A native of Seville, Joaquín Turina won local success before travelling to Madrid, where he met Manuel de Falla and was further influenced by the prevailing currents of musical nationalism. Study in Paris at the Schola Cantorum was followed, in 1914, by a return to Madrid, where he made his subsequent career, in spite of the difficulties he and many others of his background encountered during the days of the Republic.

Orchestral Music

Turina won success in 1913 with his symphonic poem La procesión del Rocío, a work that remains in popular repertory along with the later Danzas fantásticas and the Rapsodia sinfónica for piano and orchestra.

Chamber Music

Turina’s chamber music includes La oración del torero (‘The Toreador’s Prayer’) for string quartet or string orchestra, and a number of works that declare their national allegiance and inspiration in their titles. Recuerdos de la antigua España (‘Memories of Ancient Spain’) for lute quartet was written in 1929 and the 1911 String Quartet ‘de la guitarra’ was so called because its theme contains the notes of the guitar’s open strings.

Piano Music

A similar element is present in piano compositions by Turina. These form a significant body of work, from the early suite Sevilla, representing a recurrent element of his inspiration, to the 1943 Por las calles de Sevilla (‘Through the Streets of Seville’).

Vocal Music

Songs by Turina include the interesting Poema en forma de canciones (‘Poem in the Form of Songs’), a cycle of five songs with words by Campoamor.

Guitar Music

Turina wrote music for guitar that is an important part of the repertoire of this essentially Spanish instrument. These works include Sevillana, Fandanguillo, Ráfaga, Sonata and Homenaje a Tárrega.