Ricardo Viñes y Roda (, ca, Ricard Viñes i Roda, ; 5 February 1875 – 29 April 1943) was a Spanish pianist. He gave the premieres of works by

Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...

Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...

Satie Eric Alfred Leslie Satie (, ; ; 17 May 18661 July 1925), who signed his name Erik Satie after 1884, was a French composer and pianist. He was the son of a French father and a British mother. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire, but was an und ...

, Falla and Albéniz. He was the piano teacher of the composer

Francis Poulenc Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (; 7 January 189930 January 1963) was a French composer and pianist. His compositions include songs, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Among the best-kno ...

and the pianists Marcelle Meyer,

Joaquín Nin-Culmell Joaquín María Nin-Culmell (5 September 190814 January 2004) was a Cuban-Spanish composer, internationally known concert pianist, and emeritus professor of music at the University of California, Berkeley. Early life Joaquín Nin-Culmell was born ...

and Léo-Pol Morin.

Life and career

Viñes was born in

Lleida Lleida (, ; Spanish: Lérida ) is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida. Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It is also the capital city of the Segrià comarca, as ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. He studied the piano at the

Paris Conservatoire The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

under

Charles-Wilfrid de Bériot Charles-Wilfrid de Bériot (12 February 183322 October 1914) was a French pianist, teacher and composer. He was born in Paris in 1833, the son of the violinist Charles Auguste de Bériot and his then common-law wife, the famed soprano Maria Mal ...

, and composition and harmony with

Benjamin Godard Benjamin Louis Paul Godard (18 August 184910 January 1895) was a French violinist and Romantic-era composer of Jewish extraction, best known for his opera ''Jocelyn''. Godard composed eight operas, five symphonies, two piano and two violin concer ...

and

Albert Lavignac Alexandre Jean Albert Lavignac (21 January 1846 – 28 May 1916) was a French music scholar, known for his essays on theory, and a minor composer. Biography Lavignac was born in Paris and studied with Antoine François Marmontel, François Benoi ...

.Timbrell, Charles and Esperanza Berrocal
"Viñes, Ricardo"
Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, retrieved 19 September 2014 In 1895 Viñes made his début at the

Salle Pleyel The Salle Pleyel (, meaning "Pleyel Hall") is a concert hall in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, designed by acoustician Gustave Lyon together with architect Jacques Marcel Auburtin, who died in 1926, and the work was completed in 1927 by ...

, Paris. From 1900 he had an international career, touring in Russia and throughout Europe and South America. Between 1930 and 1936 he lived in Argentina, returning to Paris in 1936 where he continued to play until the final year of his life. According to Charles Timbrell and Esperanza Berrocal in the ''

Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and theo ...

'', Viñes's keyboard technique was magnificent and his repertoire extensive. In addition to the established classics he championed new works by the many composers of whom he was a close friend. They included

, Falla, Granados, Albéniz and

Déodat de Séverac Marie-Joseph Alexandre Déodat de Séverac (; 20 July 1872 – 24 March 1921) was a French composer. Life Séverac was born in Saint-Félix-de-Caraman, Haute-Garonne. He descended from a noble family, profoundly influenced by the musical trad ...

. He was also a proponent of Russian music, and introduced France to pieces by

Mussorgsky Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky ( rus, link=no, Модест Петрович Мусоргский, Modest Petrovich Musorgsky , mɐˈdɛst pʲɪˈtrovʲɪtɕ ˈmusərkskʲɪj, Ru-Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky version.ogg; – ) was a Russian compo ...

(''

Pictures at an Exhibition ''Pictures at an Exhibition'', french: Tableaux d'une exposition, link=no is a suite (music), suite of ten piano pieces, plus a recurring, varied Promenade theme, composed by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in 1874. The piece is Mussorgsky's ...

''), Balakirev (''

Islamey ''Islamey: Oriental Fantasy'' (russian: Исламей: Восточная фантазия), is a composition for piano by Russian composer Mily Balakirev written in 1869. Harold C. Schonberg noted that ''Islamey'' was "at one time…considered t ...

'') and

Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''., group=n (27 April .S. 15 April1891 – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer ...

(''Sarcasmes''). ''Grove'' lists among the many works dedicated to him Ravel's ''Oiseaux tristes'', Debussy's ''Poissons d’or'' and Falla's ''

Noches en los jardines de España ''Nights in the Gardens of Spain'' ( es, Noches en los jardines de España), G. 49, is a piece of music by the Spanish composer Manuel de Falla. Falla was Andalusian and the work refers to the Hispano-Arabic past of this region (Al-Andalus). F ...

''. Viñes composed a small number of works, the best known of which are the two ''Hommages'', for Séverac and Satie. He also wrote several articles, mostly on Spanish music, and his diaries are much quoted by biographers of his musical contemporaries. His piano students included Marcelle Meyer,

, Léo-Pol Morin and

. Poulenc later said of his teacher: An annual International piano competition "Ricard Viñes" has been held since 1995 in his birth town Lleida. The city council named one of the city's most popular squares the "Plaça Ricard Vinyes", and the main room of the Llotja de Lleida theatre and congress centre (opened in 2010) is also named after him. Viñes died in

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

at the age of 68. He was unmarried.

Discography

Viñes reportedly had an intense dislike for the recording process, but nonetheless left 25 recordings dating from the 1930s. In ''Groves view, the playing as recorded reveals "an unforced virtuosity, charming rhythmic pointing and shimmering pedal effects." All the recordings listed below were released by Marston Records in 2007 as "Ricardo Viñes: The Complete Recordings". Other releases are listed below the individual compositions. *

Isaac Albéniz Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz y Pascual (; 29 May 1860 – 18 May 1909) was a Spanish virtuoso pianist, composer, and conductor. He is one of the foremost composers of the Post-Romantic era who also had a significant influence on his conte ...

** Granada (Serenata), Op.47 No.1 (rec. 1930) ** Torre bermeja, Op.92 No.12 (rec. 1930) *** Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 ** Orientale, Op.232 No.2 (rec. 1930) *** Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 ** Seguidillas, Op.232 No.5 (rec. 1930) *** Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 ** Serenata española, Op.181 (rec. 22 July 1936) *** Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 ** Tango in A minor, Op.164 No.2 (rec. 22 July 1936) *** Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 *

Pedro Humberto Allende Pedro Humberto Allende Sarón (July 29, 1885 – August 17, 1959) was one of the most important Chilean composers of the twentieth century. He obtained the prestigious ''Premio Nacional de Arte'' in 1945. Biography Allende was born on July 29, ...

** Dos Tonadas Chilenas (rec. 22 July 1936) *** Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 *

Manuel Blancafort Manuel may refer to: People * Manuel (name) * Manuel (Fawlty Towers), a fictional character from the sitcom ''Fawlty Towers'' * Charlie Manuel, manager of the Philadelphia Phillies * Manuel I Komnenos, emperor of the Byzantine Empire * M ...

** L'Orgue du Carroussel (from Le Parc d'Attractions) (rec. 1930) *** Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 ** Polka de l'Equilibriste (from Le Parc d'Attractions) (rec. 1930) *** Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 *

Alexander Borodin Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin ( rus, link=no, Александр Порфирьевич Бородин, Aleksandr Porfir’yevich Borodin , p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr pɐrˈfʲi rʲjɪvʲɪtɕ bərɐˈdʲin, a=RU-Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin.ogg, ...

** Scherzo in Ab (rec. 1930) *** Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 *

Claude Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...

** Soirée dans Grenade (Estampes No.2) (rec. 1930) *** Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 ** Poissons d'or (Images, Set 2 No.3) (rec. 1930) *** Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 *** Naxos, "A-Z of Pianists - by Jonathan Summers", 4-CD set, 2007 *** Ysaÿe Records, "Claude Debussy - Images Pour Piano", 2008 ** Hommage à Rameau (Images, Set 1 No.2) (incomplete; rec. 1938)The Marston release says that the recording date of this is unknown, while the Arbiter release indicates that it was recorded in 1938. *** Arbiter Records, "Masters of the French piano tradition", 2007 ** Etude No.10, "Pour les sonorités opposées" (incomplete; rec. 1938) *** Arbiter Records, "Masters of the French piano tradition", 2007 ** Viñes speaks on Debussy (radio address in French commemorating the 20th anniversary of Debussy's death, 1938)English translation
, retrieved 17 June 2010. *

Manuel de Falla Manuel de Falla y Matheu (, 23 November 187614 November 1946) was an Andalusian Spanish composer and pianist. Along with Isaac Albéniz, Francisco Tárrega, and Enrique Granados, he was one of Spain's most important musicians of the first hal ...

** Dance of Terror (rec. 1930) ** Récit du Pêcheur (rec. 1930) ** Introduction and Ritual Fire Dance (rec. 1930) *

Gluck Christoph Willibald (Ritter von) Gluck (; 2 July 1714 – 15 November 1787) was a composer of Italian and French opera in the early classical period (music), classical period. Born in the Upper Palatinate and raised in Bohemia, both part of the ...

Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped with ...

** Gavotte in A (rec. 1930) *** Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 * Carlos López-Buchardo ** Bailecito (rec. 22 July 1936) *** Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 *

Domenico Scarlatti Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti, also known as Domingo or Doménico Scarlatti (26 October 1685-23 July 1757), was an Italian composer. He is classified primarily as a Baroque composer chronologically, although his music was influential in the deve ...

** Sonata in D, K.29 (L.461) (rec. 1930) *** Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 * Cayetano Troiani ** Milonga (rec. 22 July 1936) *** Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 *

Joaquín Turina Joaquín Turina Pérez (9 December 188214 January 1949) was a Spanish composer of classical music.''Encyclopædia Britannica'' online (2014)"Joaquín Turina"/ref> Biography Turina was born in Seville. He studied in Seville as well as in Mad ...

** Miramar (from Chants d'Espagne) (rec. 1930) *** Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 ** Dans les Jardins de Murcia (rec. 1930) *** Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994

Notes and references

;Notes ;References ;Sources * * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vines, Ricardo 1875 births 1943 deaths People from Lleida Musicians from Catalonia Spanish classical pianists Male classical pianists Spanish composers Spanish male composers Conservatoire de Paris alumni