José Cubiles facts for kids
José Antonio Cubiles Ramos (15 May 1894 – 5 April 1971) was a famous Spanish pianist, conductor, and teacher. He is known for his amazing musical talent and for helping many young musicians.
Contents
Early Life and Education
José Cubiles was born in Cádiz, Spain, in 1894. He showed amazing talent for piano when he was just five years old. He first learned music theory and basic piano from Rafaele Tomasetti. Tomasetti was the director of the Conservatory of Santa Cecilia in Cádiz.
When he was 11, Cubiles began studying at the Madrid Royal Conservatory. This was possible thanks to help from Princess Isabella of Bourbon, a daughter of Queen Isabella II. His main teacher there was Pilar Fernández de la Mora.
At 15, he won a special award called the Premio Extraordinario. In 1911, he won the Conservatory's First Prize. He then continued his studies at the Conservatoire de Paris with Louis Diémer. He graduated in 1914 with top honors, including a Gold Medal and a new Pleyel grand piano!
_02.jpg)
A Rising Star
In 1916, José Cubiles became a professor at his old school in Madrid. That same year, he started a music group with cellist Juan Ruiz Casaux and violinist Fernández Ortiz.
During World War I, he toured the United States and Canada with violinist Manuel Quiroga. He also played with other famous musicians like Jacques Thibaud and Gaspar Cassadó. Cubiles was especially known for playing music by Spanish composers such as Isaac Albéniz, Enrique Granados, Joaquín Turina, and Manuel de Falla. He also performed works by Frédéric Chopin, César Franck, Claude Debussy, and Maurice Ravel.
Important Performances
José Cubiles is most famous for being the first person to play Manuel de Falla's well-known piano and orchestra piece, Nights in the Gardens of Spain. This happened on 9 April 1916 with the Madrid Symphony Orchestra at the Teatro Real in Madrid. Even though the piece was dedicated to another pianist, de Falla chose Cubiles because he was such an amazing and skilled musician. Cubiles later recorded this piece with the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra.
On 6 June 1916, the famous composer Igor Stravinsky visited Spain. Cubiles played the challenging piano part in Stravinsky's ballet Petrushka. The composer himself was there and had even helped Cubiles practice! It's a strange coincidence that Cubiles and Stravinsky died just one day apart in 1971.
From 1920, Cubiles performed all over Europe, playing solo concerts and with orchestras led by famous conductors. He sometimes even conducted the famous Berlin Philharmonic orchestra. He also conducted Spain's main orchestras and played all five of Beethoven's piano concertos with the Madrid Philharmonic Orchestra.
Working with Composers
On 16 November 1927, Cubiles introduced the original piano version of Ernesto Halffter's ballet Sonatina in Madrid. This piece includes the popular "Danza de la Pastora."
He also premiered most of Joaquín Turina's major piano works. Cubiles was the first to play both sets of Turina's Cinco danzas gitanas (Gypsy Dances) in 1932 and 1935. He also premiered En el cortijo: Impresiones andaluzas (On the Farm: Impressions of Andalusia) in 1942. Turina's piece Rincón mágico (Magical Corner), Op. 97, includes a musical portrait of Cubiles, calling him "Pepe, el pianista gaditano" (Pepe, the pianist from Cádiz).
Teaching and Legacy
José Cubiles became a professor of advanced piano classes at the Madrid Royal Conservatory in 1926. In 1943, he became a professor of a special virtuoso class for highly talented students. He even led the institution as its head between 1962 and 1964.
Many famous pianists were his students, including Joaquín Achúcarro, Guillermo Gonzalez, and Rafael Orozco.
Cubiles was also chosen to be a member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of St Ferdinand. He was also a member of other important academies in Seville and Cádiz.
Recordings and Awards
Besides Nights in the Gardens of Spain, Cubiles recorded many solo piano pieces. These included works by Albéniz, such as the suite Iberia, and Turina's Cinco danzas gitanas.
José Cubiles received important honors like the Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise from Spain and the French Legion of Honour. He passed away in Madrid in 1971 at the age of 76.
See also
In Spanish: José Cubiles para niños
