Pianist Alicia de Larrocha Dies at 86
Spanish Performer Who Championed Spanish Composers Died Friday Night
Sep 28, 2009
Alicia de Larrocha, the Spanish pianist famous for her performances of compatriot composers such as Falla, Granados and Albéniz, passed away on Friday, September 25, 2009 at the age of 86. Her 75-year career brought the Spanish masters to the world's attention, as well as setting definitive interpretations for Albéniz's "Iberia" and Granados's "Goyescas."
De Larrocha's health had been deteriorating since her hip broke two years ago. The piano historian and record producer Gregor Benko, who is also a family friend, confirmed the pianist's death. De Larrocha passed away in a Barcelona hospital and is survived by a son and daughter, children of her marriage to pianist Juan Torra.
Alicia de Larrocha: A Petite Pianist with Small Hands and a Big Sound
At only 4'9", de Larrocha was a petite pianist, but she didn't let her stature and small hands stop her from playing technically demanding composers such as Rachmaninoff and Liszt. Works by the Russian post-Romantic composer often demand that performers stretch their hands to accommodate a 10th, and pieces by the Hungarian Liszt are usually crammed with fast and dense passages of music. She also polished off all five of Beethoven's piano concertos during the earlier days of her career.
Yet it was her gentler, more finessed sound that became de Larrocha's trademark. Her elegant poise made her a master of Mozart. In a world dominated by male performers, her playing was an unabashedly feminine performance style.
A Child Prodigy Who Blossomed Away from the Spotlight
When she surprised her aunt by demanding to take lessons at the age of 3, de Larrocha had all the makings of a child star. Her aunt happened to be a piano teacher at the Academia Marshall, which was founded by the pianist Frank Marshall. She took de Larrocha to visit Marshall, who told the little girl to wait a few more years for lessons. De Larrocha took matters into her own hands by banging her head on the floor, and the adults quickly gave way.
At the age of 5, de Larrocha gave her first concerto performance and recorded two Chopin nocturnes at the age of 9, despite the fact that her feet could scarcely reach the pedals. At the age of 11, she performed a Mozart concerto with the symphony in Madrid.
Yet despite her early successes, her mother kept her from catapulting to the spotlight, allowing the budding pianist a chance to concentrate on developing her own sound. Fortunately for her audience, this approach kept de Larrocha from the burnout so common to early achievers in the classical music world.
Sources
Kozinn, Allan. "Alicia de Larrocha, Pianist, Dies at 86." September 25, 2009. New York Times.
"Alicia de Larrocha." September 27, 2009. Telegraph.
"Pianist Alicia de Larrocha Dies." September 26, 2009. CBC Music.
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