The piano has always been (and to a large extent still is), the favourite instrument of composers. The relationship that composers have with the keys of the piano (usually on a daily basis), is more intimate than the creator of music has with any other instrument. The pianist-composer nevertheless seems to be a thing of the past for it is rare these days to find composers committed exclusively by choice to solo piano music in the same way as Chopin, Schumann, Scriabin, Rachmaninov, or (in terms more relevant to the music here), Granados, Albéniz or Mompou. Yet the piano retains its attraction for many composers both as a fascinating musical entity and as an instrument representing a rich tradition and repertoire and, moreover, a treasure trove of still untapped potential.
Over recent years, Benet Casablancas, born in Sabadell, near Barcelona, has established a position as one of the most prolific and interesting composers of the present time. His secure musical and humanist education has enabled him to develop a very individual style which, though firmly based on a knowledge and love of the great classical tradition (with the Second Viennese School being one of his fundamental reference points), is open to extremely diverse influences which he is able to honour without resorting to eclectic compromises.
Premio Nacional de Música, Spain
Naxos 8.570757
