251. Danza!

The Concert - Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Works for solo piano by Falla and Albeniz performed by Alessio Bax, piano on May 17, 2015. Work for string quartet and guitar by Boccherini performed by Jason Vieaux, guitar with Escher String Quartet: Adam Barnett-Hart, violin, Aaron Boyd, violin, Pierre Lapointe, viola, and Dane Johansen cello on May 17, 2015.

• Falla: Danza del molinera from El sombrero de tres picos for Piano
• Albeniz: Tango from Espana: Seis Hojas de Album for Piano, Op. 165 (arr. Godowsky)
• Boccherini: Quintet No. 4 in D Major for Guitar, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello, G. 448

It’s time to get out of your chair: this podcast is all about la danza, the dance.

The inspiration came from the final piece on the podcast: Boccherini’s Quintet for guitar and string quartet, G. 448, subtitled “Fandango.” The first two movements of the piece are relatively unassuming: a delicate Pastoral, followed by an Allegro that foregrounds the guitar a bit more. But in the final movements, the pace accelerates, the music gets livelier.

To get us in the mood to tango, we’ve got a few openers, both featuring pianist Alessio Bax. First, the Dance of the Miller, by Manuel de Falla. After an attention-grabbing introduction, we get a spirited dance, which is no surprise, since the piece is actually a reworking of a ballet that Falla originally wrote for the great Russian impresario Sergei Diaghilev and the Ballet Russes.

Next is Tango, from the six-movement collection Espana by Isaac Albeniz. Tango is the second piece in the original grouping, and Albeniz’s most famous melody. It’s been reworked for many instruments over the years. It is a charming, slightly seductive tune, immediate in its appeal.

We conclude with the Boccherini quintet.