Spanish Dances No.

1
Enrique Granados
(1867 – 1916)

Publisher Dover Publications

Date of Publication 1987
Duration 01:30
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Unit 1: Composer

Enrique Granados was a Spanish composer and pianist born in Lleida, Spain in 1867. First

studying piano in Barcelona under Francisco Jurnet and Joan Baptista Pujol, and taking private

lessons from the Paris Conservatoire professor, Charles-Wilfrid de Beriot, Granados would go on

to become a well-known composer and pianist. He Invited to perform a piano recital for

Woodrow Wilson in 1916, and missed a ship to travel back home to Spain making him take one

to England instead. That ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat and he drowned trying to save

his wife. Granados’s music is very nationalistic in style with heavy Spanish roots in all of his

compositions.

Unit 2: Composition

The Chamber piece, Spanish Dance No. 1, was originally one of 12 piano solos written by

Enrique Granados, but arranged by William Ryden for a quartet of two oboes, piano, and

conductor. The excerpt used for the arrangement was measures 34 through 58 in the original

piano solo where it serves as a slow waltz in comparison to the fast fanfare-like opening. This

makes the B-section feel like a ballad more than a dance. Overall Spanish Dances is considered a

very nationalistic piece that is heavily influenced by Spanish music that Granados grew up with.
Unit 3: Historical Perspective

Enrique Granados’s music is divided into three basic styles or periods: Romantic, Nationalistic,

and the Goya period (based off his piano suite, Goyescas). Spanish Dance No. 1 is categorized in

the Nationalistic period along with the other 11 Spanish dances and 6 Piezas Sobre Cantos

Populares Espanoles (or Six Pieces Based on Popular Spanish Songs), both of which are heavily

influenced by popular Spanish songs and styles.

Unit 4: Technical Considerations

While the flutes and oboes have a relatively simple melody, and the bass clarinet, bassoon, and

tenor sax have a rather repetitive bass line, the Bb clarinets and alto sax run into accidentals that

outline the G minor key of the piece that newer players might have to learn. Also as a moderately

slow piece, flute players might have a little difficulty holding out the long g4 in m. 5-8,

depending on the octave it is written for them. An aspect that will need the most work would be

tuning though, as players’ pitches will be much more exposed in a slow piece such as this.

Unit 5: Stylistic Considerations

The first eight bars of Spanish Dance No. 1 are kept at a mezzo-forte with phrase markings every

two measures, compared to the last eight bars before the D.C. al Fine which is at a piano with

phrase markings notated every measure. This would indicate that the first half of the piece would

be more legato and broad, while the second half would be very subtle. As this excerpt is a ballad

in the middle of a waltz, it should maintain a bouncy feel without being too abrupt, like a slow-

dance in the middle of a party, appealing to the romantic side of Spanish music.
Unit 6: Musical Elements

With the bass and tenor parts playing a simple waltz and the soprano playing the melody, the alto

is left to play the counter-melody, of which emphasizes the minor feel of the excerpt. Then in the

B section the alto holds out continuous concert g’s while the bass plays a similar counter-melody

and the soprano continues the melody. In both the A section and the B section, the melody is

heard in the first four to six measures and then the counter-melody takes over with the repeated 1

& 2, 3 rhythms. The bass line ends the phrase in the A section with ostinato 5ths. Despite being

in G-minor, the piece maintains a light feel rather than a dark and weighty sound. This means

that the soprano and alto lines should maintain the foreground a majority of the piece while the

tenor and bass lines stay in the background until their counter-melody at measure eight.

Unit 7: Form and Structure

A simple AABBA form with the melody and counter-melody in soprano and alto respectively in

the A section. Then the counter-melody shifting to the bass voice in the B section. There are

eight measures for every section.

Unit 8: Suggested Listening

Enrique Granados, 12 Spanish Dances

Enrique Granados, Six Pieces based on Popular Spanish Songs

Enrique Granados, Goyescas

Manuel de Falla, Tus Ojillos Negros

Unit 9: Additional References and Resources

"12 Danzas Españolas (Granados, Enrique)." 12 Danzas Españolas (Granados, Enrique)

IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library: Free Public Domain Sheet Music. N.p., n.d. Web. 07

Jan. 2017.

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Enrique Granados." Encyclopædia Britannica.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 17 Oct. 2006. Web.

"Enrique Granados." Naxos Records. Naxos, n.d. Web.

Granados / Alicia De Larrocha: Dance No. 1 in G Major - Twelve Spanish Dances. Perf. Alicia

De Larrocha. Youtube. N.p., n.d. Web.