Andres Isasi (1890-1940)

[YankeeMusic]

This Basque composer seems to be among the missing here at the UC site.

Naxos has not forgotten Isasi, however, and currently there are three CDs of his music available, with at least one more to come.

Isasi's more Germanic tilt made his works unpopular with his Bilbao neighbors.  After studying in Berlin (with Humperdinck, inter alia), he found his audiences, to whatever extent at all, outside Spain.  He died, almost utterly obscured, after the unrest and upheavals of the Civil War.

Along with a Symphony (No.2) and a sort of Sibelius-like Suite (also No.2) Naxos is treating us to Isasi's String Quartets.  He wrote eight of them, but three are unfinished.  So far, on two CDs, we have SQs 0, 2, 3 and 4 and a few fragment pieces.

These chamber works have broad shoulders and evoke thoughts of Dvorak and Grieg - -particularly the former.  They are thoroughly lyrical and, therefore, would be attractive to fans of this forum.

[TB]

Also worth mentioning is the disc issued by Swiss label Claves devoted to Isasi's symphonic poems. It's late romanticism as learned from his studies with Humperdinck. Played by a Basque orchestra, the music has some notable titles:

Berceuse tragica (for violin and orchestra), op. 22
Erotic Poem, op. 14    
Zharufa, op. 12    
The Oracle, op. 18    
The Sin, op. 19

[semloh]

Isasi is one of many talented but neglected Basque composers. The music on the Claves CD is beautiful, so I will certainly be investigating the Naxos series. Thanks for alerting us.