Albéniz: Suite Española, Malagueña and Other Works Laura Lootens

• Isaac Albéniz (1860 - 1909): Iberia / Book 3:
• 1Albéniz: Iberia / Book 3: No. 7, El Albaicín (Arr. Laura Lootens for Solo Guitar)07:20
• Iberia / Book 1:
• 2Albéniz: Iberia / Book 1: No. 1, Evocación (Arr. Laura Lootens for Solo Guitar)05:48
• Suite Española No. 1, Op. 47 (Arr. Laura Lootens for Solo Guitar):
• 3Albéniz: Suite Española No. 1, Op. 47 (Arr. Laura Lootens for Solo Guitar): No. 6, Aragón (Fantasía)05:12
• 4Albéniz: Suite Española No. 1, Op. 47 (Arr. Laura Lootens for Solo Guitar): No. 7, Castilla (Seguidillas)03:50
• 5Albéniz: Suite Española No. 1, Op. 47 (Arr. Laura Lootens for Solo Guitar): No. 5, Asturias (Leyenda)07:01
• España, Op. 165:
• 6Albéniz: España, Op. 165: No. 3, Malagueña. Allegretto (Arr. Laura Lootens for Solo Guitar)03:30
• Suite Española No. 1, Op. 47 (Arr. Laura Lootens for Solo Guitar):
• 7Albéniz: Suite Española No. 1, Op. 47 (Arr. Laura Lootens for Solo Guitar): No. 1, Granada (Serenata)05:53
• 8Albéniz: Suite Española No. 1, Op. 47 (Arr. Laura Lootens for Solo Guitar): No. 4, Cádiz (Saeta)04:48
• 9Albéniz: Suite Española No. 1, Op. 47 (Arr. Laura Lootens for Solo Guitar): No. 3, Sevilla (Sevillanas)05:23
• 10Albéniz: Suite Española No. 1, Op. 47 (Arr. Laura Lootens for Solo Guitar): No. 8, Cuba (Capricho)06:03
• 11Albéniz: Suite Española No. 1, Op. 47 (Arr. Laura Lootens for Solo Guitar): No. 2, Cataluña (Curranda)02:33
• España, Op. 165:
• 12Albéniz: España, Op. 165: No. 5, Capricho Catalan. Allegretto (Arr. Laura Lootens for Solo Guitar)04:01
• Total Runtime01:01:22

Info for Albéniz: Suite Española, Malagueña and Other Works

Spanish composer Isaac Albeniz was mainly a pianist and wrote primarily for the piano. More than any other musician, he succeeded in incorporating the Spanish guitar idiom and folklore into his style. Thus, for instance, his works contain allusions to rasgueado, a guitar technique that strums all six strings percussively in rapid succession, as we often hear in flamenco.

Thus it is no wonder that many of Albeniz's piano works have also been performed on the guitar: particularly Asturias (from the Suite Espanola), a piece that has become a staple in practically every guitarist's repertoire. But things are different when we come to Albeniz's Iberia, a suite of piano pieces so complex that few solo guitarists have ever attempted to transcribe and perform them (although a few guitar ensembles have managed to accomplish the feat).

Once I fell in love with guitar playing, I could not avoid becoming familiar with the music of Spain, which drew me immediately under its spell, thanks to its fiery character, grace, and astoundingly gorgeous melodies coupled with vibrant rhythms.

I was particularly fascinated by Isaac Albeniz's music, which is why I desired to devote my first CD to him, with my own arrangements of his music. In these transcriptions, I have endeavored to stay as close to the original as possible in order to retain the original pieces' complexity.

My selection stems from Albeniz's most well-known cycles: Iberia (El Albaicin, Evocation), Suite Espanola (Aragon, Asturias, Cadiz, Castilla, Cataluna, Cuba, Granada, Sevilla), and Espana (Capricho Catalan, Malaguena).

Laura Lootens, classical guitar

Please Note: We offer this album in its native sampling rate of 48 kHz, 24-bit. The provided 96 kHz version was up-sampled and offers no audible value!

Laura Lootens
was born in Marktoberdorf in 1999. Her passion for the classical guitar awoke after her very first lesson at the age of eight. Since then, it has been her fulfilment to inspire listeners with the variety and infinite timbres of the guitar.

In 2022, Laura won one of the most important guitar competitions in the world, the Andrés Segovia Competition in Andalusia. In addition to the 1st prize, she was also awarded the special prize for the best interpretation of the compulsory piece. She achieved further success by winning a scholarship to the renowned German Music Competition, where she also received the special prize of the German Foundation for Musical Life.

Laura began her studies at the age of 14 as a junior student with Professor Franz Halász. Only one year later, she began her Bachelor's studies as one of the youngest students ever at the University of Music and Theatre in Munich. She also made her orchestral debut at the age of 15 with Joaquín Rodrigo's famous "Concierto de Aranjuez". Laura completed her Master's degree with flying colours, followed by the doctorate-equivalent degree programme "Excellence in Performance".

In 2021, at the age of 22, Laura was able to hold her own among numerous applicants for a teaching position and has been teaching at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich ever since.

Her music has taken Laura to renowned classical music venues in Germany and abroad, such as the Munich Gasteig, the "Beethovenfestival Bonn" and the Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam.

Laura can also be heard and seen on radio and television on stations such as ARD, BR and ORF/Ö1.

"Music is colourful, versatile, strong and yet so fragile at the same time. It is my passion to bring music to life, to grab the audience and carry them away into the vastness of sounds. Nothing can reflect my feelings, ideas and fantasies like making music." - Laura Lootens

Booklet for Albéniz: Suite Española, Malagueña and Other Works