Nin (y Castellanos), Joaquín

Nin (y Castellanos), Joaquín, Spanish-born Cuban pianist and composer, father of Joaquin (María) Nin-Culmell; b. Havana, Sept. 29, 1879; d. there, Oct. 24, 1949. He studied with Carlos Vidiella (piano) in Barcelona and with Moszkowski (piano) and d’mdy (composition) at the Paris Schola Cantorum, teaching piano at the latter (1905–08). After living in Berlin, Havana, and Brussels, he settled in Paris. He was a member of the French Légion d’honneur and a corresponding member of the Spanish Academy. He was especially noted as an interpreter of early piano music. He championed the music of the Bach family and works by early Spanish composers, advocating their performance on the piano as opposed to the harpsichord. He wrote articles on aesthetics; ed. 2 valuable collections of keyboard music: 16 sonatas anciennes d’auteurs espagnols (Paris, 1925) and 17 sonates et pieces anciennes d’auteurs espangols (Paris, 1929); these 2 collections contained the first contemporary eds. of Padre Antonio Soler, and led to the rediscovery of Spain’s outstanding 18^th-century master; also ed. Sept chants lyriques espagnols anciens (1926) and Sept chansons picaresques espangoles anciennes (1926), both for Voice and Piano, 10 pieces by Herrando for Violin and Piano (1937), and Vocalise (Chant elégiaque) for Voice and Piano.

Works

20 cantos populares españoles for Voice and Piano (1923); 10 noëls espagnols for Voice and Piano (1932); Aus jardin de Lindaraja for Violin and Piano (1927); 5 commentarios for Violin and Piano (1929); many solo piano pieces, including Danza ibérica (1926), Mensaje a Claude Debussy (1929), Cadena de valses (1929), “1830” variaciones (1930), and Canto de cuna para los huérfanos de Espana (1939).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis Mclntire