Albeniz, from the piano to the wind

Celia Matamoro

Albéniz was one of Celia’s favorite composers from her childhood and always felt a special connection to his work. However, in the fifteen long years that she has been studying music, she has never been able to play any of his pieces on the bassoon. Now that she has finished her master's degree -and she had to reflect on where she comes from and, ultimately, who she is-, she decided to investigate the composer in depth with the aim of arranging his Spanish Suite, originally written for piano, so that at the end of so many things, she can interpret it with her reed quintet. Thanks to its flexibility and wide palette of colors, sound, and articulation, the combination of reed instruments achieves a greater range of register and color, and provides Albéniz's music, inspired by elements of flamenco and Spanish folklore such as cante jondo, a texture and expressiveness that evokes the human voice. Caire Reed Quintet was formed in 2020, in the midst of the Covid19 pandemic crisis. The five of them are from Spain and they share the same passion for Albéniz. With this work the author wishes to offer other composers and performers the opportunity to discover, learn and experience how much the reed quintet's sonority can contribute to certain styles of music such as Spanish nationalist, reaching a greater range of register and color, and endowing this style of music from a new perspective.

Graphic example version 1 (intro and first theme)

Figure 1 (m.1-15): Intro and 1st theme. The intro is presenting the D major dominant chord creating this tension that releases into the 1st theme of the piece.

Graphic example version 2 (intro and first theme)

Figure 2 (m.1-15): Intro and 1st theme. The intro is presenting the D major dominant chord creating this tension that releases into the 1st theme of the piece. In version 2, the intro: the melody is written in the bassoon and the 1st theme is written in the saxophone.

Graphic example version 3 (intro and first theme)

Figure 3 (m.1-15): Intro and 1st theme. The intro is presenting the D major dominant chord creating this tension that releases into the 1st theme of the piece. In version 3, the intro: the melody is written in the bass clarinet and the 1st theme is written in the saxophone.

Graphic example version 1 (repetition of first theme one octave higher)

Figure 4 (m.16-26): Repetition of the 1st theme. After the 1st theme is presented, it is repeated in the high octave.

Graphic example version 2 (repetition of first theme one octave higher)

Figure 5 (m.16-26): Repetition of the 1st theme. After the 1st theme is presented, it is repeated in the high octave. In version 2, the melody is divided between oboe and clarinet.

Graphic example version 3 (repetition of first theme one octave higher)

Figure 6 (m.16-26): Repetition of the 1st theme. After the 1st theme is presented, it is repeated in the high octave. In version 3, the melody is divided between oboe and clarinet but in general better orchestrated.

A SECTION

Graphic example version 1 (b theme)

Figure 7 (m.27-46): b theme

Graphic example version 2 (b theme)

Figure 8 (m.27-46): b theme. b theme divided between the oboe and the clarinet.

Graphic example version 3 (b theme)

Figure 9 (m.27-46): b theme. In version 3, the oboe plays the melody of the intro bars to the b theme. b theme divided between the oboe and the clarinet but better orchestrated.

B SECTION

Graphic example version 1 (back to 1st theme with semiquavers accompaniment)

Figure 10 (m.47-58): The first theme comes back, but in this case with an accompaniment in semiquavers besides the regular voicings.

Graphic example version 2 (back to the 1st theme with semiquavers accompaniment)

Figure 11 (m.47-58): The first theme comes back, but in this case with an accompaniment in semiquavers besides the regular voicings. In version 2 I splitted the accompaniment between the bass clarinet and the bassoon and I added some slurs and sound regulators to help shape the melody line.

Graphic example version 3 (back to the 1st theme with semiquavers accompaniment)

Figure 12 (m.47-58): The first theme comes back, but in this case with a virtuosic accompaniment in semiquavers besides the regular voicings. In version 3 I splitted the accompaniment between the bass clarinet and the bassoon but now it is better orchestrated it.