Lecuona: Andalucia, Danzas Afrocubanas, Ante el Escorial & Other Piano Works Marcos Madrigal

• Ernesto Lecuona y Casado (1895–1963)
• 1 Ante el Escorial (Ben moderato - Più mosso - Moderato - Vivace) 05:01
• 2 Preludio en la Noche (Adagio) 02:43
• Danzas Afrocubanas
• 3 La Conga de Medianoche (Allegro) 03:18
• 4 La Comparsa (Moderato) 01:49
• 5 Danza Negra (Moderato ben marcato - Più mosso - Tempo primo) 02:32
• 6 Danza Lucumí (Moderato) 02:47
• 7 Danzas de los Ñáñigos (Ben moderato) 02:33
• 8 ...Y la Negra Bailaba (Allegro moderato) 02:28
• La Primera en la Frente (Allegro)
• 9 La Primera en la Frente (Allegro) 01:40
• 10 Ella y Yo (Allegro moderato) 02:00
• 11 Interrumpida (Allegro moderato) 01:10
• 12 La Cardenense (Moderato - Moderato - Tempo primo - Lento) 01:49
• 13 A la Antigua (Moderato - Scherzando) 02:20
• 14 Al Fin Te Vi (Allegro vivace) 01:24
• En Tres Por Cuatro (Allegro maestoso)
• 15 En Tres Por Cuatro (Allegro maestoso) 02:04
• Andalucía
• 16 I. Cordoba (Allegro moderato - Moderato - Tempo primo - Lento) 03:49
• 17 II. Andaluza (Allegro vivace - Molto vivace - Tempo primo) 03:00
• 18 III. Alhambra (Allegro vivace - Lento ma non troppo - Allegro tempo primo - Vivace) 04:22
• 19 IV. Gitanerías (Presto) 01:51
• 20 V. Guadalquivir (Allegro moderato) 04:59
• 21 VI. Malagueña (Allegro moderato - Vivace - Lento a la capriccio - Moderato - Più mosso - Vivace) 04:03
• Total Runtime 57:42

Info for Lecuona: Andalucia, Danzas Afrocubanas, Ante el Escorial & Other Piano Works

It is always a privilege to listen to any selection prepared by the pianist Marcos Madrigal. His probing intellect and profound study of styles, his way of playing, his knowledge of the period of chosen works, his consultation of different editions... everything about his approach to the music is transformed into a sublime ritual, to which one can add the quality of his extraordinary technical and expressive command of the instrument.

In Cuba he has always been considered a young pianist of great talent. Now, after a period of prolonged study at the International Piano Academy Lake Como and at the University of Music in Lugano as a “Lieven Scholar”, under the invaluable guide of William Grant Nabore, he has become an important artist in the world of pianistic interpretation of today. This present collection takes on a more important meaning because apart from Madrigal’s mastery these works are also part of his cultural heritage. In these pieces he interrogates each inner element, every syncopation and time change.

The present collection is only a part of the abundant solo piano production of the Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona Casado (Guanabacoa, Cuba, 1895 - Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, 1963), heir to the composers Manuel Saumell (1817-1870) and Ignacio Cervantes (1847-1905), who dedicated themselves to developing pianistic miniatures, especially of the dance, transforming it into the nationalist emblem during the second half of the 19th century.

Saumell and Cervantes, together with Juan Federico Edelmann (1795-1848), Nicolas Ruiz Espadero (1832-1890), José Manuel ‘Lico’ Jimenez (1851-1917), Pablo Desvernine (1823-1890) and other names recently brought to light by Cuban historians, like the Spaniard Clemente Peichler, were creators of an 18th-century style found on the Island, in particular in regards to the language of the piano, whose fundamental place was in the home and salons of the middle class.

The tradition formed by these composers before Lecuona and classified as “Romantic” remains clearly defined on many occasions, and in very similar musical structures: dances for the piano that were made up of two symmetrical parts from recurrent melodic structures, with a melodic supremacy over an accompaniment and with descriptive extra musical titles very much in evidence, sometimes even onomatopoeic.

Marcos Madrigal, piano

Marcos Madrigal
was born in Havana, Cuba. In 2007, he graduated with honors from the The University of Arts of Cuba (ISA), under the guidance of the renowned professor and pianist Teresita Junco. He attended Master Classes at the University of Music – Conservatory of Lugano and at the International Piano Academy Lake Como, where he had the chance to study with Andreas Staier, Dimitri Bashkirov, Fou Ts’ong, John Perry, Malcolm Bilson and especially with M° William Grant Naboré.

He has performed in recitals, and as a soloist with orchestras, in many of the most renowned concert halls of the world, such as the Teatro Colón of Buenos Aires, the Auditorium Parco della Musica of Rome, the Queen Elizabeth Hall of London, the Auditorium Manuel de Falla of Granada, the Volkstheater of Vienna, the Rossini Opera House of Pesaro, the Teatro delle Muse of Ancona, the Teatro Gentile of Fabriano, the Teatro Góngora of Cordoba, working with notable conductors, such as Claudio Abbado, Leo Brower, Paul Mann, Arturo Enrique Diemecke and Lorenzo Ramos. He also collaborated in several projects with Oscar-winning composer Nicola Piovani, as well as with others distinguished composers in the film and theater world.

He received numerous awards in several international competitions, among which are the International Piano Competition "Premio Jaén" (Spain), the Panama International Piano Competition, the International Piano Competition "María Clara Cullel" (Costa Rica), the European Piano Performance Competition (Italy), and the International Piano Competition "Ignacio Cervantes" of Havana (Cuba). Furthermore, in 2012, he was awarded the International Award Gold Medal "Maison des Artistes", granted by the Association for Culture, Arts, Science and Social Commitment of Rome.

Among his most recent recordings are Homo Ludens, with M° Leo Brower; Concert for Four Hands, with his teacher Teresita Junco; the Opera Omnia for Piano and Orchestra of José María Vitier, and a Monograph dedicated to Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona. Furthermore, he has recorded live concerts and has participated in several radio program for Radio Vaticana, RSI, Radio Suisse Romande, Rai Radio 3 and other famous radio channels all over the world.

Booklet for Lecuona: Andalucia, Danzas Afrocubanas, Ante el Escorial & Other Piano Works