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José Antonio Cubiles Ramos (15 May 1894 5 April 1971) was a noted Spanish
pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, j ...
,
conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Music * Conductor (music), a person who leads a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra. * ''Conductor'' (album), an album by indie rock band The Comas * Conduction, a type of structured free improvisation ...
and teacher.


Biography

Cubiles was born in
Cádiz Cádiz (, , ) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the Province of Cádiz, one of eight that make up the autonomous community of Andalusia. Cádiz, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, ...
in 1894. His pianistic gifts were already apparent by the age of five. He first studied music theory and elementary piano with Rafaele Tomasetti, director of the Conservatory of Santa Cecilia (now known as the Real Conservatorio Profesional de Música de "Manuel de Falla" de Cádiz). From age 11, he studied at the
Madrid Royal Conservatory The Madrid Royal Conservatory ( es, Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid) is a music college in Madrid, Spain. History The Royal Conservatory of Music was founded on July 15, 1830, by royal decree, and was originally located in Mosten ...
,''Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', 5th ed. (1954), Vol. II, p. 556 under the patronage of Princess Isabella of Bourbon, daughter of Queen
Isabella II of Spain Isabella II ( es, Isabel II; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904), was Queen of Spain from 29 September 1833 until 30 September 1868. Shortly before her birth, the King Ferdinand VII of Spain issued a Pragmatic Sanction to ensure the success ...
. His principal teacher there was Pilar Fernández de la Mora. At age 15 he won the ''Premio Extraordinario'' awarded by the
Círculo de Bellas Artes The Círculo de Bellas Artes is a private, non-profit, cultural organization that was founded in 1880. Its building, located in Madrid, Spain, was declared '' Bien de Interés Cultural'' in 1981. The CBA is a major multidisciplinary centre with o ...
. In 1911 he won the Conservatory's First Prize. He undertook further study at the
Conservatoire de Paris 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 ...
with
Louis Diémer Louis Joseph Diémer (14 February 1843 – 21 December 1919) was a French pianist and composer. He was the founder of the Société des Instruments Anciens in the 1890s, and also gave recitals on the harpsichord. His output as a composer was exte ...
, graduating in 1914 with another Premier Prix, a Gold Medal, and a Pleyel grand piano. image:Real Conservatorio Superior de Música (Madrid) 02.jpg, left,
Madrid Royal Conservatory The Madrid Royal Conservatory ( es, Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid) is a music college in Madrid, Spain. History The Royal Conservatory of Music was founded on July 15, 1830, by royal decree, and was originally located in Mosten ...
In 1916 he was appointed a professor at his Madrid alma mater. That year he founded a chamber trio with the cellist Juan Ruiz Casaux and the violinist Fernández Ortiz. During the war years he accompanied the violinist Manuel Quiroga on tours of the United States and Canada. He also played in chamber ensembles with artists such as
Jacques Thibaud Jacques Thibaud (; 27 September 18801 September 1953) was a French violinist. Biography Thibaud was born in Bordeaux and studied the violin with his father before entering the Paris Conservatoire at the age of thirteen. In 1896 he jointly won the ...
,
Paul Kochanski Paul Kochanski (born Paweł Kochański; 30 August 1887 – 12 January 1934) was a Polish violinist, composer and arranger active in the United States. Training and early career Paweł Kochański was born in Odesa to Polish-Jewish parent ...
and Gaspar Cassadó, and was known for his performances of the music of the Spanish masters
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 ...
,
Enrique Granados Pantaleón Enrique Joaquín Granados y Campiña (27 July 1867 – 24 March 1916), commonly known as Enric Granados in Catalan or Enrique Granados in Spanish, was a composer of classical music, and concert pianist from Catalonia, Spain. ...
,
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 Madri ...
and
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 ha ...
, as well as
Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...
,
César Franck César-Auguste Jean-Guillaume Hubert Franck (; 10 December 1822 – 8 November 1890) was a French Romantic composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher born in modern-day Belgium. He was born in Liège (which at the time of his birth was p ...
,
Claude Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most infl ...
and
Maurice Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...
. José Cubiles is best known outside Spain as the soloist in the world premiere performance of de Falla's composition for piano and orchestra, ''
Nights in the Gardens of Spain ''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 ...
'', on 9 April 1916 with the
Madrid Symphony Orchestra Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
under
Enrique Fernández Arbós Enrique Fernández Arbós (24 December 1863 – 2 June 1939) was a Spanish violinist, composer and conductor who divided much of his career between Madrid and London. He originally made his name as a virtuoso violinist and later as one of Spain's ...
, at the
Teatro Real The Teatro Real (Royal Theatre) is an opera house in Madrid, Spain. Located at the Plaza de Oriente, opposite the Royal Palace, and known colloquially as ''El Real'', it is considered the top institution of the performing and musical arts in the ...
in Madrid. The work was dedicated to the pianist
Ricardo Viñes 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, Debussy, Satie, Falla and Albéniz. He was the piano teacher of the composer Francis Pou ...
, but de Falla chose Cubiles as a tribute to his exceptional qualities as a virtuoso and a musician. He later recorded the work with the
Vienna Philharmonic The Vienna Philharmonic (VPO; german: Wiener Philharmoniker, links=no) is an orchestra that was founded in 1842 and is considered to be one of the finest in the world. The Vienna Philharmonic is based at the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. It ...
under
Ernest Ansermet Ernest Alexandre Ansermet (; 11 November 1883 – 20 February 1969)"Ansermet, Ernest" in '' The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 435. was a Swiss conductor. Biography Ansermet ...
. On 6 June 1916, during
Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of the ...
's first visit to Spain to present his ballets ''
The Firebird ''The Firebird'' (french: L'Oiseau de feu, link=no; russian: Жар-птица, Zhar-ptitsa, link=no) is a ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1910 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's ...
'' and ''
Petrushka Petrushka ( rus, Петру́шка, p=pʲɪtˈruʂkə, a=Ru-петрушка.ogg) is a stock character of Russian folk puppetry. Italian puppeteers introduced it in the first third of the 19th century. While most core characters came from Ital ...
'', Cubiles played the difficult piano part in ''Petrushka'' in a performance conducted by Ansermet, in the presence of the composer, who had personally rehearsed the players. (Cubiles and Stravinsky died one day apart, on 5 and 6 April 1971 respectively.) From 1920 Cubiles played with great success throughout Europe and Britain, giving solo recitals, and concerto performances under conductors such as Ernest Ansermet,
Carl Schuricht Carl Adolph Schuricht (; 3 July 18807 January 1967) was a German conductor. Life and career Schuricht was born in Danzig ( Gdańsk), German Empire; his father's family had been respected organ-builders. His mother, Amanda Wusinowska, a widow so ...
and
Paul Paray Paul Marie-Adolphe Charles Paray () (24 May 1886 – 10 October 1979) was a French conductor, organist and composer. He was the resident conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra from 1952 until 1963. Early life and education Paul Paray was b ...
. He also conducted the
Berlin Philharmonic The Berlin Philharmonic (german: Berliner Philharmoniker, links=no, italic=no) is a German orchestra based in Berlin. It is one of the most popular, acclaimed and well-respected orchestras in the world. History The Berlin Philharmonic was fo ...
on occasion. He also conducted the principal Spanish orchestras, and played all five
Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...
piano concertos with the Madrid Philharmonic Orchestra. image:Joaquín Turina.jpg, 180px,
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 Madri ...
On 16 November 1927 in Madrid, Cubiles introduced the original piano solo version of Ernesto Halffter's ballet ''Sonatina'' (containing the well-known "Danza de la Pastora"). It was later presented in a concert version with orchestra and a fully staged ballet (both in 1928). He premiered most of Joaquín Turina's major works for solo piano. He was the dedicatee and gave the premiere of both sets of ''Cinco danzas gitanas'' (Opp. 55 and 84), on 15 January 1932 and 8 March 1935 respectively, in Madrid. He first played ''En el cortijo: Impresiones andaluzas'' (''On the Farm: Impressions of Andalusia'') on 2 February 1942, as part of a recital at the
Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando The Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando (RABASF; ), located on the Calle de Alcalá in the heart of Madrid, currently functions as a museum and gallery. A public law corporation, it is integrated together with other Spanish royal acad ...
. ''Rincón mágico'' (''Magical Corner: Parade in sonata form''), Op. 97 (1941–46) is a piece in which Turina paints the portraits of certain friends, including Cubiles, and himself. He characterises Cubiles as "Pepe, el pianista gaditano". Cubiles became professor of advanced classes at the Madrid Royal Conservatory in 1926, and in 1943 became professor of the special virtuoso class. He was the head of the institution between 1962 and 1964. His students included
Joaquín Achúcarro Joaquín Achúcarro (born November 1, 1932) is a Basque Spanish classical pianist. Biography and career Achúcarro was born in Bilbao, Spain, and grew up in the difficult years of the Spanish post-war period. He began piano lessons at the Bilba ...
, Guillermo Gonzalez,
Yüksel Koptagel Yüksel Koptagel (born 27 October 1931) is a Turkish composer and pianist. She was born in Istanbul, Turkey, granddaughter of General Osman Nuri Koptagel, a commander in the Turkish War of Independence. Her maternal great grandfather Abdul Kari ...
and Rafael Orozco. He was elected to the seat left vacant by the death of Enrique Fernández Arbós in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of St Ferdinand. He was also a member of the Academy of Santa Isabel de Hungria in
Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsul ...
, and the Hispano-American Academy in Cadiz. In addition to ''Nights in the Gardens of Spain'', Cubiles recorded numerous solo pieces, including works by Albéniz (the suite ''
Iberia The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a la ...
'' and other works) and Turina (''Cinco danzas gitanas'', Op. 55). José Cubiles received the Grand Cross of the
Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise The Civil Order of Alfonso X the Wise ( es, Orden Civil de Alfonso X el Sabio) is a Spanish civil order established in 1939, recognising activities in the fields of education, science, culture, higher education and research. The order was create ...
and the French
Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
. He died in Madrid in 1971, aged 76.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cubiles, Jose 1894 births 1971 deaths People from Cádiz Spanish classical pianists Male classical pianists Spanish music educators Piano pedagogues Spanish conductors (music) Male conductors (music) Madrid Royal Conservatory alumni Academic staff of the Madrid Royal Conservatory Conservatoire de Paris alumni Recipients of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise 20th-century conductors (music) 20th-century classical pianists 20th-century Spanish musicians 20th-century Spanish male musicians