Alfred Grünfeld (1852-1924)
Spanish Serenade, Op. 37 (1889)
Bradley Berg, piano
Alfred Grünfeld enjoyed a position as one of the most sought-after salon pianists in fin-de-siècle Vienna, when light and showy piano music ubiquitously wafted through social gatherings of the aristocratic elite. He could charm with his wit in conversation just as much as with his limpid performances at the piano. His more than 100 compositions for solo piano comprise of exactly what you'd expect: attractive music that aims to please at first hearing with dashes of virtuosic flourishes throughout. But Grünfeld was not a mere crowd-pleasing hack; his surviving recordings demonstrate a refined technique of infinite subtlety, which suited perfectly for the intimate, if shallow, repertoire in which he specialized.
In the Spanish Serenade, Op. 37, Grünfeld adds another contribution to an exasperatingly popular 19th-century trend: Spanish exoticism. Hallmarks of the style include harmonic minor keys, imitations of strumming guitars, sensuous harmonic progressions, and improvisatory, cadenza-like gestures, all of which appear in this charming piece.