- Ricardo Viñes
Ricardo Viñes (
5 February 1875 –29 April 1943 ) was a famous Spanish pianist. He first publicly performed many important works byMaurice Ravel ,Claude Debussy ,Erik Satie ,Manuel de Falla ,Déodat de Séverac andIsaac Albéniz . He was also the piano teacher of composerFrancis Poulenc .He was born in
Lleida ,Catalonia . He studied piano at theParis Conservatoire , and composition and harmony withBenjamin Godard andAlbert Lavignac . He was influential with Ravel supplying him many readings and was a member of the group known asLes Apaches .Viñes premiered works including Ravel's "
Menuet antique " (1898), "Jeux d'eau" (1902), "Pavane pour une infante défunte " (1902), "Miroirs " (1906), and "Gaspard de la nuit " (1909). "Menuet antique" and the second movement of "Miroirs", "Oiseaux tristes" (Sad birds), were dedicated to Viñes. Ravel felt it was fun to dedicate such an unpianistic work to a pianist. Viñes was effeminate, and both he and Ravel were eternal bachelors. These facts have lead many to suspect that there was more to their friendship, although Viñes's ten-year diary of their times together makes no confirmation of this.Viñes became known for presenting new music, especially of French and Spanish origin, although he had debuted Russian works as well. As a composer, the best known of his works are the "Two Hommages", for Séverac and Satie. He also published writing about
Spanish music in Spanish and French publications. Viñes died in Barcelona in 1943.
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