Joaquín Turina

Ensueño

Spanish composer Joaquin Turina was born on December 9, 1882 in Seville. At the age of 4, his musical 'career' began on the accordion. His first musical studies began in Seville, after which he took the step to continue his studies at the conservatory in Madrid. From 1905 to 1914 he studied in Paris and became friends with Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel and Florent Schmitt. During the First World War, he returned to Madrid and worked in the theater and the conservatory. It was Isaac Albéniz who advised him to focus primarily on Andalusian musical sources and Spanish folk music. He was certainly a versatile composer: he wrote chamber, piano, guitar and organ music, as well as songs, operas and works for symphony and wind orchestra. Spanish folklore and impressionistic elements are clearly recognizable in all of his compositions, especially in 'Ensueño' in this arrangement for wind orchestra, arranged by Wil van der Beek. Turina died in Madrid on January 14, 1949. 'Ensueño' is the 2nd movement from 'Danzas Fantasticás' (opus 22), perhaps Turina's best known work, composed in 1919 originally for piano and later orchestrated by him for symphony orchestra. This last version was remarkably the first to be premiered, and this on February 13, 1920, at the 'Theater Price' in Madrid. The 'Orquesta Filarmónica' from Madrid was conducted by Bartolomé Pérez Casas. 'Ensueño' (meaning 'Fantasy') is a Basque zorzico (zortziko), a dance in 5/8 measure.