Alicia de Larrocha performs “Andaluza” from “Danzas Españolas”
I was inspired to play a few of these pieces after listening to de Larrocha’s performances of them a few years ago. She passed away yesterday evening at the age of 86. According to a New York Times article, this great interpreter had a dramatic start to her piano playing endeavors:
Ms. de Larrocha began to demand piano lessons when she was 3, after visiting her aunt as she taught students. At the keyboard on her own, Ms. de Larrocha imitated what she had seen her aunt’s students do, and impressed her aunt sufficiently that she took Ms. de Larrocha to Marshall. He was less encouraging. He said it was too early to start lessons, and suggested that Ms. de Larrocha be kept away from the piano. Ms. de Larrocha said that once her aunt locked the instrument, she banged her head on the floor until Marshall relented and began to teach her.
