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A Lost Treasure From A Spanish Master

http://blog.mienciclo.com/hoy-se-cumplen-144-anos-del-nacimiento-del-pianista-y-compositor-enrique-granados/

After a successful premiere in Barcelona in 1911, the music disappeared.  Cant de les Estrellas (Song of the Stars) by Spanish composer Enrique Granados wasn't heard again until almost 100 years later, in a new recording on the Naxos label.  Responsible for that recording, and for retrieving this lost score, is New Mexico pianist, and Granados scholar, Douglas Riva. 

Douglas will perform Cant de les Estrellas with Polyphony: Voices of New Mexico on March 24 at the Cathedral of St. John in Albuquerque.  "The work is extremely unusual," he says.  "It's a major work for piano, but also includes important parts for organ and chorus.  This piece actually uses three choruses."

In this longer version of the conversation, Douglas describes his over 20-year search for the complete score to Cant de les Estrellas and his involvement in the Granados celebration taking place in Albuquerque March 20-24.

douglas_riva_interview_long_version_final.mp3

Douglas Riva performs Cant de les Estrellas with the Voices of Ascension and organist Mark Kruczek  (from the the Naxos CD Song of the Stars - A Celebration of Catalan Music

20_granados__cant_de_les_estrelles.mp3

Spencer Beckwith reports on the arts for KUNM. For ten years, until March of 2014, Spencer was the producer and host of KUNM's "Performance New Mexico," a weekday morning arts program that included interviews with musicians, writers and performers. Spencer is a graduate of the acting program at the Juilliard School, and, before moving to New Mexico in 2002, was for many years a professional actor based in New York City.