Turina Scènes Andalouse, Op. 7
Joaquín Turina was born at Seville, Spain on 9 December 1882 and died in Madrid, Spain on 14 January 1949. The Escena andaluza (Scène Andalouse) Op. 7, scored for solo viola and piano quintet, was written in 1911 and dedicated to Madamoiselle Lise Blinoff, the violist who premiered the work on 21 December 1911. Blinoff was accompanied by the all-female Leroux-Reboul string quartet and Turina himself played the piano at the premiere performance which was sponsored by the Société Musicale Indépendante and took place at the Salle Gaveau in Paris. It is interesting to note that this piece received its English premiere at a concert of twentieth century Spanish works on 4 March 1919 with Lionel Tertis as the viola soloist; this performance took place in the large room of the Guildhall, Cambridge.
The music of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century in Europe bore the influence of the nationalistic tides that swept the continent during those turblulent years. The Enlightenment secularized much of European society, and for many nationalism became a sort of new religion. Nationalism found its way into music through the use of native and folk elements by composers in their attempts to create a unique musical language unique to their respective homelands. Exoticism was another trait found in music of this period. Composers such as Debussy used music from Spain to evoke the sense of distant lands and foreign cultures.
Early twentieth century Spanish music is identified with four main figures: Isaac Albéniz, Enrique Granados, Manuel de Falla, and Joaquìn Turina. Their usage of musical elements from their native Spain not only served as a way to create a “Spanish” art music but also to reclaim Spanish musical elements from the exotic realm that composers from other countries had placed it in. Joaquín Turina, who moved to Paris in 1905 to study piano with Moritz Moszkowski and composition at the Schola Cantorum, initially was not a nationalist composer per se. His Op. 1 Piano Quintet, published in 1907, was a neo-Franckian result of his studies at the Schola, especially in its use of cyclical form. Around this time Albéniz and Falla, who were also in Paris at the time, encouraged Turina to seek material in Spanish popular music. Turina followed their guidance and the Op. 7 Scène Andalouse was one of the first products of this new direction in compositional style.
The piece is divided into two movements, and the first movement itself is divided into two sections bearing programmatic titles: Crepuscule Du Soir (At Twilight) and Serenata (Serenade). The second movement bears one title, A la Fenêtre (At the Window). While Turina uses native Spanish elements, the Scène Andalouse still bears the definite imprint of the influence of Franck in that it exhibits cyclical elements. Debussy’s influence on Turina can also be seen in the use of instrumental colors and timbres to evoke certain moods. The choice of instrument combination also calls to mind Chausson’s Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Quartet which Turina may have encountered during his student days at the Schola.
There are definitely Andalusian elements to be found in the music, especially in the introductory portion of the first movement, Crepuscule du Soir. The opening statement of the solo viola evokes the mood of a flamenco singer. The gypsy melody features an augmented second, an interval whose presence in Andalusian music is attributed to Arab influence due to the implantation of Arabic culture in the region for several centuries. This melody serves as the main component of the introductory section of the first movement evokes the sense that we are being told a tale at twilight, as the title of the section suggests.
The second part of the first movement, Serenata, is in ternary (ABA’) form. At the outset of the section the solo viola presents an arpeggiated figure that is evocative of a strummed guitar. The use of pizzicato in the strings when the solo viola breaks out into a melody continues the image of a lover serenading the beloved while playing his guitar. The B section of the Serenata consists of a “Mouvement de Habanera”. For many the habanera will forever be associated with Spain thanks to George Bizet’s opera “Carmen”. The habanera, also known as the Andalusian tango (which is, incidentally, a forerunner to Argentine tango), actually has its origins in Cuba and found its way to Spain via sailors (including those of Andalusian origin). Here the lover (signified by the solo viola) dances with his beloved (signified by the accompanying piano quintet). After the dance is over we once again return to a section introduced by the rising guitar-like arpeggio in the solo viola.
The second movement begins with a treatment of the thematic material found in the introduction of the first movement, but here the piano is accompanied by the string quartet in setting the mood. As mentioned earlier, this movement is given the subtitle A la Fenêtre; one could argue that now the beloved is at the window at dawn remembering the evening before. This introduction is followed by more material evocative of guitars. We are then treated to new songlike material in the solo viola accompanied by pizzicato in the lower strings, giving us once again the image of a lover serenading the beloved. The guitar figure then returns, this time with the solo viola joining in and utilizing the arpeggiated figure from the beginning of the Serenata, which in turn brings us to material from the habanera section of the first movement. We now see that cyclical processes are definitely at work in this piece; in this case reference to the habanera and other elements from the first movement gives us a sense of contemplating a distant memory. After the habanera we hear another treatment of material from the very beginning of the piece, and for the first time the solo viola participates in this music. Another statement of the songlike material from earlier in this movement returns, and the piece ends with material derived from the opening of the piece, truly bringing us full circle.
-Program notes by Dr. Daniel Doña