Puesta de sol en la Alhambra - Sonatina modulante

Puesta de sol en la Alhambra (Sunset at the Alhambra) is a short piece for piano which has no other pretension beyond that of evoking the image given in the title. The Arab-Andalusian air of the melody –with the insistent use of arpeggios with minor thirds and melismatic passages– transport us to the heart of Granada at a time when cultural coexistence defined the city. The popular feel of the main theme is reinforced with an arpeggiated and simple vertical accompaniment reminiscent of a guitar accompaniment. The central part, a ternary and energetic dance, contrasts with the serenity of the rest of the piece.
Sonatina modulante (Modulating Sonatina) is a short piece for piano whose melody and accompaniment are both based primarily on arpeggios. Initially it presents a sense of improvisation in the key of A minor, though the verticality of the opening is interrupted with the arrival of a section filled with mordents, which injects the piece with a playful tone. Soon, the modulation announced in the title becomes apparent in a very peculiar form: the piece is replayed from the beginning using the same notes, except with four flats in the key signature, meaning that the A minor of the initial sequence becomes A flat major. Some brief interventions at ternary tempo, without abandoning the arpeggios, build up to a bright finale in which the key of A flat reigns.