Composer:
Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909)

Date of composition:
1903

Performer:
Isaac Albéniz

Date of recording:
1903 (phonograph cylinder, digitized/restored in 2009)

I. Allegro (Cylinder 168) (F minor) (0:00)
II. Tempo di minuetto (Cylinder 167) (D-flat major) (2:17)
III. Allegretto (Cylinder 169) (F minor) (4:28)

"The only surviving original recording of Albéniz’ piano playing is from 1903. On a visit to Ruperto Regordosa Planas he had sat down at the former’s piano and improvised three short pieces. Planas recorded the music on a phonograph cylinder. The pieces were, however, never written down on paper.

...

These improvisations are the only extant recordings of Isaac Albéniz. It is easy to speculate on what they present: perhaps thematic material for his operas or zarzuelas, songs, or unwritten pieces for piano solo. It is most likely, however, that they simply were invented at the moment and were thus truly improvisatory."

(Milton Rubén Laufer, Henle)

Score and recording are available on IMSLP.