Enrique Granados

Born July 27, 1867 in Lerida, Spain

Died in 1916

Nationality: Spanish

Period/Style: Romantic/Early Modern

About the composer:

Enrique Granados was one of the great Romantic composers.  You can certainly hear his own Spanish heritage in his music. He developed friendships with many of his fellow Spaniards, but also with many of the French composers of his day (like Debussy, Ravel and Faure) when he studied in Paris. He also had great admiration for many of the Romantic composers including Schubert, Chopin, Schumann and Grieg.  A virtuoso pianist, Granados played many concerts in his country and in other countries. He was just beginning to make a name for himself as a composer when, in 1916, he traveled to the United States to attend the premiere of one of his operas in New York. While in this country he was invited by President Wilson to give a recital at the White House. After that, he and his wife boarded a ship (the Sussex) which took them across the Atlantic Ocean. On the last leg of the journey, from London to Barcelona, their ship was torpedoed while crossing the English Channel. Granados drowned while trying to save his wife.  It was a tragic death for such a gifted composer who still had so much to give.

About the music:

Enrique Granados was a gifted pianist, and he wrote many great works for piano. These pieces are some of the finest Spanish Romantic music in the world. 

Suggested activities:

Trace the route from Washington, D.C. to London, then to Barcelona.

Look up information about the ship “Sussex.”

Find Granados’ birthplace on the map. Which province of Spain is this city in? Which other European cities are nearby?