la reja”, Introduction and Theme A, mm. 1-11 . . . 46
Example 2.3. “Coloquio en la reja”, Theme B, mm. 15-22 . . . . . 47
Example 2.4. “Coloquio en la reja,” mm. 23-26 . . . . . . 48
Example 2.7a. “Coloquio en la reja,” Theme C, mm. 29-32 . . . . . 50
Example 2.7b. “La maja dolorosa”, mm. 7-13 . . . . . . 50
Example 2.7c. “Coloquio en la reja,” mm. 72-75 . . . . . . 50
Example 2.8. “Coloquio en la reja,” Theme E, mm. 80-82 . . . . . 51
Example 2.9. “Coloquio en la reja,” Theme F, mm. 105-117 . . . . 53
Example 2.13. “Coloquio en la reja,” m. 187 . . . . . . . 56
Example 3.1a. “El fandango de candil,” mm. 1-6 . . . . . . 60
Example 3.1b. Opera Goyescas, Tableau II, Scene 1, mm. 1-7 . . . . 60
Example 3.2. “El fandango de candil,” mm. 9-13 . . . . . . 61
Example 3.6a. “El fandango de candil,” mm. 59-60 . . . . . . 66
Example 3.6b. “El fandango de candil,” mm. 81-84 . . . . . . 66
Example 3.6c. “El fandango de candil,” mm. 131-132 . . . . . 66
vii
Example 3.10. “El fandango de candil,” mm. 100-103 . . . . . 69
Example 4.1a. Notation of folksong . . . . . . . . 74
Example 4.1b. “Quejas o la maja y el ruiseñor,” mm. 1-19 . . . . . 74
Example 4.2a. “Quejas o la maja y el ruiseñor,” Variation I, mm. 20-23 . . . 77
Example 4.2b. “Quejas o la maja y el ruiseñor,” Variation II, mm. 24-27 . . . 77
Example 4.3a. “Quejas o la maja y el ruiseñor,” Variation III, mm. 31-36 . . . 78
Example 4.3b. “Quejas o la maja y el ruiseñor,” Variation IV, mm. 37-40 . . . 78
Example 4.4. “Quejas o la maja y el ruiseñor,” Variation V, mm. 41-45 . . . 79
Example 4.5. “Quejas o la maja y el ruiseñor,” mm. 46-49 . . . . . 80
Example 5.1. “El amor y la muerte,” mm. 1-5 . . . . . . 86
Example 5.5a. “El amor y la muerte,” mm. 50-54 . . . . . . 89
Example 5.5b. “El amor y la muerte,” mm. 62-66 . . . . . . 89
Example 5.7a. “El amor y la muerte,” mm. 81-86 . . . . . . 90
Example 5.7b. “El fandango de candil,” mm. 85-88 . . . . . . 91
Example 6.1. “Epílogo: Serenata del espectro,” mm. 1-14 . . . . . 96
Example 6.2. “Epílogo: Serenata del espectro,” mm. 107-114 . . . . 96
Example 6.3a. “Epílogo: Serenata del espectro,” mm. 39-45 . . . . . 97
Example 6.3b. “Epílogo: Serenata del espectro,” mm. 124-131 . . . . 97
Example 6.4c. “Epílogo: Serenata del espectro,” mm. 175-178 . . . . 98
Example 6.4d. “Epílogo: Serenata del espectro,” mm. 183-185 . . . . 98
viii
Introduction
Enrique Granados (1867-1916), along with Albéniz and de Falla, played an important
role in establishing a golden age of piano music in Spain. As an accomplished pianist with a
genuine talent for improvisation, he composed music displaying many traits of the Romantic
period combined with Spanish folk idioms. Most of his output consists of piano and vocal music.
His early works are mostly character pieces and Spanish dances that are attractive and
technically accessible. By contrast, Goyescas (1911) is a set of difficult pieces that represent the
culmination of Granados’s experience and art. Goyescas, subtitled Los majos enamorados
(Majos in Love), consists of six pieces published in two volumes (1912-14): Volume I contains
Los requiebros (Flirtations), Coloquio en la reja (Conversation at the Window), El fandango de
candil (Fandango by Lamplight), and Quejas ó la maja y el ruiseñor (Laments, or the Maiden
and Nightingale); Volume II contains El amor y la muerte (Love and Death), and Epilogo, o
serenata del espectro (Epilogue: The Specter’s Serenade).
Goyescas is a very challenging work full of Granados’s artistic devotion for searching the
authentic Spanish character in a variety of ways. Numerous Spanish elements – references to
Goya’s works, tonadillas, Spanish dances and songs, sound of guitars and castanets, etc. – are
incorporated into this work. It is, indeed, a complex art work that interrelates visual arts, poetry,
and music, all with a Spanish subject. Any pianists planning to study Granados’s Goyescas
should first acquire the necessary background based on a thorough study of the music and its
history. Knowledge of Granados’s inspiration from Goya’s works, the piece’s narrative elements
related with the opera Goyescas, Spanish idioms, and the improvisatory nature of Granados’s
piano style, is indispensable for fully understanding, interpreting, and performing this work.
However, the more important task for pianists is applying these various aspects into performance.
1
This document will assist pianists in this endeavor, dealing with various aspects related to the
interpretation of Goyescas that are necessary for an imaginative performance of the work.
The first three chapters are about important background aspects of Goyescas which
should be considered by the pianist for a proper interpretation of the suite. Chapter four is an
interpretive analysis for pianists dealing with each piece of Goyescas and discussing all aspects
related to performance. The discussion includes overall structure, related paintings or etchings by
Goya, comparisons with corresponding scenes from the opera, and detailed performance
suggestions for each individual selection. As six pieces from Goyescas are discussed one by one,
the corresponding painting or etching by Goya related to the piece is included as a helpful tool
for performance.
2
I. Imagination – Influences from Goya’s Works
Influences from Goya’s paintings of majos and majas were widespread at the turn of the
nineteenth century. Goya’s majos and majas became the subject of literature and music
everywhere. Fernando Periquet explains, “to every Spaniard who possesses culture, Goya means
not only a name, but an epoch also.”1
In Goyescas, Granados successfully captured the spirit of the maja and the majo,
“expressing in turn the wishes, desires, anxieties, expectations, the tremulous and ardent joys of
love.”2 Discovering the various aspects and expressions in which Goyescas parallels Goya’s
works would certainly enhance any performance of the work. Whether intentional or not, there is
strong evidence of a resemblance between Granados’s compositions and Goya’s works; thus,
careful study of the many paintings, drawings, and etchings of Goya could help stimulate the
imagination of any pianist planning to perform Goyescas.
Goyescas is among the most noteworthy examples of a work of art in one medium
created under the influence of an artist working in another medium. Granados deeply admired
the art of Francisco Goya (1746-1828), Spain’s great painter. As a young man making his first
visit to the Prado Museum in Madrid, he was indelibly impressed by etchings and paintings of
Goya, which portrayed the spirit of everyday life of Madrid in the late eighteenth century. This
artwork captured the mood, color, and all the fire and nuance of the Romantic era in Spain. That
is the origin of Goyescas – “Goya-esque” pieces.3 Shortly after composing Goyescas, Granados
wrote to pianist Joaquin Malats:
1
Fernando Periquet, “Goyescas: How the Opera Was Conceived,” Opera News 7 (January 29, 1916): 12.
2
Georges Jean-Aubry, “Enrique Granados,” Musical Times 57 (December1, 1916): 536.
3
Alicia de Larrocha, “Goya of Music: Alicia de Larrocha Talks about Granados,” Opera News 32
(December 1967): 6.
3
I have composed a collection of Goyescas of great sweep and difficulty. I fell in love
with Goya’s psychology, with his palette; with his lady-like Maja; his aristocratic Majo;
with him and the Duchess of Alba, his quarrels, his loves and flatteries. That rosy
whiteness of the cheeks contrasted with lace and black velvet with jet, those supple-
waisted figures with mother-of-pearl and jasmine-like hands resting on black tissue have
dazzled me.”4
Thus, in Goyescas the keyboard becomes a sonic canvas, conveying the essence of
Goya’s Madrid. Granados translates the images and moods in Goya’s works into sound in
Goyescas; as he said, “a mixture of bitterness, grace, rhythm, and color that is typically Spanish
– feelings suddenly amorous and passionate, dramatic and tragic, as seen in Goya’s works.”5
Many tapestry cartoons and etchings from Los caprichos are reflected in the music of the piano
suite and, later, the libretto, set, and costumes for the opera Goyescas.6
Goya painted more than 60 cartoons between 1775 and 1792 for the Royal Tapestry
Factory of Santa Barbara. Many of the tapestry cartoons depict various scenes in the lives of the
eighteenth-century maja and majo, touching on subjects such as flirtation, love, dancing, dueling,
and guitar serenades. These cartoons were created during one of the happiest periods of his life,
before his struggles with illness. During this period, Goya’s style underwent significant change,
developing from the customary manner of a rococo decorator to a newer movement of realism.
Merienda a la orilla del manzanares (The Picnic on the Banks of the Manzanares, Figure
1) and El columpio (The Swing, Figure 2) are good examples of the subjects that intrigued
Granados: namely, the majas and majos of eighteenth-century Madrid. At this time, artists in
France were concerned with painting pastoral landscapes, this interest taking priority over human
4
A quote attributed to Letter dated December II, 1910 (Mm, fons Granados. 10.034) and cited in Walter
Aaron Clark, Enrique Granados: Poet of the Piano (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006), 123.
5
A quote attributed to Henri Collet, Albeniz et Granados (Paris, 1926): 230 and cited in Jean Rogers
Longland, “Granados and the Opera Goyesca,” Notes Hispanic 5 (1945): 98.
6
Granados and Goyescas: The Catalogue of Exhibition Honoring Enrique Granados and the American
Premiere of Goyescas (Boston: Boston Athenaeum, 1982) provides the information of the particular paintings and
etchings by Goya which had inspired Granados.
4
subjects. By contrast, while Goya introduced complex landscapes as backgrounds in his art, he
still remained interested in the human element. His own description of his painting reveals this:
“Some gypsies amusing themselves, swinging a gypsy woman with another two seated watching
and playing the guitar, with its corresponding landscape.”7
Figure 1. Merienda a la orilla del

manzanares, 1776 Figure 2. El columpio, 1787
Granados was equally concerned “with people, how they looked, thought, and acted. It was
precisely the physical characteristics of Goya’s subjects that aroused within him the intense
emotion he felt compelled to express through music.”8
The three works by Goya, Tal para cual, El amor y la muerte, and El pelele, demonstrate
a clear and direct influence on Goyescas. The first two works will be discussed in the last chapter
with the corresponding pieces. “El pelele,” which is actually the opening piece of the opera
Goyescas, is traditionally played at the end of the piano suite. El pelele (The Straw Mannequin,
Figure 3) reveals this direct influence, depicting four majas tossing a life sized straw mannequin
7
Janis Tomlinson, Francisco Goya y Lucientes 1746-1828 (London: Phaidon Press Limited, 1994), 27.
8
Clark, 123.
5
of a rejected suitor on a blanket. Granados translates this painting by Goya through refined and
ironic musical treatment, using simple harmonies and a major tonality to reflect the bright colors
and facial expressions of the majas. Throughout the piece, trills and ornamentations correspond
to the frilly dresses of the four majas. Rising and falling melodies, when combined with the
repeated rhythmic motive and bouncing staccato articulations, recall the flying and falling of the
mannequin on the blanket.
Figure 3. El pelele, 1791-2
Granados’s harmonic color may be compared to the warm and delicate blend of hues seen
in Goya’s paintings, with both artists treating the line as a part of a larger harmonic or color flow.
Guidol says El quitasol (The Parasol, Figure 4) has “. . . sumptuous color, light effects and fabric
qualities . . . rich color harmony and increased interest in tactile quality.”9 Although the woman
is dressed as a member of the upper class, her dress, with the graceful swirling movement of its
9
Jose Guidol, Goya (New York: Hyperion Press, 1941), 76.
6
folds and bright colors, may inspire the pianist’s imagination when he encounters the decorative
melodies and curved phrase shapes found in Goyescas.
Figure 4. El quitasol, 1777 Figure 5. La maja y los

embozados, 1777
One can imagine the costume and posture of the characters in the opera Goyescas – Rosario,
Fernando, Paquiro, Pepa, and other people in chorus–from the many works of Goya. Goya’s La
maja y los embozados (The Maja and the Cloaked Men, Figure 5) provides examples of the
sumptuous attire favored by the maja and the majo, reflecting changes in fashion among the
Spanish aristocracy towards the end of the eighteenth century; costume designs for majos in the
opera’s chorus were directly inspired by this painting. Pepa is one of the principal characters
whose charms are displayed in a flamboyant manner comparable to the maja in this painting.10
In fact, so entranced was Granados by Goya’s depictions of majas that he continually
drew sketches of these sensual, colorfully dressed women even while preparing music for the
10
Granados and Goyescas: The Catalogue of Exhibition Honoring Enrique Granados and the American
Premiere of Goyescas (Boston: Boston Athenaeum, 1982), 14.
7
world premiere of the opera Goyescas.11 His notebook, Apuntes y temas para mis obras (Notes
and Themes for My Works), contains musical sketches, verses, and drawings (Figure 6, 7, 8, and
9). The subjects of these drawings are the majas and the majos of eighteenth century Madrid,
described as follows:
The majas…are brilliant and beautiful women, who adore brightly colored dresses,
gleaming shawls, make-up, jewelry and love-making. They call themselves florists or
dressmakers but take for themselves more flowers and material than they sell….The
majos, their male counterparts, too elegant to do any work, idle, flattering and jealous,
flash burning glances at the ladies and passionate declarations of love; among themselves,
the majos occasionally also exchange lasting wounds, with daggers.12
Figure 6. Granados, La maja de Figure 7. Granados, La maja de

paseo (The maja out for a walk), paseo (The maja out for a walk),
Courtesy of Pierpont Morgan Courtesy of Pierpont Morgan
Library, New York Library, New York
11
Ibid. 15.
12
Daniel De Voto, “Spain,” in Music in the Modern Age, ed. F. W. Sternfeld (New York: Weinfeld &
Nicolson, 1973), 313.
8
Figure 8. Granados, La maja dolorosa Figure 9. Granados, Majo,
(The sad maja), self-portrait, and La Courtesy of Pierpont
maja en el balcón (The maja on the Morgan Library, New York
balcony), Courtesy of Pierpont Morgan
Library, New York
Their style is reminiscent of Goya’s Los caprichos, which depicts the maja’s black eyes and hair,
covered with a mantilla; the majo is presented wearing a cape and a high two-cornered hat.
Coloquio en la reja, among Granados’s sketches, shares its title with the second piece of
Goyescas (See the last chapter); another of his sketches, La maja en el balcón (Maja on a
Balcony, Figure 11), recalls a work by Goya with the same title (Figure 10).
9
Figure 10. Goya, Las majas en Figure 11. Granados, La maja en el
el balcón, 1808-1812 balcón, Courtesy of
Pierpont Morgan Library, New York
Compared with Pepa, Rosario – a noblewoman – is only vaguely maja-esque, reflecting
an aristocratic, dreamy vision also found in Granados’s sketches. Granados described his
inspiration for the characters of Fernando and Rosario as follows:
If Goya is not literally impersonated in the opera, we have none the less incorporated him
in an imaginative fashion, if I may express it so. In the character of the nobleman,
Fernando, I mentally visualized Goya; in Rosario I beheld the Duchess of Alba. That
resemblance sufficed to stimulate my fancy. For the rest, I disapprove of all attempts to
place great personages of reality on the stage. The portrayal of them must always fall
short of their grandeur in the actuality of existence.13
Granados claimed before the premiere that the characters of Fernando and Rosario were actually
based on Goya and his mistress, the Duchess of Alba, although it is unlikely that any specific
representation was intended. Among Goya’s paintings, La duchesse d’Albe (The Duchess of
13
Herbert F. Peyser, “Granados here for production of Goyescas,” Musical America Vol. 23 (December,
1915): 3.
10
Alba) is portrayed in both a normal style (Figure 12) and in the traditional costumes of the lower
class majas (Figure 13). This painting demonstrates that many people of the upper class sought
to emulate the dress and mannerisms of the free-spirited majas and majos.
Figure 12. La duchesse Figure 13. La duchesse

d’Albe, 1795 d’Albe, 1797
Rosario’s image can be derived from various portraits of the Duchess of Alba as well as
from Goya’s La gallina ciega (Blindman’s Buff, Figure 14). This painting depicts a circle of
eight aristocrats surrounding a blindfolded man who is attempting to touch a woman with a
wooden spoon. The colors are delicately blended, centering around the graceful, milky whites of
the clouds and the garments of the majas. Granados uses this title for the subtitle of his opera
Ovillejos; Granados stated that he originally wrote “El fandango de candil” of Goyescas for this
opera.14 Other majas in the opera were likely drawn from the figure of a young woman holding
pottery in El cacharrero (The Pottery Vendor, Figure 15).
14
Douglas Riva, “The Goyescas for Piano by Enrique Granados: A Critical Edition.” (Ph.D. diss., New
York University, 1983), 15.
11
Figure 14. La gallina ciega, 1788-1789 Figure 15. El cacharrero, 1779
Fernando Periquet, the librettist for Goyescas, described Paquiro in a letter to “The New
York Times”: “Paquiro is, aside from the famous painting Retrato del torero Martincho, one of
620 bullfighters which Goya sketched.”15
Figure 16. Retrato del torero

Martincho, c. 1790
15
Fernando Periquet, “From the Librettist of Goyescas,” The New York Times (February 27th, 1916): 6.
12
Los caprichos (1792-1799) are products of Goya’s mature period; the series of etchings
depict such everyday themes as flirtation, love, and the clergy, but in a grotesque, almost surreal
manner.16 Goya progressed from depicting the light side of human activity to representing
unbalanced and uncertain creations of darkness. Goya’s vision evolved into Los caprichos and
grew progressively darker towards the end of his life.
Goya’s Los caprichos especially resembles Goyescas in its use of narration and variation
on themes. A number of Goya’s etchings from Los caprichos contributed to Granados’s
Goyescas: Tal para cual (Two of a Kind, no. 5), Ni asi la distingue (He Cannot Make Her Out,
no. 7), El amor y la muerte (Love and Death, no. 10), Muchachos al avío (Lads Making Ready,
no. 11), Bellos consejos (Beautiful Advice, no. 15), Dios la perdone: Y era su madre (May God
Forgive Her: And It Was Her Mother, no. 16), and Quien mas rendido? (Who is more devoted?,
no. 27). Each of these etchings portrays manners reflected in the libretto, music, and costumes
for the opera and also shows a marked similarity to the drawings made by Granados in his
notebook.
Figure 17. Ni asi la distingue Figure 18. Muchachos al avío

16
Annemarie Schuessler, “Piano Music of Granados,” Clavier 31(October 1992): 19.
13
Figure 18. Bellos consejos Figure 19. Dios la perdone:
Y era su madre
Goyescas parallels the art of Goya in subject, style, structure, and expression, all of which
reflect Spanish characteristics. Los caprichos, when expressed in Romantic terms, can be
translated to a fantasy without fixed form; likewise, Goyescas is based on the recurrence of
themes and can be considered as a free fantasy rather than as a sonata or other tightly structured
form. Enrique Lafuente Ferrari’s description of Los caprichos does well in expressing
similarities in the use of form between Goya and Granados:
Goya’s genius was not one that favored a classical form. To use musical terminology, it
is difficult to fit the Caprices into symphony or sonata form, with the andante at the
beginning, then the serene legato, followed by a scherzo and a final allegro. Although a
rationalist in his ideas, in spirit Goya was a Romantic. The poetic quality of the
Caprices comes particularly from the constant recurrence of a certain number of
leitmotifs. The whole series is shaped more like a symphonic poem or a rhapsody than
like a symphony.17
Thus, in a sense, Granados’s use of variation on themes and leitmotifs in Goyescas may be
thought of as a result of Goya’s influence.

17
Enrique Lafuente Ferrari, Goya: His Complete Etchings, Aquatints, and Lithographs, Trans. by Raymond
Rudorff (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., n.d., 1962), 12.
14
Goyescas parallels Goya’s tapestry cartoons and paintings with its dependence on
harmonic color, ornamented melodic lines, and texture; likewise, the suite matches Los
caprichos in its treatment of subject matter, form, and narrative elements. The pianist’s own
imagination – especially the consideration of characters such as the majas and majos that appear
in the works of Goya – would be indispensable in conceiving a unifying narrative for
performance purposes.
15
II. Performing as a Storyteller – Conceiving the Story and Sound of the Opera Goyescas
Given that they share much of the same music, reflection on the opera Goyescas cannot
be separated from the study of the piano suite. Moreover, the opera provides a lyrical and visual
context for the scenes as Granados would have imagined them – always with Goya’s works as a
basis. Thus, giving proper consideration to the opera is a necessary prerequisite for any pianist
interested in performing the suite.
Going by only the individual titles of the six separate pieces of Goyescas and some
markings by Granados, the pianist may be able to independently conceive a story with six scenes.
However, knowledge of the dramatic narrative of the opera would greatly enhance
interpretations of the piano suite in terms of musical expression. In addition to this, the pianist
has the additional option of transferring the sound palette of the opera to the keyboard: solo voice,
duet, quartet, chorus, solo instrument, orchestra, etc., all of which are discussed in the last
chapter. The composition of the opera postdates the piano suite, with both sharing much of the
same music; thus, the pianist is free to take interpretive ideas from the opera. Furthermore, it
would be useful from a performance perspective to analyze Granados’s final version18 of
Goyescas, which is realized in the opera, and to use this as inspiration in creating a programmatic
guide to the music.
The plot of the opera is based on subjects from the time of Goya, with characters of
nobility (Rosario and Fernando) and common people (Pepa and Paquiro) – a story of flirtation,
love, jealousy, and death is woven around these four characters. The following is a
rearrangement of the story line to the entire piano suite, which is based on the libretto for the
opera Goyescas.
18
Researchers point out Granados’s compositional habit of continual refinement of his works, which may
arise from his improvisatory nature.
16
1. “Los requiebros” (Flirtation)
Paquiro, the bullfighter, is passing among the women, flattering them and paying them
compliments, when Pepa, the fiancé of Paquiro, arrives in her dog-cart. Shortly
afterwards, Rosario, a lady of rank, arrives in her sedan-chair; she comes to meet her
lover, Fernando, a captain in the Royal Spanish Guards. Paquiro approaches Rosario
chivalrously and bows to her gracefully. He compliments that she is a dream of a woman
and so beautiful. He reminds her that she once danced with him at a lantern-lighted ball
and invites her to go again. Pepa, the majas, and majos observe the scene, surprised. Pepa
becomes jealous at this, and Fernando overhears Paquiro’s invitation. He tells Paquiro
that Rosario shall go to the dance, but that he will accompany her.
2. “Coloquio en la reja” (Conversation at the Window)

Rosario goes slowly into the house and reappears leaning out of a window, where
Fernando finds her. They sing an impassioned love-duet that reflects both love and
conflict between Rosario and Fernando.
3. “El fandango de candil” (Fandango by Lamplight)

People dance the fandango at the lantern-lit ball. Fernando and Rosario arrive. Pepa’s
jealousy and Fernando’s taunting of Paquiro provoke a quarrel. Fernando challenges
Paquiro to a duel. Rosario, who is unaware of the arranged duel, persuades Fernando to
leave from the Ball.
4. “Quejas o la maja y el ruiseñor” (Lament, or the Maiden and the Nightingale)

Rosario is in her garden. Rosario is seated on a stone bench, listening to the Nightingale’s
song and singing a passionate love-song.
5. “El amor y la muerte” (Love and Death: a Ballad)

Rosario enters supporting Fernando. She sings her sorrows and premonitions. They
remember the moments they spent together. Fernando dies in her arms. Rosario falls onto
the body of Fernando.
6. “Epílogo: Serenata del espectro” (Epilogue: The Specter’s Serenade)

The ghost of Fernando appears around Rosario but she doesn’t notice him. He serenades
playing the guitar. He memories the beautiful moments spent with her. After tolling of
the church bells, he disappears plucking each string of the guitar.
In the opera, Granados arranged this music into the order 1-3-4-2-5, with the omission of
“Epilogo.”19 The piano version of “Coloquio” follows “Requiebros” and precedes “Fandango”;
in the opera, this scene follows both “Fandango” and “Quejas” and appears directly before
“Amor,” which is the concluding number. The reason for this interchange is that the mortal duel
19
The author has abbreviated each title of the Goyescas: “Requiebros,” “Coloquio,” “Fandango,” “Quejas,”
“Amor,” and “Epilogo.”
17
has already been revealed in “Coloquio.” Music added to “Coloquio” for the stage describes the
sword fight and screams of Fernando and Rosario. As a victorious Paquiro flees into the
background, dissonant acciaccatura chords prepare the final scene. Therefore, before playing the
fifth piece, the pianist should imagine the scene – a duel, followed by Rosario’s horror-filled
screams upon seeing the mortally wounded Fernando – in order to truly feel the proper tragic
emotion. Nevertheless, music for the two versions differs only in slight details, with both
conveying passionate and melancholic love. The continuous appearance of certain themes and
their transformations creates a musical narrative of sound, reflecting the characters and their
emotional changes as the music progresses throughout the story.
Performing the suite from a storyteller’s perspective reflects the musician’s individual
perception of the score as well as his concept of the work as a musical whole, which is revealed
in the music he produces. Playing in this way requires special creativity from the performer and
an adept ability to shape the music to affect audience response. By applying narrative elements
and sound palettes from the opera to the piano suite, a performer will be able to weave a
storyline – complete with compelling plot and characters – from the foundations laid by
Granados’s music.
18
III. Spanish Temperament – Spanish Dances, Songs, and Sound of Guitar
Goyescas, in both forms, represents the universality and international recognition that
was the ultimate objective for this generation of Spanish composer – a style based upon the
rhythms and accents of Spanish dance forms, allied with a melodic structure derived from
Chopin’s cantilena and its associated harmonies, and combined together with Lisztian virtuoso
technique.20 The entire suite is constructed of alternating song and dance, with the exception of
the fifth piece (Table 1). The pianist must capture the essence of Spanish song and dance as it
relates to each movement of Goyescas; it should be as natural to his or her performance as
though he or she were a native Spaniard singing and dancing.
Table 1. Spanish Idioms in Goyescas
Vol. 1 I Los requiebros 3/8 Tirana del Trípili

Jota rhythm
II Coloquio en la 3/4 Sound of guitar,
reja Quotations of Tonadilla “El amor del majo”
and “La maja dolorosa”
Cante jondo style in recitative
III El fandango de 3/4 Fandango rhythm
candil
IV Quejas o la maja 3/4 Valencian folk song
y el ruiseñor
Vol. 2 V El amor y la 3/4(6/8)
muerte
VI Epilogo- 3/8 Dance rhythm in triple meter, sound of
Serenata del guitar
espectro
Among many Spanish dances, the jota and fandango are especially prevalent in Goyescas.
These dances are usually accompanied by guitars. The jota is a dance in rapid triple time that
appears in many variants throughout Spain but is regarded primarily as Aragonese. The jota
includes a main section, called a copla, which is preceded by an instrumental introduction, and
20
Burnett James, Manuel de Falla and the Spanish Musical Renaissance (London: Victor Gollancz Ltd.
1979), 56.
19
estribillos (refrains), which are musically and sometimes textually distinct. The phrases of the
copla are accompanied by the alternation of dominant and tonic harmonies.
The fandango is a lively couple-dance in triple meter, accompanied by a guitar and
castanets or palmas (hand clapping). It is considered the most widespread of Spain’s traditional
dances.21 The fandango is most often related to Andalusia and became widespread from the
beginning of the 18th century. Although its origins were among the gypsies and muleteers of
Spain, by the end of the 18th century this dance had become popular with the aristocracy as
well.22 As in the jota, the fandango also features the alternation of coplas with distinct
instrumental sections, known as falsetas. Although its form is similar to the jota, the fandango is
essentially different due to its modal characteristics and great harmonic diversity. It is
characterized by distinctive rhythmical and harmonic patterns that are repeated throughout the
dance. The introduction comes to a cadence in the E mode, after which the first phrase of the
copla cadences on a major chord a major third lower than the original cadence (on E). The
second phrase cadences on the fourth degree, the fourth on the fifth degree, while the sixth
phrase leads back to the initial E mode. Granados reflects some aspects of the form of the
fandango but does not strictly follow this structure.
Although flamenco originates with the gypsies of Andalusia, this artform incorporates
many traditional features of Spanish dancing. The gypsies prefer to use the pito (finger snapping),
the palmada (clapping of the hands with a sharp, dry “clack”; also, slapping of the thighs), and
the taconeo (rhythmic stamping with the heels), which is one variety of the zapateado (from
21
Arcadio de Larrea Palacín, Martin Cunningham, and Ramón Pelinski, ‘Spain,’ Grove Music Online ed.
(Accessed 11 June 2007), http://www.grovemusic.com.proxy.libraries.uc.edu.
22
Natalia Granados de Carreras, 14.
20
zapato, “shoe”).23 These rhythmic devices for musical expression provide a variety of cross
rhythms and syncopations that can be used to supply hemiola, off-beat accents, and dissonances.
The curving, repeating, and winding ornamented melodic materials that frequently appear
throughout Goyescas are likely inspired by this form of Spanish dance, which is based on grace
of body and hand movement. Andre Levinson points out the main difference between European
dance and Andalusian dance:
The European dance, especially as developed in the ballet, . . . the arms and legs are
detached from the body in extended movements, . . . the Andalusian dances . . . employ
every muscle in an intense concentration of dynamic movement in which the decorative
element is the sinuous arabesque of arms and hands, never angular, but ever winding and
curving and turning.24
Occasionally, Granados brings an unexpected stop to the music. This kind of
improvisatory trait is related to bien parado, which refers to moments in Spanish folk dance
when the dancers assume an immobile pose. A careful decision regarding the length of the
silence must be quickly made by the performer, based on context and the amount of tension
desired (Example 1.1).
23
Gilbert Chase, The Music of Spain. 2nd ed. (New York: Dover Publications, 1959), 250.
24
Ibid., 245-246.
21
Example 1.1. “Los requiebros,” mm. 350-357
One can imagine such moments of immobility and other scenes related to the fandango through
the following description:
Men and women, young and old, acknowledge the power of this air over the ears and soul
of every Spaniard. The young men spring to their places, rattling castanets, or imitating
their sound by snapping their fingers. The girls are remarkable for the willowy languor
and lightness of their movements, the voluptuousness of their attitudes – beating the
exactest time with tapping heels. Partners tease and entreat and pursue each other by
turns. Suddenly the music stops, and each dancer shows his skill by remaining absolutely
motionless, bounding again in the full life of the fandango as the orchestra strikes up. The
sound of the guitar, the violin, the rapid tic-tac of heels (taconeos), the crack of fingers
and castanets, the supple swaying of the dancers, fill the spectators with ecstasy.25
Granados’s fascination with the majo and maja of Goya naturally finds its realization in
the composition of the Tonadilla, the popular music of Goya’s time. The tonadilla originated as
a “little song”; popular in eighteenth century Madrid, it was appended to short theatrical forms
and sung by an actor to the accompaniment of the guitar.26 Granados wrote twelve Tonadillas for
voice and piano, all of which shared the common theme of romance among the men and women
25
Carl van Vechten, The Music of Spain (New York: Alfred A. Knopf Inc., 1918), 56.
26
Chase, 128.
22
of Madrid in Goya’s time. A woman laments the death of her lover in three of the songs; in
others, a woman searches for her lover, suffers because he has forgotten her, happily remembers
their time together, or considers how well he can keep a secret.27
The Goyescas obviously reveal much borrowed melodic material from Granados’s
Tonadillas. Granados described the close relationship between the Goyescas and Tonadillas in
his notebook Apuntes:
[The] [c]ollection of Tonadillas [is] written in the classical mode (originals). These
Tonadillas [are] (originals); they are not those previously known and harmonized. I
wanted to create a collection that would serve me as a document for the Goyescas. And it
has to be known that with the exception of Los requiebros and Las quejas, in no other of
my Goyescas are there any popular themes. They are definitely written in a popular style
but they are originals.28
The detailed relationship between the Tonadillas and the Goyescas will be discussed in the last
chapter. One may consider the playing of the melody of the Tonadillas themselves as the singing
of a song within a given musical context, allowing for the application of Steven Blier’s
description: “What makes these songs so magical . . . and so difficult . . . is the understated
rubato they require, tiny gradations of give and take in the rhythm, allied to a firm, springy
attack without any touch of heaviness.”29
“Los requiebros” is based on the estribillo (refrain) of the tonadilla, Tirana del trípili by
Blas de Laserna, which was already well known in the eighteenth century and became
tremendously popular in nineteenth century Europe due to its inclusions in various theatrical
pieces, such as the overture to I due Figaro (1835) by Mercadante. These two simple phrases of
the refrain provide the two main themes for the complex and seemingly inexhaustible variations
27
Douglas Stalker, “Guide to Records: Granados,” American Record Guide Vol. 61, Issue 6 (Nov/ Dec
1998): 138.
28
Enrique Granados, Apuntes y temas para mis obras, Pierpont Morgan Library, New York. Transcribed
and Traslated by Douglas Riva in “The Goyescas: A Critical Edition,” 16.
29
Steven Blier, “The Great Granados,” Opera News Vol. 70, Issue 11 (May 2006): 47.
23
that Granados developed in “Los requiebros.”30 The use of Tirana reveals another instance of
Granados’s fascination with Goya’s eighteenth century.
Example 1.2. Tirana del Trípili by Blas de Laserna31
The tirana is a dance-song common to the region of Andalusia that is characterized by a
syncopated rhythmic pattern, usually in 3/8 or 6/8 time. If the song is to be danced, it affords
“opportunities for grace and gesture, the women toying with their aprons, the men flourishing
hats and handkerchiefs.”32 The lyrics are usually in the form of coplas (verses) and estribillos
(refrains). Most tonadillas in the 1780s ended with tiranas.
The cante jondo, flamenco deep-song, stems from an Andalusian heritage and is vocally
performed by the gypsies with quarter-tone inflections between small intervals. Although it is
completely impossible to execute the quarter-tone pitches with the piano, Spanish composers
tried to capture the essence of this style and to evoke its mystery and melancholic sadness. An
30
Xosé Aviñoa, “Introduction to Goyescas,” documentation and text by Douglas Riva, in Integral para
Piano/ Enrique Granados, Goyescas 2, vol. 4. (Barcelona: Editorial de Musica Boileau, 2001), 20.
31
Chase, 131.
32
Vechten, 45.
24
important characteristic of cante jondo appearing in “Coloquio” is the preponderance of ornate
embellishments (See Example 2.13). These are found frequently in Spanish music and are to be
rendered expressively – not always fast, especially in pieces where the basic tempo is slow.
Together with the poignant melody, they express the sensitive brooding quality inherent to gypsy
music.33
Goyescas is infused with the sound of guitar. Granados was especially inspired by the
sound of the Spanish guitar, the most expressive Spanish instrument not only for accompanying
Spanish folk songs and dances, but also for performing as a solo instrument. The use of a guitar
idiom on the piano imbues Spanish flavor into the music and reflects its nationalistic spirit.
Granados was extremely clear in denoting his intentions in two particular movements of
Goyescas: he marks “Toutes les basses imitant la guitare (all bass notes imitating the guitar)” in
the beginning of “Coloquio” and “Le spectre disparaît pinçant les cordes de sa guitare (the
ghost disappears plucking the strings of his guitar)” in the ending of “Epilogo,” a passage which
shows the open string tuning of the guitar, E-A-D-G-B-E. Besides these direct indications, much
of the music in Goyescas calls for guitar-like effects made with arpeggiated chords, staccatos,
tremolos, chord-spacings, and harmonic progressions.
The Spanish guitar is played in three basic styles: rasgueado and punteado, and pulgato.
Rasgueado refers to strumming the chords in an upwards or downwards direction with four
fingers of the right hand (excluding the thumb), while punteado refers to picking or plucking one
string at a time to produce a melody or a succession of separate notes. In many places of
Goyescas, a staccato touch recalls the plucking of the strings of a guitar; furthermore, a
strumming effect is often produced through the use of arpeggiated figurations (See Example 6.2).
33
Olga Llano Kuehl, “The Piano music of Spain: Its Flavor and Interpretation,” Clavier 15 (October 1976):
18.
25
Pulgato is another guitar technique of plucking strings that uses only the thumb to produce a
very strong and accented sound. In fact, this technique was favored by many flamenco
guitarists.34 The pianist, especially those who are not Spanish, must not forget that the sound of
the guitar often provides a vital pulse to the rhythm, a fact that was always at the forefront of a
Spanish composer’s mind.
Strong inner sentiment and sensitivity, a fertile imagination, and a feeling for the Spanish
flavor are necessary for the pianist to give a sympathetic interpretation of Goyescas.35 The
performer should employ a creative and imaginative sound to assimilate as closely as possible
the Spanish idiom at the keyboard.
34
Linton E. Powell, A History of Spanish Piano Music (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1980), 152.
35
Kuehl, 18.
26
IV. A Pianist’s Interpretive Analysis
1. “Los requiebros”
A Spanish expression that defies translation into English, “requiebros” signifies a
charming form of gallant conduct in which the lover offers whispered praise of the grace and
beauty of his beloved. In this piece, which describes this amorous situation, there are a profusion
of expression marks equally difficult to translate on account of their reference to an ethos that is
peculiarly Spanish; these terms define the character and interpretation of the piece.36 Chase
claims that such indications reveal the musical ‘madrileñismo’ of Granados in some of its most
characteristic manifestations.37
Granados took his inspiration for this piece directly from the Capricho No. 5, Tal para
cual (Two of a Kind, Figure 20) which appeared on the cover of the first edition of Goyescas.38
This etching depicts a lady in black with a mantilla, a gentleman with cocked hat and rapier, and
a pair of old women in the background sniggering at them. In “Los requiebros,” the courting and
flirting are portrayed musically by its playful, capricious mood and continually changing tempos.
Other etchings and paintings thematically similar to “Los requiebros” could serve as stimulus for
performance. Coloquio galante (The Flirtation, Figure 21) features a frilly lace dress that would
correspond well with the ornamental style of this piece. The decorative charm and bright colors
of El quitasol (The Parasol, Figure 4) parallel the ornamented, undulating figuration and the
harmonic tone color found in “Los requiebros.” It is filled with all the grace, brightness, and lyric
charm found in Goya’s tapestry cartoons.
36
Manuel Valls, Liner Notes to Granados: Goyescas. Alicia de Larrocha, Pianist. Decca DD 1982, 1984.
Compact Disc.
37
Chase, 163.
38
Dorothy Packard, “Searching Spain for Background and Color,” Clavier 6 (October 1967): 25.
27
Figure 20. Tal para cual Figure 21. Coloquio galante
The entire movement consists mainly of two themes (Copla 1 and 2) taken from Tirana
del trípili by Blas de Laserna, their improvisational variations, and an estribillo, his own music.
Each theme is individually treated in a variety of ways – such as with different ornamentation,
rhythm, and accompaniment – in several keys, and presented only once in succession, as in
Tirana, before reaching the climax. Granados combined this Tirana melody with a jota dance
form. “Los requiebros” incorporates many characteristics of the jota within a freer context. The
formal structure is outlined as follows.
Table 2. Formal Structure of “Los requiebros”
Section Measures Tonal Center

A 1-4 Introduction E-flat
5-32 Copla 1
33-56 Variation on Copla 1
B 57-64 Copla 2 E-flat
65-72 Variations on Copla 2 E-flat
73-80 E
81-90
91-111 Transition
28
C 112-126 Estribillo D-flat
127-134 Transition G
B′ 135-138 Variations on Copla 2 G
139-146
147-154 g
155-178 Transition g
A′ 179-205 Copla 1 E-flat
206-216 Bridge
217-223 Variations on Copla 1 B-flat
224-231
232-241
242-247 (Transition)
248-267
268-278
279-295
296-310 Refrain of Tirana (Copla 1+2) E-flat
Coda 310-357 Coda E-flat
“Los requiebros” features a profusion of variations and ornamentations of its thematic
material, as seen in the real jota. Variation form helps to portray the majo and his spontaneously
changing emotions of flirtation, passion, and playfulness by musical means such as variously
changing accompaniment, ornamentation, articulation, and texture. Although Granados’s use of
the double bars reflects the intention to delineate the various sections, this movement is not in a
strict “theme and variation” form – variations on two themes are loosely arranged with rhapsodic
passages and guitar-like transitions. His variation technique is extremely effective, with the
accompanying texture becoming progressively more elaborate with each appearance of the copla
theme.
In the introduction, there is a graceful figurative contour twirling over a dominant pedal
that is typical of Granados. The curved shape of the melody and its ornamented style become
more eminent as the movement develops. The first theme, taken from the first phrase of
Laserna’s estribillo, is accompanied by chord arpeggiation with triplets on the second beat. This
shows some rhythmic characteristics of the jota, including hemiola, accents on the second beat,
29
and a melody beginning on beat two in triple meter. One can imagine the sound of guitar
accompaniment since jota was typically danced to the guitar. To achieve a dance character, the
first beat needs to be held a little longer than written, while conversely the triplet figuration must
be played slightly faster than written. Nevertheless the basic pulse should not be lost. Performer
should make the music breathe and dance by his responsive sense of rhythm.
30
Another characteristic of the jota is the use of simple tonic-dominant harmonic alternations in
major tonality, which allows for profuse melodic ornamentations, rhythmic improvisation, and
doubled melodic lines. The theme in double notes, as seen in mm. 12-19, frequently appears
throughout the movement. Together with the leaps downward to low bass pitches in the left hand,
this melody presents some technical difficulties for the pianist. In most cases, the upper voice
must be played with a legato articulation; assigning good fingering is the primary concerns for
playing a smooth phrase in mm. 16-19. For legato playing, the fingers, wrist, forearm, and arm
should work together as a coordinated unit, and the middle voice – played almost exclusively by
the first and second fingers – should be practiced with even weight. The wrist should help to
channel the weight from the arm, allowing for smooth movement in each finger.
The cadential rhythm is typical of the jota and contributes to produce a hemiola
effect, thus blurring the phrase structure. In the author’s imagination, this characteristic rhythm
evokes the gesture and expression of flirting seen in Coloquio galante, as well as recalling
Paquiro’s courting of Rosario in the opera. Granados creates the wit, grace, and picturesque
feeling through a slight change of rhythm from Tirana. The accompanying chord in the left hand
(m. 12) serves to launch the phrase into the next continuous, varied melodic line. One may
consider the phrase shape from mm. 5-32 as being constructed through the process of
intensification and relaxation, making for a long, flawless line of melody. Until m. 23, four four-
bar phrases grow together as one large phrase due to their cadential patterns, which obscure the
downbeat and create a hemiola effect. The second and fourth phrases are not mere repetitions,
but are rather very expressive extensions of the previous phrases; they are connected to the larger
whole by their cadential patterns. Intensification is generated by accelerando and ritenuto, along
with crescendo in the dynamics and an extension of the register; this tension is then released with
31
the subito piano marking at m. 24. At this point, Granados’s use of minor harmony for six
measures serves as a means of evoking the sentiment of sadness. In the opera, Paquiro
compliments Rosario’s beauty; Rosario fearfully sings in minor, seeking Fernando, and the long
melody is concluded by Paquiro, who sings gallantly.
Granados favors the use of paired variations in “Los requiebros,” as well as in other
pieces of the Goyescas. Phrases are continuously repeated with embellishments and varied
accompaniments. The music of mm. 34-56 maintains a basic framework of Copla 1 in terms of
melody, rhythm, and harmony, but it features constant triplets in the accompaniment and a
melody in octaves with a ff dynamic, creating an orchestral effect that contrasts with the previous
iteration. There are characteristics of folk music in mm. 34-48, including the drone bass of a fifth
(E-flat and B-flat) and rich ornamentation such as rolls, mordents, and grace notes. The
execution of the ornaments depends on the performer’s own interpretation: some ornaments may
be treated as a simple elaboration and can be played quickly (m. 40), while others may be treated
as a part of the melody and thus played more expressively (m. 48). A smooth melodic shape
lacking harshness for the octaves and a clear articulation for the ornamentation are important
points for the performer to consider in this section (Example 1.4).
32
34
The second theme (Copla 2) is a variant of the second phrase of Laserna’s estribillo,
which is placed in the tenor – emphasizing the second beat through use of agogic accents – and
set against florid passages in the right hand (Example 1.5). The triplets sweep the keyboard while
the simple melody is played at an easygoing pace. This triplet passage including ornaments
should be flawlessly even. For achieving evenness the pianist must practice for controlling the
weight given on each finger. Agogic accents on the second beat for the left hand melody should
not affect to this passage. The melody changes through the course of the next three variations,
illustrating Granados’s reputation as a great improviser. The performer, for his part, may make
33
the recurrent theme interesting by changing tone colors, taking liberties with the tempo, and
varying the phrasing.
The consideration of overall structure as each copla progresses is important to the performer.
Morrison asserted, “The vocally conceived lyricism achieves its intensity because the composer
so often takes a simple and basic enough motive and then writes variations of ever-increasing
complexity, wreathing garlands of the densest and most decorative foliage round his fundamental
idea. Granados repeats his material, not only conveying a unity of conception but sort of ecstatic
insistence and delirious circling round the initial material. By endless varied repetition he
conveys an obsessive and static insistence on the essential beauty of his conception.”39
One of the variations of Copla 2 in mm. 73-80 depicts the duet of Rosario and Pepa in the
opera. In reflecting this, the pianist must be concerned with the notated articulation of the middle
part, treating the voice not as an accompaniment, but as the song of Pepa (Example 1.6a).
39
Bryce Morrison, review of Granados: The Complete Piano Music of Granados, performed by Thomas
Rajne, Musical Opinion 99 (February 1976): 203-204.
34
Example 1.6a. “Los requiebros,” mm. 73-81
Example 1.6b. Opera Goyescas, Tableau I, Scene 3, mm. 34-35

34
Transition figurations in mm. 106-111 include short, repeated, falling patterns in the right
hand, each marked ‘decrescendo,’ and represent Pepa’s mockery according to the opera text
(Opera, mm. 66-71). The first eight notes of Copla 1 are played detached in the left hand,
35
modulating from F major to D-flat major. The triplet accompaniment of the right hand recalls the
sound of castanets (Example 1.7).
From Copla1
The estribillo contains a new melody in the tenor surrounding the material from the first
copla. At this point, the music settles down into D-flat major. The pianist should focus on
balance and melodic shape within a multi-voice texture that includes alternating hand technique
in an ornamental style. In the opera, Rosario and Fernando exchange the melody between them
in a sort of give-and-take; soon, Pepa and Paquiro join them. There is an expression mark in
Rosario’s part: “with Spanish fervor.” Consideration of Rosario and Fernando’s parts and how
they translate to the keyboard would be helpful in producing distinctive melodic lines imbued
with their characteristic sound (mm. 112-126).
36
112
Fernando
Rosario
Rosario
Fernando
An augmented sixth modulation by a tritone – D-flat major to G major – is effective in
opening the transition and changing the mood from passion to playfulness (mm. 126-127). This
section requires the pianist to change the former soft and flat touch to one that is articulated and
quick for the large leaps and mains croisées, such as in the music of Scarlatti. The first theme is
treated capriciously, appearing in duple meter as implied through Granados’s pedal marking at m.
131 (Example 1.9).
37
The second theme (Copla 2) returns with a smoothly flowing accompaniment and is
subsequently transformed into the jumping jota character, with accents on the third beat of the
left hand (Example 1.10). Before reaching the “Allegro assai” section, the pianist should
continue to feel duple meter for a bar. Many pianists generally assume a tempo in which the
length of the first measure of the “Allegro assai” is equal to half of the preceding bar ( = ).
38
The Variante de la tonadilla section sounds almost new in its tonality and calm mood,
but it reveals Granados’s ingenuity, with the theme from the tonadilla “El majo olvidado (The
Forgotten Majo)” skillfully combined with the opening melody of “Los requiebros.”40 Both the
Variante de la tonadilla section and the transition leading to it are derived from Granados’s
tonadilla “El majo olvidado.”
Example 1.11a. “El majo olvidado,” mm. 25-30, 37-43

25
37
40
Douglas Riva, “The Goyescas for Piano by Enrique Granados: A Critical Edition” (Ph. D. diss., New
York University, 1982), 17.
39
Example 1.11b. “Los requiebros,” mm. 205-230
tonadilla
Copla 1
This section is a good example of phrase extension, a typical technique of Granados: each new
variation further develops aspects of the previous one such that the material is gradually
transformed and embellished. The first of the paired variations (mm. 217-223 and 224-231) is
presented in a chorale-like texture, with the second tracing over the first for three measures
before rising to a higher pitch, G. The third one (mm. 232-241) extends the phrase to the highest
40
pitch, B-flat, shortly alluding G minor with a meter change to 2/8 and leading to increased
rhythmic activity. The shape of this phrase forms an arch that grows bigger as it progresses;
irregular phrases throughout this section are likely the result of improvisation. This section
assists the effective return of the tonadilla in the next section.
The first theme, together with the second theme, recurs as in Laserna’s original version,
covering the full range of keyboard with octave leaps. This section requires a full-toned sonority
along with the triumphant feeling of return.
Granados employed a simple song for this piece but treated it with displays of brilliant
pianism – complex arpeggios, difficult double note passage and elegant counterpoint over
chromatic harmonies – and characteristics of the Spanish jota. Frequent tempo changes and
flexible applications of rubato must be used with care – the performer should focus not only on
subtle details, but also on phrasing within the entire structure as a whole.
41
2. “Coloquio en la reja”
Granados’s own drawing “Coloquio en la reja (Figure 22),” found in his notebook,
reveals the inspiration for his piano piece with the same title. This drawing portrays a majo and
his beloved maja conversing through a lattice-window. Clark described the music as it compares
to the drawing: “. . . . the majo’s back is facing us, the viewer. This conversation is very private,
and we can only hear the murmurings and whisperings of endearment passing between the two.
This explains the intimate and withdrawn character of the opening. As the movement develops, it
becomes more passionate.”41
Figure 22. Enrique Granados,

Coloquio en la reja, Courtesy of
Pierpont Morgan Library, New York
In the opera, this piece takes place after Rosario sings with the nightingale. Rosario slowly enters
the house and stands at a latticed window, where she and Fernando sing their passionate duet;
41
Walter Aaron Clark, Enrique Granados: Poet of the Piano (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006),
131.
42
this is followed by the duel in which he is killed. This scene is understood as both an amorous
conversation and a passionate dispute between Rosario and Fernando. The text of the scene
reflects a wide spectrum of emotions ranging from tenderness to passion; this is expressed
through the use of rubato and frequent tempo changes in the piano suite. Chromaticism and
frequent tonal shifts reflect the undulation of their emotions, culminating in the duel with
Paquiro.
This piece is based on a musical sketch entitled “El amor del majo” in his notebook,
which he called Apuntes y temas para mis obras. This sketch reveals that Granados had intended
to write a song under the title but eventually did not do so. Granados instead used the ascending
four notes in the first two measures as a thematic motive and fully quoted the entire melody of
the sketch twice in “Coloquio.” The motive appears throughout the movement and provides unity
to the entire structure. Later, this melody reappears at a fff dynamic with full block chords
accompanied by double-note triplet figurations – it represents the operatic scene of Rosario
pleading with Fernando not to participate in the duel. Carefully shaped phrases and a measured
gradation of dynamics to produce a legato sound are requirements for this section (Example 2.1a,
b, and c).
Example 2.1a. Sketch for “El amor del majo”
43
Example 2.1b. “Coloquio en la reja,” Theme D, mm. 41-48
41
45
Example 2.1c. “Coloquio en la reja,” mm. 166-175
44
The large-scale formal structure can be seen as A-B-C-A′-coda divided by a guitar
prelude, interludes, and a postlude (Table 3). There are six principal themes with their respective
improvisatory variations beautifully laid out within the movement. The music unfolds in the
same way as the amorous dialogue of the majo and the maja, in which their love is expressed
spontaneously without any particular organization.
Table 3. Formal Structure of “Coloquio en la reja”
Section Measures Indication Tonal

Center
A 1-5 Guitar prelude con sentimento amoroso B-flat
6-14 Theme A e-flat
15-22 Theme B con molta espressione
23-28 Bridge ( with
thematic material
of A)
29-32 Theme C (“La maja dolorosa”) un poco meno mosso/
teneramente
33-40 Transition on
materials of
Theme A, B & C
41-48 Theme D (“El amor del majo”) poco in tempo b-flat
49-63 Transition on material of meno mosso/ appassionato
Theme B
B 64-68 Guitar interlude avec sourdine très leger C
69-79 Improvisation on
materials of
Theme B & C
80-88 Theme E espress./ calmato ed F
amoroso
89-96 Variation on
Theme B
97-104 Variation on
Theme E
C 105-117 Theme F Copla/ molto espress. B-flat
118-129 Improvisation on très calme/ dolciss.
Theme F
130-148 Transition on material of appassionato
Theme B
A′ 149-157 Guitar interlude Allegretto airoso e-flat
158-165 Improvisation on Grave/ la main droite très
Theme A légère
45
166-176 Theme D (“El grandioso
Amor del Majo”)
177-186 Guitar interlude
Coda 187 Coda Recitative con dolore ed appassionato
188-196 Guitar postlude Adagio B-flat
on Theme A
The five-measure introduction reveals that Granados was interested in emulating the low,
rich tones of the guitar. The harmonic ambiguity of Theme A seems to evoke an uncertain
atmosphere – the longing for something unattainable, and the dark shadows of love. In spite of
the harmonic vagueness, augmented-sixth chords (mm. 6 and 8) resolve to B-flat, implying a
tonal center of E-flat (Example 2.2). A mellow tone is required in the melodic lines of the
soprano and alto as if evoking a love duet between Fernando and Rosario. Shading of the
augmented-sixth chords and the deceptive harmony is important in capturing the Spanish
atmosphere.
Example 2.2. “Coloquio en la reja,” Introduction and Theme A, mm. 1-11
Prelude Theme A
46
Theme B contains the same rhythmic pattern as m. 10 of Theme A. Granados uses a
fluctuation of the mode in mm. 15-16 as an effective device for expressing melancholic love in
this piece (Example 2.3).
Example 2.3. “Coloquio en la reja,” Theme B, mm. 15-22
15
Throughout the piece, Granados favored the repetition of two-bar phrases with varied endings,
such as in mm. 15-18 of Theme B. In the last two measures of Theme B, an enharmonic
modulation in m. 21 is noticeable along with Granados’s indication “poco ten.” The G-flat chord
(bVI in B-flat) becomes F-sharp chord (V in B) by enharmonic reinterpretation on the third beat
of m. 21. The performer should feel this change and concentrate especially on voicing and tone
color for it.
A decisive tone is needed immediately after the enharmonic modulation in order to
provide a contrast for the previous amorous mood. The bridge connecting Theme B to Theme C
is mingled with gestures from the bass of Theme A. The dynamic range increases dramatically in
47
mm. 23-24, while the music repeats in mm. 25-26 with wide-spanned leaps. Rather than hurrying,
the performer should stretch the eighth notes in order to create an effective crescendo (Example
2.4).
Example 2.4. “Coloquio en la reja,” mm. 23-26
The Meno mosso section in mm. 49-52 is notated on three staves and marked
appassionato. It is based on the descending melodic line found in the second measure of Theme
B. As seen in example 2.4, by repeating the two-bar phrase and extending the descending scale,
Granados creates moments of dramatic tension. In playing the descending octaves, the performer
must avoid sounding harsh or heavy; rather, this passage must be carefully voiced along with the
left hand (Example 2.5).
49
Theme B reappears in mm. 89-93 and is arranged across three staves, as it requires a wide
range of the keyboard (Example 2.6). Especially challenging for the pianist is voicing the melody
embedded in the middle line, as Granados divides it between the hands. Because this inner
48
melodic line must be brought out, balance is the most important consideration, as there are
contrapuntal, embellishing lines complicating the texture. Balance is of constant concern
throughout the piece. The music in mm. 89-102 is omitted in the Opera.
Theme C is a two-bar paired unit featuring a chromatic descending bass line (Example
2.7a). It is quoted from “La maja dolorosa” among his Tonadillas (Example 2.7b). The melody is
rhythmically displaced on the off-beats and produces a floating atmosphere that results from the
freedom from metric accentuation. It is an unusual theme with regards to its large leaps and the
wide range. This theme takes on an improvisatory quality as the music progresses (Example
2.7c).
49
Example 2.7a. “Coloquio en la reja,” Theme C, mm. 29-32
29
Example 2.7b. “La maja dolorosa,” mm. 7-13
Example 2.7c. “Coloquio en la reja,” mm. 72-75
In example 2.7c, Theme C contains characteristics of free improvisation while still maintaining
the chromatic descent in the bass and the general framework of the melody. In the opera,
50
sequential passages are often divided according to the protagonists: Fernando sings mm. 31-32,
72-73 and Rosario sings mm. 29-30, 74-75, alternating in a question and answer style. Pianists
might consider this singing style of Fernando and Rosario during performance and keep in mind
that the second phrase is not just a repetition of the first.
Granados favors the use of the phrases of asymmetric length along with asymmetric
intervals, as seen in Theme C; the pianist should always consider the direction of phrasing and
the appropriate use of rubato. Livermore’s description about Granados’s Tonadillas is tied to the
Goyescas as well:
The asymmetry of intervals within the phrases and asymmetry of these phrases one to
another express agitation of mood which the poet was not able to put into words . . . .
Typically, the epitaph is sighed out by the piano alone with a deliberate depth of dropping
modulation which is one of Granados’s chief grace.42
Theme E is the most important, as it recurs in the other movements of the suite – its
recurrence plays an important role in “Amor,” showing how Granados endows a simple melodic
line (G-A-Bb-C-F-E-D-C-Bb-A-G) with richer expressiveness. Its major tonality, coloristic
added-harmonies, and profuse embellishment reflect the happiness of love (Example 2.8).
Example 2.8. “Coloquio en la reja,” Theme E, mm. 80-82
80
The five-note ornamental turn is especially favored by Granados in the Goyescas. It is used to
embellish passing tones as well as repeated notes in almost every movement of the Goyescas.
Clark said that it suggests several things: “the arabesque filigree typical of Spanish folk song, the
42
Ann Livermore, “Granados and the Nineteenth Century in Spain,” Music Review 7 (May 1946), 84.
51
ornamentation of a Scarlatti sonata, and perhaps even the geometric pattern of a reja.”43 This
ornamental turn expands and vitalizes many of the principal themes in the Goyescas. “Coloquio”
plays the most important role in the entire piano suite, because the thematic material from this
piece is quoted in every other movement of the Goyescas (the exception being “Quejas”).
Theme F, which is divided into two halves, is stated only once in this piece; it is a copla
with two melodic phrases that are repeated respectively and supported by various inner melodic
lines. The melodies of the copla usually incorporate longer note values at the ends of phrases. It
should be performed with great freedom, while the accompaniment for long note at the end of
phrase is performed in somewhat faster or strict tempo. The second half is shorter than the first,
but it has a stronger character and dynamics. The two-bar phrase of the second half of Theme F
is varied by registral and accompanimental changes and extended in mm. 115-117. In the opera,
each phrase of Theme F is sung by Fernando and Rosario in alternation. The complexity of the
texture, which is filled with many accidentals and played through various distributions of the
hands, is one of the larger challenges for the performer. The pianist should bring out the melody
and shape the multiple lines of the inner voices with various tone qualities, which can be created
by subtle inflections on harmonic progressions and countless gradations, vertically and
horizontally (Example 2.9).
43
Clark, 131.
52
Example 2.9. “Coloquio en la reja,” Theme F, mm. 105-117
First half
105
Second half
53
Harmonic and chromatic improvisation on Theme F in mm. 118-129 results in an
impressionistic sound. Although the first half of Theme B is obscured, the second half is clearly
heard in the left hand. Shading the harmony with sensitive use of the pedal, along with a light
touch, may be necessary for playing the sixteenth notes within the chordal texture.
118
The transition, based on Theme B material, reaches a climax through creative modulation
and repetition of key sequences. In mm. 133-135, Granados simultaneously notates the right
hand in 6/8 and the left hand in 3/4; the corresponding opera passage is in 6/8, reflecting
characteristics of folk meter.
54
In mm. 149-165, passages written to emulate the sound and style of guitar playing
provide a strong contrast with the previous thick-textured, pedaled sound. In the opera, this
music serves to cue the arrival of the fateful duel. This music is played with a sharp staccato
touch and, unlike the rest of “Coloquio,” features strong Spanish dance rhythms with accents on
the third beat and a division of 3/4 into two halves (m. 156). Guitar interludes such as this
provide a refreshing relief from the endless flows of amorous themes that are found throughout
the piece.
Interlude
55
From this last guitar interlude, the piano suite continues on a different path from the
opera – a recitative in cante jondo style, absent in the opera, is played with a single line in each
hand, one octave apart. The notes B-flat, A-flat, G-flat and E-flat of the first phrase could be
considered as the retrograde of the first four notes of Theme A. The expressive ornamental figure
of a repeated half-step motion is characteristic of the vocal gypsy style and imitates the quarter-
tone inflections of the cante jondo. By using this ornamental figure – a modal D-flat / D-natural
fluctuation – and combining it with the improvisational freedom of a tempo without bar lines,
Granados captures the exotic and sad mood of gypsy song.
Example 2.13. “Coloquio en la reja,” m. 187
In the opera, the end of this scene is played by the orchestra alone. The music consists of running
scales in octaves and tremolos when Fernando is mortally wounded offstage; as screams are
heard and Paquiro flees in the background, the scene ends with three sharp chords played by
brass and percussion instruments.
All of the themes in this movement are laid out with expressive ornamental figurations
and are supported by as many as two or three inner melodic parts. Because the phrasing
continuously evolves due to the movement’s improvisational style, the pianist is faced with the
challenge of long, unbroken stretches of continuous melody; it is the performer’s responsibility,
therefore, to grasp the subtle differences presented in the various restatements of the themes.
56
“Coloquio en la reja” requires subtlety of tone, touch, and pedaling from the pianist rather than
technical ability, though its contrapuntal complexity – involving three staves filled with many
accidentals – makes the piece quite challenging to play. The various sections of “Coloquio en la
reja” are cleverly linked through an intertwining of the six themes, providing a musical
expression of the intimate and passionate love between Fernando and Rosario. As Walthew said,
“The music seems planned with the idea of being sung, one phrase melting into the next with
extended ideas.”44 Granados skillfully weaves the themes of “Coloquio,” thus creating a complex
and rewarding musical “lattice.”
44
Richard H. Walthew, “Enrique Granados: 1867-1916.” Musical Opinion and Musical Trade Review
(September 1916): 758
57
3. “El fandango de candil”
“El fandango de candil” took no direct influence from Goya’s works; rather, a sainete by
Ramón de la Cruz with the same title likely served as the proximate inspiration for Granados’s
movement.45 Cruz was the leader of the literary majismo during Goya’s lifetime. In 1756 he
introduced a new kind of drama: the sainete, a short one act sketch on contemporary manners
and customs, lasting no more than half an hour, and performed either as a curtain raiser or
between the acts of the regular drama. There is no plot; the drama is a simple tableau of
contemporary society,46 describing the daily life of the majas, majos, and aristocrats in Madrid.
The paintings of Goya merely show that such a class did exist, as well as providing details of
their manner of dress and the amusements they enjoyed; Cruz’s pictures, by comparison, are
incomparably more detailed and vivid than Goya’s.47 Around 1900, both Goya and Cruz inspired
many composers who sought to infuse their stage works with the spirit of majismo.48
The fandango was a popular dance in eighteenth century Spain. It is characterized by the
rhythmic pattern: and is danced in moderate to quick triple time to the
accompaniment of castanets and guitars in alternation with sung couplets.49 Granados creates this
45
Clark, 132.
46
Arthur Hamilton, A Study of Spanish Manners 1750-1800: from The Plays of Ramón de la Cruz
(University of Illinois Press, 1926), 7.
47
Ibid., 10.
48
Clark presents a partial listing of musico-theatrical works of the time dedicated to the themes of Goya and
his epoch in Clark, 115.
49
Willi Apel, Harvard Dictionary of Music, 2nd rev. ed., (The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press:
Massachusetts, 1969), 307.
58
movement in a form that combines ternary structure with the copla/ falseta50 alternation typical
of the fandango, although this alternation does not follow its rigid harmonic structure (Table 4).
Table 4. Formal Structure of “El fandango de candil”
Section A Section B Section A′

1-8 Introduction d 81-88 “Coloquio e 104-111 Introduction′ d
Theme”
9-13 Theme A-a d 88-92 Falseta 112-116 Theme A-a′ d
13-21 Falseta 93-100 Theme D E 117-124 A′ A-b′ (F)
22-29 Theme A-b (F) 101-103 Falseta d
d
29-39 Falseta 125-145 Falseta
40-47 Theme B F 146-153 Theme B′ A
61-70 Theme C f 162-170 Theme C′ A
In the opera, this scene takes place at a lantern-lit ball in Madrid. The majos and majas,
including Paquiro and Pepa, are all present for the fascinating fandango. The upper-class,
characterized by Fernando and Rosario, arrives in this scene. Fernando challenges Paquiro to a
duel as Rosario pleads with him to leave; ignoring her, Fernando insists on the challenge while
the crowd warns him of the impending disaster.
The instructions, Escena cantada y bailada lentamente y con ritmo (scene sung and
danced slowly and rhythmically) and Gallardo (elegant or graceful), suggest the overall mood
for performance – an elegant melodic line over the rigorous fandango dance rhythm.
Harmonic, agogic accents throughout the movement imply cross-rhythms or metric
displacements. Additionally the pattern of the bass pitches creates a hemiola effect in 3/2 for
every two bars written in 3/4 (Example 3.1a); the performer should feel these different meters
simultaneously, as it is one of the most distinctive characteristics of Spanish music. The left hand
50
Brief instrumental passage inserted between coplas.
59
accompaniment in the opera score proves that Granados consciously intended this hemiola effect
(Example 3.1b).
Example 3.1a. “El fandango de candil,” mm. 1-6
Example 3.1b. Opera Goyescas, Tableau II, Scene 1, mm. 1-7
The introduction emphasizes the rhythmically-accented zapateado (shoe-dancing) of the Spanish
dancers, with the character of the castanets conveyed in the triplet figuration. Its insistent
rhythmic pattern permeates the piece while the rich and elegant harmonies provide color to the
increasing drama. For this introduction, the pianist should emphasize the strong rhythms, using
sharp staccatos with quick grabbing motions while paying special attention to dynamic, agogic,
and harmonic accentuation; all of this must be achieved within a soft dynamic. Pedaling must be
used only as much as it does not confuse clarity.
60
The principal lyric theme consists of the contrasting couplet of the dance. For this copla
melody, the pianist must clearly maintain the insistent fandango rhythm in the left
hand while shaping the right hand ‘cantando’ melodic line with agogic accents on the second
beat. Additionally, careful pedaling is required for outlining the arpeggiated staccato chords in
the left hand in mm. 10-12. The key should be pressed deeply for the melody while the rhythmic
accompaniment is played with a light touch (Example 3.2).
Example 3.2. “El fandango de candil,” mm. 9-13
The turn on the downbeat at m. 10 is typical of folk music in southern Spain. Like this
ornamental turn, many embellishments are precisely notated as a part of melodic line throughout
the Goyescas. This principal theme is interrupted by an instrumental passage (falseta) in the first
section, but it is fully stated in the third section without disruption.
Granados frequently uses variation technique for paired phrases, making the second
statement more ornate, intense, and at a higher register than the first iteration (as seen in the
previous pieces). This device plays an important role in manufacturing tension and excitement of
music. In many cases, the second statement of the paired unit is technically more difficult; the
multitude of double-notes in m. 17, 19, and 21 especially can be a problem (Example 3.3). These
61
double-notes should be snapped quickly like castanets; the performer needs to focus the weight
of fingers to the top voice while throwing the hand at the accented note, allowing the wrist to
follow the rhythmic and melodic curve of the phrase. Experimentation with different
combinations of finger and wrist drop would help in overcoming this difficulty. Also it is
necessary to practice with different rhythms to control fingers that make the performer free and
secure. Grace notes are also meant to imitate castanets in “Fandango.”
13
62
Various interpretive decisions can be made for the grouping of phrases within the larger structure.
Phrase shapes can be created through a subtle connection of dynamics and rubato with the
melodic direction. For example, there are several possibilities of grouping the phrases for the
introduction. If grouping according to two-bar units, one option is to play the introduction
emphasizing the first bar of each phrase; another is to shape the phrase into the downbeat of the
second bar. The possibility of grouping the phrase into four-bar units also exists. Whatever the
performer decides, it should be played with consistency throughout the piece. Measure 21 is an
addition inserted between symmetric phrases; it conflicts with the regular periodicity and can
affect grouping decisions. Asymmetry and ambiguous metric shifts in this piece are details that
must be perceived and interpreted by the performer.
The passionate Theme B consists of a pair of four-bar phrases. The pianist should take
care not to lose warmth in the sound as the music gets louder. The block-chord melody can be
played with an insistent feeling, but the sound should not be forceful; rather, it needs to be
shaped and treated gracefully together with the accompanying triplet runs. The use of a more
sustained pedal is indispensable to singing this melodic line (Example 3.4).
63
After Theme B, the running triplet figurations should be played with clean articulation as
well as melodic direction; slightly pulling the fingertips toward the palm of the hand can help
create an articulated, light sound that is necessary not only in this section, but throughout
“Fandango.” Within these running passages, offbeat accented notes in the middle voice create a
theme comprising neighbor tones leading to the strong beats (A-B-flat-D-flat -C-D-flat). This
motive appears frequently throughout “Fandango” and should be emphasized by the pianist.
64
There are three distinctive instances in which Granados uses material from other
movements for “Fandango.” The continuous rhythm of the fandango momentarily stops as we
hear two beats of music from “Quejas” (Example 3.6a); the striking of the first note from
“Quejas” might be slightly delayed to enhance the effect. This expressive moment is also
heightened by a sudden change of dynamics and character. Major-minor fluctuation and a quick
downbeat turn at m. 60 contribute to the Spanish flavor. Another thematic recurrence appears in
the bass at the beginning of the middle section; this section provides a contrast in character to the
rhythmic outer sections, recalling motive “a” of “Coloquio” (Example 3.6b) with Granados’s
indication “mystérieux.” This melody is accompanied by figurations evoking the sound of the
guitar. The “Coloquio” motive descends sequentially by whole step, after which it is
immediately repeated, this time with a contrasting broad character in a fortissimo dynamic at m.
85. The other thematic recurrence is a triplet passage that recalls the graceful figuration in the
introduction of “Requiebros” (Example 3.6c).
65
Example 3.6a. “El fandango de candil,” mm. 59-60
Example 3.6b. “El fandango de candil,” mm. 81-84
Coloquio
Example 3.6c. “El fandango de candil,” mm. 131-132
Theme C is accompanied by the running sixteenth-note figuration and its phrase
structure is irregular (3+3+4 measures). The asymmetric phrase here assists in expressing the
feeling of agitation (Example 3.7).
66
An interesting aspect among the three themes is the turn-like figuration with the rhythmic pattern
, which is included in all themes. In addition, Theme B and C are more closely related,
sharing the harmonic progression, B-flat minor-G-flat major-A-flat major-cadence in F major.
67
In mm. 78-80, Granados evokes the sound of guitar by means of tremolo and arpeggiated
chords in the left hand. The augmented sixth chord at m. 80 leads to the dominant of E-flat minor
and, when combined with the guitar effects described above, further imbues the passage with the
flavor of Spanish music.
78
The middle section includes music based on an E-flat minor iteration of the “Coloquio”
theme along with Theme D, which has a different character from the previous three themes. In
the opera, Theme D (mm. 93-100 in the piano score) is presented as solo melodies for Paquiro
and Pepa, who sing each phrase respectively. Here Paquiro sings with ironic grace and tries to
provoke Fernando by suggesting that Rosario should join the dance. The pianist can allow
himself great freedom to express Paquiro’s suggestive song, focusing especially on the graceful
ornamentation over the simple I-IV-V-I harmony of E-flat major (Example 3.9).
68
Measures 101-103 lead to the return of the introduction through the use of common-tone
and enharmonic modulation. This retransition again recalls the sound of the guitar and requires
subtle color changes – following the harmonic progression with delicate staccato as well as
mains croisées.
100
The return of the A section begins with a highly decorated version of the introduction and
fandango theme. In this section, the use of acciaccaturas creates a special effect evoking the
sound of the guitar. The sharp dissonance between G-sharp and A, as well as the off-beat accents,
produce the characteristic, almost metallic, sound of the flamenco guitar.
104
69
Theme A returns in the middle voice of the texture with a varied rhythm and accents. The
triplet motive in the accompaniment is continuously imitated in every voice, playing an
embellishing role for Theme A. Special care should be given to balance between the melodic
shape and the triplet figurations, which can be done through the use of a varied tone and different
dynamic levels in each voice.
112
115
The falseta in mm. 125-131 includes runs and staccato chords recalling a Scarlatti
keyboard sonata. A light, articulated touch from the fingertips, coordinated with a flexible wrist,
is needed for these runs and short chords (Example 3.13).
70
In the sounds of the last two measures of the ending one could imagine the restless
tapping of heels and frozen final bien parado pose. The Spanish cadence on the dominant and its
asymmetric phrasing give the feeling of an open ending; the ending on A major serves as the
relative major of the next piece, which is in f-sharp minor. In the opera, this scene concludes
with shouting of ‘Ole!’ on the last accented note.
71
4. “Quejas o la maja y el ruiseñor”
This piece, dedicated to his wife, Amparo, is the most popular piece of the entire suite
and is often performed independently; it is also the only one with a key signature. The main
theme of this piece is based on a folk song Granados heard sung by a young girl in the Valencian
countryside. The song tells the story of a girl hearing the sorrowful song of a little bird in her
garden. Granados was so moved by the girl’s singing of the beautiful song that he began to work
on “Quejas” that same night.51 Granados transforms this melody through a series of variations,
full of color and beauty; he concludes the piece with an elaborately embellished cadenza
imitating the song of a nightingale.
Imagining the operatic scene would be very helpful to the pianist in portraying the mood
and expressing the emotion of the maja. This song is the only aria in the opera Goyescas, and
Granados sets this music to words describing love’s fragility. The scene is set at night in a garden,
where Rosario waits on a stone bench for her lover, Fernando. A nightingale sings near Rosario,
and she responds to a nightingale with a song of her own. Jean-Aubry wrote:
In this piece [Quejas], which expresses the melancholy dreaming of the Maja
evoking the memory of the absent Majo, while the nightingale sings in the night,
Granados has succeeded in enclosing within the compass of a few pages for the
pianoforte the whole eternal drama of love and emotion inspired by a Spanish
landscape. . . . his confidence has a true greatness far beyond the limits of rules and
technique.52
“Quejas” can be largely divided into four sections and a coda, though Granados gives the
impression of continuity in integrating the thematic material. The formal structure can be seen in
Table 5.
51
Riva, 19.
52
Jean-Aubry, 536.
72
Table 5. Formal Structure of “Quejas o la maja y el ruiseñor”
Section Measures Key

I 1-19 Folk Song f-sharp minor
II 20-23 Var. 1 f-sharp minor
24-30 Var. 2
III 31-36 Var. 3 b minor
37-40 Var. 4
IV 41-45 Var. 5 f-sharp minor
46-59 Transition F-sharp major
Coda 60-67 Return of folk song f-sharp minor
68-83 Cadenza C-sharp major
The first two measures are used as a theme for the following five variations, which are treated in
an improvisational manner. In each variation, Granados successfully constructs an ever-changing
arrangement of the theme and accompaniment, avoiding the monotony of repetition. Variations 1,
2, 3, and 4 are set in pairs, in which the second statement is more ornate and intense than the first
one: a pair of variations in f-sharp minor and a pair in b minor. This compositional technique is
also seen in other movements of the Goyescas. The two pairs of variations are similar in their
accompaniment pattern and the chordal setting of the theme. Variation 5 is distinctively different
in its textural setting, in that the tenor has the melody. Granados creates a haunting, beautiful
work that evolves from a single theme; this is quite a contrast from the other movements of the
Goyescas, which make use of multiple themes.
Granados sets the simple folk song melody to beautiful harmonies. The melody is fully
quoted, with the exception of mm. 9-11; the music in these measures acts as a kind of transition,
shifting the tonality to A major and providing more emotion and color than a simple repetition of
the previous phrase (which would be consistent with the original song).
73
Example 4.1a. Notation of folksong53
Example 4.1b. “Quejas o la maja y el ruiseñor,” mm. 1-19
53
Cited by J. Douglas Riva, “The Goyescas for Piano by Enrique Granados: A Critical Edition,” 19.
74
Rhythmic imitation
The folk song melody is set in a four-part texture, with each voice containing melodic and
harmonic interest. Motivic variants appear across voices – for instance, inversions of the soprano
melody appear at times in the tenor and bass. Also, the tenor borrows motives from the bass,
imitating the lower voice’s descending line. The fourth voice enters in mm. 2-3 with slightly
varied descending line. The inner lines and harmonies become complicated by the use of altered
notes, resulting in the interval of a minor second or third; these intervals evoke the mournful
feeling of lament.
The pianist should pay equal attention to voicing in the four separate lines; while the
soprano is prominent within the texture, the other voices certainly have their own importance.
75
Practicing the soprano alone and then adding a line at a time in various combinations is
necessary to increase the awareness of the function of each voice. The music should flow
seamlessly, even while the keys are deeply pressed with flattened fingers. This method of
playing is most suitable for achieving an extreme legato sound within a soft dynamic.
The entire movement is based on the melodic line in mm. 1-2, which is subsequently
used as a theme for the five variations. The leap of a third in this melodic line is especially
expressive; the C-sharp can be heard either as an appoggiatura or as the ninth in a sub-dominant
chord. By taking a little more time to reach the C-sharp and playing it with a tenuto articulation,
it becomes possible to express the emotion of the maja and her pain. The ornamental turn in m. 1
assists in building tension as well as expressing melancholic love; this tension is then released by
the descending line.
The music of mm. 1-19 can be interpreted as one long phrase, though there are many sub-
phrases that cadence on the dominant (C-sharp). Although “Quejas” is the only movement given
a key signature, the actual tonic (f-sharp minor) is delayed until m. 20. This utilization of
wandering cadences effectively reflects Rosario’s unsettled emotional state.
The inclusion of imitative lines between the tenor and soprano in mm. 9-11 is a very
expressive device; the high E in soprano (m. 9) can be emphasized in performance with some
creative spacing. The climax of this section is reached at mm. 10-11 and relieved by falling,
chromatic harmonies at m. 11. Subtle shading for tone color at m. 11 can be achieved by the use
of varied touches for each imitative line as well as sensitive pedaling.
The first variation begins with the original motive presented in block chords accompanied
by flowing arpeggiated sixteenths over a wide range; these chords must be played melodically,
since they are still, at their heart, part of a song. The technical need for sliding thumbs in lower
76
voice of chords can equally serve to produce the intense expressiveness. There is a dialogue
between the soprano and the other parts in mm. 21-22 that should be emphasized by the
performer. The second variation can be seen as a kind of improvisatory repetition of the first
variation. Its improvisational nature is represented by the irregular phrases, the extension through
ornamentation, and the meter changes. The subtle use of a varied touch for rich harmonies and
inner voices and a sensitive attention to pedaling can be essential in imbuing these variations
with a Romantic atmosphere.
Example 4.2a. “Quejas o la maja y el ruiseñor,” Variation I, mm. 20-23
Example 4.2b. “Quejas o la maja y el ruiseñor,” Variation II, mm. 24-27
77
The third and fourth variations are presented in the subdominant key, b minor. The
nightingale interrupts the maja’s song in m. 33; this interjection can be played with a
great deal of liberty (Example 4.3a). The fourth variation creates a passionate climax,
repeating the same rhythmic pattern three times and creating the effect of a shift into 3/2
meter in mm. 38-39 (Example 4.3b).
Example 4.3a. “Quejas o la maja y el ruiseñor,” Variation III, mm. 31-36
31
Example 4.3b. “Quejas o la maja y el ruiseñor,” Variation IV, mm. 37-40
37
39
78
The last variation is arranged into three staves, assigning each staff to the tenor melody,
bass, and accompaniment, respectively. In the opera, this passage is written for orchestra alone,
with the melody played by the cello. Despite the need to divide the melody between the hands
and change registers quickly, the pianist must always be aware of the melodic direction. Practice
concepts might include rehearsing the melody using only the fingers (in both hands) that play the
theme, or practicing the entire melody with one hand alone; by listening to the difference in
sound between these two methods, the pianist would be better equipped to the shape the melodic
line within the full texture.
Example 4.4. “Quejas o la maja y el ruiseñor,” Variation V, mm. 41-45
41
79
The transition (mm. 46-59) is presented over an F-sharp pedal point. Each measure
begins with F-sharp in the bass but gradually unfolds over various changing harmonies (I–N7–I–
V7–I– V7. . .); these quick harmonic shifts combine to create a moment of inexpressible beauty.
The pianist should be devoted to playing the sixteenth-note figurations in the left hand evenly,
while the right hand chords should be treated as phrases and carefully shaped accordingly. Here
the grace notes on the second beat of each measure might be treated as a part of melodic line
rather than as ornaments, reflecting, along with the arpeggiation of the left hand, the maja’s
turbulent emotions.
Example 4.5. “Quejas o la maja y el ruiseñor,” mm. 46-49
The music of mm. 55-58 consists of musical phrases that represent the maja’s poignant
sighs of lamentation. The whole note rests, along with the fermata, at m. 59 provide an important
moment of silence before the music returns; the timing must be genuinely felt, even if the
counting is not perfectly accurate (Example 4.6).
80
55
60
64
The return of the folk song is heard in the same style as in the initial statement, with only slight
changes; however, in performance, a warmer, fuller sonority is necessary for this return, one that
emphasizes the bass and the imitative inner voice lines. This return should be treated as a
retrospective. The half-note basses and tenutos in the soprano combine with the figurative pattern
of eighth notes to create a feeling of agitation in 2/4 until finally reaching F-sharp minor, the
home key.
Granados successfully combines the singing of the bird with the sorrowful song of the
maja in this piece. The nightingale was a popular symbol of love and was frequently used by
Romantic poets and musicians. Granados portrays the nightingale’s singing and fluttering wings
musically through the use of major- and minor- second trills, turns, rapid figurations (including
repeated descending intervals of a third or fourth at the end of each), and registral displacement
of an octave. All these aspects can be found together at the end of this piece (Example 4.7);
81
Granados indicates “cadenza, ad lib” for this section, which is written with frequent changes of
meter and tempo. Most of the trills are played as double trills by Granados on his own recording
of the piece, though they are notated as mere single trills in most editions. Besides this cadenza
section, the dialogue between the maja and the nightingale is apparent throughout the piece: the
folk tune is sung by the maja, while the nightingale interrupts with short warblings. Rosario’s
last response follows the cadenza in mm. 79-80; the nightingale flies away, and the piece
concludes with a C-sharp major chord, suggesting a Spanish dominant cadence. In the opera,
music representing the nightingale is written for the flute. Though it is pedaled throughout, clear
articulation and a light touch are necessary to create a delicate, brilliant sound. The pianist must
consider the speed, dynamics, and momentum between each figuration in order to imitate the
nightingale’s sound effectively.
68
82
This piece is the most improvisational of the suite and the only one with composed with
monothematic material. Though there are frequent notated tempo changes, including
accelerandos and rallentandos, the performer must be responsible for moving beyond
Granados’s markings and should accentuate the improvisatory nature of the piece. The challenge
for the pianist, then, is to make this almost constantly flowing music sound completely natural.
83
5. “El amor y la muerte”
“El amor y la muerte,” subtitled “Ballad,” is primarily composed with themes from the
preceding pieces. These recurring themes are continuously transformed, expressing the emotions
of “love and death” in different ways. According to Granados, in program notes written for a
performance of the piano suite in Barcelona in 1915, “all of the themes of Goyescas are united in
this piece …….three great emotions appear in the work: intense pain, nostalgic love, and the
final tragedy – death…the final chords represent the reunification of happiness.”54
This piece is directly related to Goya’s Capricho No. 10, El amor y la muerte. In the
opera, Rosario sings to the mortally wounded Fernando in Scene III as she enters, supporting
him as portrayed in the etching (Figure 23).
Figure 23. El amor y la muerte
54
Xosé Aviñoa, 23.
84
The sharp contrast of light and dark in this etching is expressed in the music by sudden changes
of dynamic and mood. Irregular phrases and frequent diminished seventh harmonies reflect the
unsettled mood of agitation, grief, and desperation. The music unfolds as a confrontation
between the gentle joys of love and the harsh reality of death.
“Amor” is written in a hybrid structure of sonata-form and three-part-form, though it does
not exactly follow the formal structure of either: the second section is a kind of development, and
the third is a return of the first section, occurring a half-step higher and extending the form with
the themes placed in a reverse order, with an ‘Adagio’ section inserted between them (Table 6).
Table 6. Formal Structure of “El amor y la muerte”
Section Measures Thematic material Tonal Center
Intro. 1-14 1-11 Coloquio E & C b-flat
12-13 Quejas G-flat
14 Coloquio E b-flat
I 15-49 15-21 Coloquio C &
Requiebros
22-28 Theme A Coloquio E
29-30 Quejas
31-36 Coloquio C
37-44 Theme B Coloquio E,
Quejas &
Requiebros
45-47 Fandango G-flat
48-49 Bridge
II 50-72 50-57 Coloquio E & C
(Dev.) 58-63
64 Fandango
65-66 Quejas
67 Coloquio C
68-69 Requiebros
70-72 Quejas
III 73-164 73-80 Theme B Coloquio E, b
Quejas, &
Requiebros
81-88 Fandango G
85
89-93 Bridge Requiebros
94-129 ‘Adagio’ Quejas & b-flat
Requiebros
130-136 Quejas, Coloquio
E&C
137-143 Coloquio E & C
144-147 Theme A Coloquio E G
148-154 Quejas
155-164 Requiebros
Coda 165-208 165-173 Quejas (transition G
& mm. 55-56)
174-177 Coloquio E
178-208 Recitative g
As seen in the table, the entire movement creates unity through repetition of Theme E from
“Coloquio,” along with its variant. Furthermore, thematic materials from the previous
movements appear and undergo transformation throughout this work. The pianist might imagine
the scene from the viewpoint of Rosario, who, as she holds the dying body of Fernando,
remembers the lifetime of moments they have shared together.
The introduction begins with Theme E from “Coloquio.” However, it is set in a
completely different mood, dark and foreboding, and played as a fortissimo octave in the low
register of the piano, producing the feeling of severe pain conveyed by Goya’s etching with the
same title. Granados notates this piece in dual meters (3/4 and 6/8) at the beginning and uses
concurrent varying bar division, though he marks the section as a ‘recitative.’
Example 5.1. “El amor y la muerte,” mm. 1-5
86
In the opera, a melodic line made of broken chords is played by the English horn; this melody
might be interpreted as a musical gesture representing a staggering Fernando or a mournful
Rosario. In m. 8, a viola solo takes over with a similar melodic line. Afterwards, the theme of
“Queja,” altered here, is played by the oboe and bassoon as Rosario comes on stage supporting a
mortally wounded Fernando (Example 5.2). She makes a strenuous effort to reach the stone
bench before singing of her sorrow and presentiments; sweeping arpeggiated passages with a
chromatic descending progression in the bass follow this melancholic theme, providing the
extreme contrast seen visually in the Goya’s etching above. The rising and falling contour across
unstable harmonies evokes the sentiment of agitation, which corresponds with the emotional
state of Rosario, who pours out her sorrow in this scene.
12
Rosario
The notes with stems facing down are used to denote the part of Rosario in the opera; therefore,
the pianist should give more weight to these notes when playing these passages.
The agitation is relaxed momentarily as Theme E from “Coloquio” is presented in G-flat
major, recalling the memory of happy moments between the lovers. In fact, this can be seen as
the first theme of this piece (Example 5.3).
87
Theme B is a variant of Theme E from “Coloquio”; here it is presented in B-flat minor,
which is related by thirds to Theme A. Because the theme is placed in the tenor in sixths over a
pedal point B-flat, balance is necessary in creating four different levels of sound. In the opera the
melody is played by the cello. Also, the melody is sung by Fernando with the text “Now I feel
the struggle come”; this continues for two measures before the melody is taken by Rosario.
37
Coloquio
39
The second section, shorter than the outer sections and consisting of two themes, acts as
the development. Initially, this music resembles the beginning of the piece, but the figuration of
the right hand is inverted and played as octaves (Example 5.5a). Recurring themes from
“Fandango” and “Quejas” are juxtaposed in this section – here the theme from “Quejas” appears
in the low bass with a dark and urgent sound (Example 5.5b).
88
Example 5.5a. “El amor y la muerte,” mm. 50-54
Example 5.5b. “El amor y la muerte,” mm. 62-66
Quejas
The third section features the return of the two themes, but in a reverse order. Theme B
returns in B minor, a half step higher than the respective key of the first section. The
accompaniment figuration, which recalls the first theme of “Requiebros,” might be played as an
answering gesture to Theme B (Example 5.6).
89
Coloquio
73
Coloquio Requiebros
75
Requiebros
Another example of thematic transformation appears in mm. 81-87 (Example 5.7a). A
theme from “Fandango” (Example 5.7b), initially set as a passionate fortissimo passage, is
transformed to an atmospheric mood as if to suggest Fernando’s memories of the happy times
spent with Rosario.
Example 5.7a. “El amor y la muerte,” mm. 81-86
90
Example 5.7b. “El fandango de candil,” mm. 85-88
One of the most beautiful moments in the entire suite is the nocturne-like section of
“Amor.” Within larger divisions, there is a great deal of improvisational freedom and mood
changes; the extremes in dynamics, register, texture, harmony, rhythm, and melody dramatically
parallel the expressions of emotion exchanged between Rosario and her mortally wounded lover,
Fernando. In the opera, this section is the last farewell for Fernando and Rosario. Granados
ingeniously incorporates the lyrical theme of “Quejas” and the first theme of “Requiebros,”
accompanying these melodies with low bass notes and syncopated chords. A long expressive line
of music flows against subtle harmonic progressions; thoughtful coloration of this harmonic
motion is necessary to express the sentiment of the music in this section – the darkness of fate, as
well as its beautiful sadness. The pianist should be sensitive to the sound and apply the pedal
with care (Example 5.8).
91
Quejas
Requiebros
The work ends dramatically with a recitative and the death of the majo, which is
portrayed by the diminuendo effect that is achieved from the motion of a poignant E-flat
German-sixth harmony to a C-sharp diminished chord. After a beat of silence, the death of the
majo is symbolized by tolling chords meant to represent funeral bells; this effect “as cunningly
calculated for piano as the bell effects in Boris Godunov are for orchestra.”55 In the opera, a tam-
tam is added in every other measure for the sound of bells. To create the fading away effect of
bells one should make a plan for distributing the weight on every chord, listening to the sound
resonate up to the moment the next one is struck and thus creating a seamless quality to the
passage. The performer should listen until the last G has completely faded while remaining
55
Ernest Newman, “Granados and His Goyescas, 1916.” in Testament of Music. Edited by Herbert
Van Thal (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1963), 194.
92
perfectly motionless. Even as the remaining sound disappears completely from the hall, the
performer is advised to take a bit more time, emphasizing the stillness that is emblematic of
death.
This piece might present the most difficult problems of interpretation; it is composed
with recurring themes that are arranged in many short, successively changing sections and that
are used not only as melodic but as accompaniment as well. Cyclic returns of transformed
thematic materials might be interpreted as occurring within a greater improvisational stream. The
pianist should try to integrate all compositional aspects together as one continuous story; by
imagining the characters, either maja and majo as depicted in Goya’s etching or Fernando and
Rosario from the opera, and singing the songs from their emotional standpoint, the pianist would
be well on his way to connecting the diverse sections into one unified scene.
93
6. “Epílogo: Serenata del espectro”
The subtitle of this piece implies that Fernando returns from the dead to serenade his
maja with the guitar. This music contains the interesting combination of strong passion and witty
expression. Both the subject of the ghost and its expressions may originate from Goya’s art;
Granados may have been inspired by the darker expressions present in his later works. One
seminal drawing by Goya, Nun Frightened by a Ghost, may be helpful in arousing a performer’s
imagination (Figure 24).
Figure 24. Nun Frightened by a Ghost, 1819
This piece is constructed based on the alternation of instrumental refrain and song (Table 7).
Table 7. Formal Structure of “Epílogo: Serenata del espectro”
Section Measures Thematic Material Tonal Center

1–8 Guitar prelude E
Refrain 9 -22
23 - 38 Guitar Interlude
94
39-46 Theme G
47-49 Coloquio
50-51 Fandango
52-62
Verse 1
63-67 Coloquio
68-74 Theme C
75-78 Coloquio
79-80 Fandango
87-118 Guitar Interlude E
Refrain 119-120 Coloquio
121-123
124-135 Theme G
136-142 Coloquio
Dies Irae F, b-flat
143-166 (151-154) Coloquio
(162-166) Coloquio
167-168 bridge
Verse 2 169-171 Coloquio
172-173
174-178 Coloquio
179-180
181-185 Coloquio/ Requiebros
186-192
193-194 Coloquio
Refrain 195-203 E
204-230 Coloquio E
Verse 3
230-239
241-243 Coloquio E
244 Requiebros
245-249 Coloquio
Coda
250-254 Amor
255-256 Coloquio
257-262 Guitar Postlude E
The refrain, based on chromatic ascending and descending progressions from E to A-flat,
appears three times in varied forms; each iteration is set in E major, maintaining the basic
framework. As in “Fandango,” this refrain plays the role of an instrumental interlude between
songs. Granados’s marking “misterios,” along with the prevailing chromatic progressions, are
likely meant to evoke the image of the ghost (Example 6.1).
95
Example 6.1. “Epílogo: Serenata del espectro,” mm. 1-14
From the beginning, the music is full of guitarlike imitations: two plucked notes and a strummed
chord are present in each measure. The strumming guitar effect is more prominent in mm. 107-
117, along with the chromatic bass progression, which is carried over from the opening prelude.
The theme is not lyrical but is rather chromatic and angular, atypical of Granados’s
melodic style (Example 6.3a). This chromatic theme reappears with triplet figurations in a
fortissimo dynamic accompanying the melody, which is in the tenor (Example 6.3b). Although
this recurring theme is played in fortissimo, it should be as balanced and shaped as in the first
96
appearance. This piece is comparatively simple, with a thinner texture than the other movements
of the Goyescas. The tempo is relatively steady, and pedaling is only infrequently necessary.
Example 6.3a. “Epílogo: Serenata del espectro,” mm. 39-45
39
Example 6.3b. “Epílogo: Serenata del espectro,” mm. 124-131
124
128
As seen in Table 7, many themes from previous movements appear as fragments and
short phrases throughout this final piece. Granados interweaves beautiful melodies from the
other movements along with grotesque and witty music. The performer should locate these
themes within the texture and play them as fleeting memories from the ghost of Fernando as he
recalls his time together with Rosario (Example 6.4a, 6.4b, 6.4c, and 6.4d).
97
47
Coloquio Theme E
Example 6.4c. “Epílogo: Serenata del espectro,” mm. 175-178
175
Coloquio
Example 6.4d. “Epílogo: Serenata del espectro,” mm. 183-185
183
98
With the exception of the recurrent thematic materials, the performer might imagine the
rest of the music as evoking various actions by Fernando – his guitar playing, his moving around
his lover, or his hovering in the air. Especially the upward staccato figuration with mordents
seems to suggest Fernando’s ascent to heaven, despite his wishes to remain with Rosario. This
figuration is generally inserted between passionate melodies, as though acting as a disruption for
Fernando’s memories.
59
99
The most interesting feature of this piece appears in the section containing a variation on
Dies Irae; the Dies Irae chant has often been “incorporated into program compositions having
death or damnation as their subject,”56 such as in Liszt’s Totentanz and Berlioz’s Symphonie
fantastique. Granados deals with the Dies Irae theme in variation form; the melody appears in F-
Dorian mode in the tenor voice and is accompanied by the bell-like broken octaves that
simultaneously outline a passage from m. 2 of “Amor.” Balance in the left hand is important
since this single hand plays a dotted rhythm melody along with bass notes and chords. Smooth
phrasing can be achieved here through melodic shaping and the use of different dynamic levels
in the four parts.
Amor
Dies Irae
147
The final refrain begins with an altered version of the guitar prelude, Granados given
these figurations a more sustained, pedaled sound. The copla theme of “Coloquio” is directly
quoted again; this passage seems to suggest the ghost of Fernando remembering an amorous
56
Apel, 234.
100
conversation with Rosario and is accompanied by arpeggiated figurations with a pedal point on E
(Example 6.7).
Coloquio
The coda also consists of many fragments from the other movements, including Theme E
from “Coloquio” and a passage and the bell-like chords from “Amor.” After the expressive
statement of Theme F from “Coloquio,” the bells ring, signaling the time of departure. The last
three measures spell out the open string tones of the guitar, with the indication “Le spectre
disparaît pinçant les cordes de sa guitare (the ghost disappears plucking the strings of his
guitar).” This indication, along with the previous soaring figuration, provides a picturesque
image for the performer to utilize.
101
The pianist may face interpretive difficulties due to “Epilogo” being interspersed with
much-fragmented material from the previous movements. The performer should try to achieve
unity through a constant maintenance of Spanish dance characteristics, especially the rhythm.
Other distinguishing features include weak-beat accents, hemiola, and duple divisions within
triple meter. Although each returning thematic fragment comes with its own individual song
style, the pianist should take care not to use too much rubato. Some other technical difficulties
arise from the unique texture, which requires the performer to play sustained and detached notes
simultaneously; practice at a slower tempo will facilitate coordination of these movements
between the hands.
102
Conclusion
The author hopes that pianists can form their own ideas from considering the many varied
aspects of Goyescas. The pianist might use Goya’s paintings or etchings as a mental tool,
creating musical expressions during performance that suggest images, moods, or characters.
Imagining the people and scenes that inspired Granados in composing the piano suite Goyescas,
as well as the opera by the same name, is indispensable for helping establish the performer’s own
interpretation. Conveying the story and sound palette from the opera Goyescas is also useful in
uniting the entire suite as one great drama; furthermore, assimilating the traits of Spanish dances,
songs, and the sound of the guitar within the musical context will help incorporate exotic and
passionate colors into the music.
The pianist’s treatment of the many recurring themes throughout Goyescas is important
practically – as well as mentally – in performing the suite. Recurring themes serve as an
important unifying device in Goyescas; pianists should perceive and communicate the subtle
changes of these thematic transformations during their performance. Indeed, Granados endows
the recurring themes with various emotions – intimate, dreamy, agitated, or tragic – through
changing the theme itself, the accompaniment, the texture, or through displacement. Beyond the
technical difficulties of the work, other important issues in performing Goyescas deal with the
clarity of the voicing as well as the various tone colors, which can be managed with skillful use
of the pedal. The multi-voice texture can be clarified if the performer imagines the distance
between the individual voices as corresponding to perspective presented in many of Goya's
works - that is, relating the space separating these voices to the distance between components in
the paintings (such as between characters, trees, or even the sky). Tone is one means of
103
expression for the pianist, just as paint, color, and light are for the painter; variety in tone can be
achieved through subtle use of pedaling.
Whether the listener is ultimately aware of it or not, complete adherence to the
composer’s intention for the work is the duty of the performer; every musical pursuit of the
pianist must arise from a desire to closely follow the composer’s intention. Broad knowledge of
the background and thorough study of Goyescas might lead the performer to make proper
decisions to interpret the music. In the author’s view, a rich imagination is the most helpful tool
in allowing the performer to play with confidence. By approaching the score with an open mind,
the pianist will be able to emphasize the close interrelation of the music and the art that inspired
it, a unique quality of Goyescas that should be brought out in performance.
104
Bibliography
Books, Reviews, and Articles
Apel, Willi. Harvard Dictionary of Music. 2nd rev. ed. The Belknap Press of Harvard
University Press: Massachusetts, 1969.
Aviñoa, Xosé. “Introduction to Goyescas.” documentation and text by Douglas Riva, In Integral
para Piano/ Enrique Granados, Goyescas 2, vol. 4, 18-30. Barcelona: Editorial de
Musica Boileau, 2001.
Badia, Conchita. “Granados: A Personal Portrait.” Recorded Sound 77 (January 1980): 57-61.
Blier, Steven. “The Great Granados.” Opera News 70, no. 11 (May 2006): 46-50.
Chase, Gilbert. The Music of Spain. 2nd ed. New York: Dover Publications, 1959.
Clark, Walter Aaron. Enrique Granados: Poet of the Piano. New York: Oxford University Press,
2006.
De Voto, Daniel. “Spain.” In Music in the Modern Age, ed. F. W. Sternfeld, 309-320. New York:
Weinfeld & Nicolson, 1973.
Elder, Dean. “To Alicia de Larrocha, Music is the Expression of Humanity: An Interview with
the Spanish Virtuosa.” Clavier 10 (January 1971): 16-21.
Esteban, Julio. “Master Lesson on a Granados Dance,” Clavier 6 (October 1967): 39-40.
Ferrari, Enrique Lafuente. Goya: His Complete Etchings, Aquatints, and Lithographs. Trans. by
Raymond Rudorff. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., n.d., 1962.
Gillespie, John. Five Centuries of Keyboard Music. New York: Dover Publications, 1965.
Gordon, Stewart. A History of Keyboard Literature: Music for the Piano and Its Forerunners.
New York: Schirmer Books, 1996.
Glendinning, Nigel. Goya and His Critics. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1977.
Granados de Carreras, Natalia. “Goyescas and Enrique Granados.” In Granados and Goyescas:
The Catalogue of Exhibition Honoring Enrique Granados and the American Premiere of
Goyescas, 8-10. Boston: Boston Athenaeum, 1982.
Granados, Enrique. Apuntes y temas para mis obras. (microfiche) The Pierpont Morgan Library,
New York, NY.
Gudiol, José. Goya (1746-1828): Biography, Analytical Study and Catalogue of His Paintings.
Translated by Kenneth Lyons. New York: Tudor Publishing, 1971.
105
_______. Goya. New York: Hyperion Press, 1941.
Hamilton, Arthur. A Study of Spanish Manners 1750-1800: from The Plays of Ramón de la
Cruz. University of Illinois Press, 1926.
Hansen, Mark. “The Catalan Piano School of Pedaling: In the Teaching of Enrique Granados and
Frank Marshall.” In The Pianist’s Guide to Pedaling, ed. Joseph Banowetz, 220-229.
Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1984.
Hecht, Roger and Stephane Villemin. “Guide to Records: Granados.” American Record Guide 64,
no. 6 (November–December 2001): 114-115.
Hess, Carol A. Enrique Granados: A Bio-bibliography. New York: Greenwood Press, 1991.
_______. “Enrique Granados and Modern Technique.” Performance Practice Review 6, no.1
(Spring 1993): 89-94.
Hinson, Maurice. Review of Granados Goyescas, performed by Nicholas Zumbro. Journal of the
American Liszt Society 34 (1993): 92-94.
James, Burnett. Manuel de Falla and the Spanish Musical Renaissance. London: Victor
Gollancz Ltd., 1979.
Jean-Aubry, Georges. “Enrique Granados.” Musical Times 57 (December1, 1916): 535-537.
Jones, J. Barrie. “Enrique Granados: A Few Reflections on a Seventieth Anniversary.” Music

Review 47 (February 1986–87): 16-23.
Katz, Israel J. “The Traditional Folk Music of Spain: Explorations and Perspectives.” In
Yearbook of The International Folk Music Council, 64-85. London: International Folk
Music Council & International Music Council, 1974.
Kent, Adam. “Pianist Alicia de Larrocha Takes a Final Bow and Retires.” Clavier (May/June
2004): 18-21.
Kirby, F. E. Music for Piano: A Short History. With a foreword by Maurice Hinson. Portland:
Amadeus Press, 1995.
Klingender, Francis D. Goya in the Democratic Tradition. New York: Schocken Books, 1968.
Kuehl, Olga Llano. “The Piano Music of Spain: Its Flavor and Interpretation.” Clavier 15
(October 1976): 17-20.
Larrocha, Alicia de. “Goya of Music: Alicia de Larrocha Talks about Granados.” Opera News 32
(December 1967): 6-7.
106
_______. “Granados, the Composer.” Translated by Joan Kerlow. Clavier 6 (October 1967): 21-
23.
Leikin, Anatole. “Piano-Roll Recordings of Enrique Granados: A Study of a Transcription of the
Composer’s Performance.” Journal of Musicological Research 21 (2002): 3-19.
Letňanová, Elena. Piano Interpretation in the Seventeenth, Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries.
Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1991.
Lewis, D. B. Wyndham. The World of Goya. New York: C. N. Potter, 1968.
Licht, Fred. Goya. New York: Abbeville Press, 2001.
_______. Goya: The Origins of the Modern Temper in Arts. New York: Universe Books, 1979.
Livermore, Ann. “Granados and the Nineteenth Century in Spain.” Music Review 7 (May 1946):
80-87.
_______. A Short History of Spanish Music. New York: Vienna House, 1972.
Longland, Jean R. “Granados and the Opera Goyescas.” Notes Hispanic 5 (1945): 94-112.
Mason, Alan L. “Enrique Granados.” Music and Letters 14 (July 1933): 231-238.
Morrison, Bryce. Review of Granados: The Complete Piano Music of Granados, performed by
Thomas Rajne. Musical Opinion 99 (February 1976): 203-204.
Newman, Ernest. “Granados and His Goyescas, 1916.” In Testament of Music. Edited by Herbert
Van Thal. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1963.
_______. “The Granados of the Goyescas.” The Musical Times (August 1, 1917): 343-347.
Packard, Dorothy Ream. “Searching Spain for Background Color.” Clavier 6 (October 1967):
24-26.
Palacín, Arcadio de Larrea, Martin Cunningham, and Ramón Pelinski, ‘Spain,’ Grove Music
Online ed. (Accessed 11 June 2007), http://www.grovemusic.com.proxy.libraries.uc.edu.
Pérez Gutiérrez, Mariano. “The Interaction between Iberian and European Music in the
Nineteenth Century.” In Welttheater: Die Künste im 19 Jahrhundert, ed. Peter
Andraschke and Edelgard Spaude, 35-48. Freiburg im Breisgau: Rombach, 1992.
Periquet, Fernando. “Goyescas: How the Opera Was Conceived.” Opera News 7 (January 29,
1916): 12.
_______. “From the Librettist of Goyescas,” The New York Times (February 27th, 1916): 6.
Peyser, Herbert F. “Granados here for production of Goyescas.” Musical America 23 (December,
107
1915): 3.
Powell, Linton E. A History of Spanish Piano Music. Bloomington: Indiana University Press,
1980.
_______. “Guitar Effects in Spanish Piano Music.” Piano & Keyboard (May–June 1996): 33-37.
_______. “The Piano Music of Spain.” Piano Quarterly 25 (Summer 1977): 45-48.
Riva, Douglas. “The Goyescas for Piano by Enrique Granados: A Critical Edition.” Ph.D.
diss., New York University, 1983.
_______. “Enrique Granados: Composer, Performer, and Teacher.” Catalan Review 1, Issue 2
(1986): 101-114.
Rosenblum, Sandra P. Performance Practices in Classic Piano Music. Bloomington: Indiana

University Press, 1988.
Salvador, Miguel. “The Piano Suite Goyescas by Enrique Granados: An Analytical Study.”
DMA thesis, University of Miami, 1988.
Samulski-Perekh, Mary M. V. “A Comprehensive Study of the Piano Suite Goyescas by Enrique

Granadados.” DMA thesis, University of Missouri-Kensas City, 1988.
Schenker, Heinrich. The Art of Performance. Edited by Heribert Esser, Translated by Irene
Scheier Scott. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.
Schuessler, Annemarie. “Piano Music of Granados.” Clavier 31 (October 1992): 16-21.
Schulz, Andrew. Goya’s Caprichos: Aesthetics, Perception, and the Body. New York:
Cambridge University Press, 2005.
Stalker, Douglas. “Guide to Records: Granados.” American Record Guide Vol. 61, Issue 6
(Nov/Dec 1998): 137-138.
Sutton, Wadham. “Enrique Granados (1867-1916): A Century Tribute.” Musical Opinion 90

(March 1967): 321-23.
Tomlinson, Janis. Francisco Goya y Lucientes, 1746-1828. London: Phaidon Press, 1994.
Valls, Manuel. Liner Notes to Granados: Goyescas. Alicia de Larrocha, Pianist. Decca DD 1982,
1984. Compact Disc.
Vechten, Carl Van. The Music of Spain. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1918.
Vittucci, Matteo Marcellus. The Language of Spanish Dance: A Dictionary and Reference
108
Manual. With Carola Goya. Hightstown, NJ: Princeton Book Co., 2003.
Vroon, Donald R. “Overview: Spanish Music.” American Record Guide 64, no. 5 (September–
October 2002): 70-76.
Walthew, Richard H. “Enrique Granados: 1867-1916.” Musical Opinion and Musical Trade
Review (September 1916): 757-759.
Wilson, Charles. “The Two Versions of Goyescas.” The Monthly Musical Record 81 (October
1951): 203-7.
Winbush, Robert. “Spain.” Gramophone 45 (July 1967): 58.
Scores
Granados, Enrique. Goyescas: an Opera in Three Tableaux. With libretto by Fernando Periquet.
Translated by James Weldon Johnson. New York: Schirmer, 1915.
_______. Goyescas: an Opera in Three Tableaux, Copy of unpublished manuscript of orchestral

score of the opera, Revised Version, provided by Rental Performance Department, New
York: G. Schirmer, 1991.
_______. Integral para Piano/ Enrique Granados, Goyescas 1, vol. 3. Barcelona: Editorial de
_______. Integral para Piano/ Enrique Granados, Goyescas 2, vol. 4. Barcelona: Editorial de
_______. Integral para Piano/ Enrique Granados, Pedagogical Works, vol. 8. Barcelona:
Editorial de Musica Boileau, 2001.
_______. Tonadillas for Voice and Piano. International Music Company: New York, 1952.
Sound Recordings
Granados, Enrique. The Catalan Piano Tradition. performed by Enrique Granados, ca. 1912.
VAI Audio, 1992.
Granados, Enrique. The Composer Plays. “El Pelele, Quejas ó la Maja y el Ruiseñor from
Goyescas,” performed by Enrique Granados. Nimbus Records, 1997.
Granados, Enrique. Goyescas, performed by Alicia de Larrocha. Decca DD1982, 1977.
Granados, Enrique. Legendary Masters of the Piano, performed by Enrique Granados, recorded
from Welte player-piano rolls to Steinway concert grand no. 261. Classics Record
Library, winter 1962-63.
109
Granados, Enrique. Instruments of the Past: the Reproducing Piano. “El Pelele, Quejas ó la Maja
y el Ruiseñor, from Goyescas,” performed by Enrique Granados, recorded from Duo-Art
reproducing piano rolls; 7th-14th works encoded on rolls in 1916. Allegro Imports, 1990.
110

Cho - Interpretive Issues in Performing The Piano Suite "Goyescas" by Enrique Granados

Transféré par

Informations du document

Titre original

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Cho - Interpretive Issues in Performing The Piano Suite "Goyescas" by Enrique Granados

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

May 21, 2008

This work and its defense approved by:

Miguel A. Roig-Francoli, Ph. D

Division of Graduate Studies and Research of the University of Cincinnati

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS

In the Division of Keyboard Studies of the College-Conservatory of Music

M. M., Ewha Womans University, 1997

B. M., Kyung-Won University, 1992

Committee Chair: Miguel A. Roig-Francoli, Ph.D.

authentic Spanish character in a variety of ways. Numerous Spanish elements – references to

List of Musical Examples . . . . . . . . . vii

I. Imagination – Influences from Goya’s Works . . . . . 3

III. Spanish Temperament – Spanish Dances, Songs, and Sound of Guitar . . .

IV. A Pianist’s Interpretive Analysis

3. “El fandango de candil” . . . . . . . 58

4. “Quejas o la maja y el ruiseñor” . . . . . . 72

5. “El amor y la muerte” . . . . . . . . 84

6. “Epílogo: Serenata del espectro” . . . . . . 94

Figure 1. Francisco Goya, Merienda a la orilla del manzanares, 1776 . . . 5

Table 1. Spanish Idioms in Goyescas . . . . . . . . 19

Example 1.1. “Los requiebros,” mm. 350-357 . . . . . . 22

Los requiebros (Flirtations), Coloquio en la reja (Conversation at the Window), El fandango de

serenata del espectro (Epilogue: The Specter’s Serenade).

authentic Spanish character in a variety of ways. Numerous Spanish elements – references to

not only a name, but an epoch also.”1

imagination of any pianist planning to perform Goyescas.

wrote to pianist Joaquin Malats:

and playing the guitar, with its corresponding landscape.”7

Figure 1. Merienda a la orilla del

emotion he felt compelled to express through music.”8

mannequin on the blanket.

Figure 3. El pelele, 1791-2

melodies and curved phrase shapes found in Goyescas.

Figure 4. El quitasol, 1777 Figure 5. La maja y los

In fact, so entranced was Granados by Goya’s depictions of majas that he continually

Figure 6. Granados, La maja de Figure 7. Granados, La maja de

Compared with Pepa, Rosario – a noblewoman – is only vaguely maja-esque, reflecting

inspiration for the characters of Fernando and Rosario as follows:

Figure 12. La duchesse Figure 13. La duchesse

pottery in El cacharrero (The Pottery Vendor, Figure 15).

620 bullfighters which Goya sketched.”15

Figure 16. Retrato del torero

grew progressively darker towards the end of his life.

on themes. A number of Goya’s etchings from Los caprichos contributed to Granados’s

Figure 17. Ni asi la distingue Figure 18. Muchachos al avío

similarities in the use of form between Goya and Granados:

thought of as a result of Goya’s influence.

in the works of Goya – would be indispensable in conceiving a unifying narrative for

interested in performing the suite.

would be useful from a performance perspective to analyze Granados’s final version18 of

guide to the music.

2. “Coloquio en la reja” (Conversation at the Window)

3. “El fandango de candil” (Fandango by Lamplight)

4. “Quejas o la maja y el ruiseñor” (Lament, or the Maiden and the Nightingale)

5. “El amor y la muerte” (Love and Death: a Ballad)

6. “Epílogo: Serenata del espectro” (Epilogue: The Specter’s Serenade)

emotional changes as the music progresses throughout the story.

relates to each movement of Goyescas; it should be as natural to his or her performance as

though he or she were a native Spaniard singing and dancing.

Table 1. Spanish Idioms in Goyescas

Vol. 1 I Los requiebros 3/8 Tirana del Trípili