El poema de una Sanluqueña

In the relatively sparse Spanish repertoire for Piano and Violin, El Poema De Una Sanluqueña is considered by many a key work of 20th century Spanish chamber music. Turina was a frequent visitor to the seaside town of Sanlúcar in his youth and his love for the town shines through in these four movements.

The work Is dedicated to the ‘muchachas’, the girls, of Sanlúcar who, it is said, ‘don’t get married’ because the boys of Sanlúcar marry outsiders. Turina wrote the work for ‘those beautiful Andalusian girls living in a sad and never-ending dream.’ Unlike earlier works of Turina, this one was not descriptive but rather suggestive of an emotional state.

The piece requires thegreatest technical expertise of both Violinist and pianist as well as sensitivity and humour. Joaquin Turina is often contrasted with Albéniz and Granados, those two proponents of a Spanish national style. Turina strove to write music of a European standard in the conventional major forms. In his work it is possible to hear the influence of Turina’s years studying in Paris, as well as his native Spain combined with the composer’s own unique Voice.