In time, Albéniz's music would achieve considerable popularity as well, but it has remained the preserve of his piano works and not his operas, much less his songs. Wagner was a composer Albéniz not only admired but also clearly envied, and in noting this occurrence in his journal on May 20, he concluded with a wistful exclamation: "Ah, popularity!" (Isaac Albéniz, Impresiones y diarios de viaje, ed. While staying in Prague during the 1897 production there of his opera Pepita Jiménez, he heard a barrel organ grinding out familiar tunes from Lohengrin just outside his hotel window. Albéniz would have been gratified to know how celebrated his piano compositions would one day become. The Prelude to his Chants d'Espagne, a virtuoso showpiece for piano usually performed on the guitar, or the lovely Tango in its myriad arrangements and transcriptions, has appeared in television commercials, movie scores, radio programs, and public serenades on street corners and in subways. ![]() ![]() Millions of people have heard the music of Isaac Albéniz (1860–1909), have recognized and enjoyed his memorable melodies, without being able to attach his name to any of it.
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