The solo piano music of Manuel Infante: Background, analysis, and performance considerations

Abstract

This doctoral document is presented in conjunction with a doctoral lecture recital on the piano music of Manuel Infante that was performed in partial fulfillment of the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance. The primary purpose of this document is to thoroughly analyze the solo piano music of Manuel Infante in the context of music history and to gather in this document all available information about the composer. It is hoped that this document will become a standard resource about the composer and his music. Chapter One contains biographical information about Manuel Infante and the folk influences that characterize Spanish piano literature. Chapter Two is an investigation of the social, cultural, political, and historical contexts of Infante’s life in Spain and France. Chapter Three analyzes the compositional and performance strategies of Infante’s solo repertoire. The writer identifies a compositional technique Infante used in his repertoire, “spun-out counter melody,” which makes his music unique from other Spanish composers of the era. The majority of the chapter focuses on issues of interpretation and performance in the solo piano repertoire of Manuel Infante. The musical descriptions, analyses, and suggestions are mainly based on the writer’s knowledge of music history and his experience learning and performing Infante’s music.

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Keywords

Classical piano music, Spanish piano music Spanish dance music, Folk dances, Folk music, The turn of the 20th century, Infante, Manuel, Solo piano repertoire, Rarities, Spanish composers, French impressionism, Musical nationalism, Andalusian dances, El Vito, Sevillana, Guadaquivir, Gitanerias, Spanish dance music

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