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The term “alcazar” is of Arab origin and stands for “castle”. It thus alludes to a period in the history of Spain, which is not at all clear to everybody, as the Moors invaded Spain in the 8th century in the wake of the expansion of Islam. Soon their culture became completely independent and reached its peak there, and was definitely the leading culture in Europe at that time. Even today the architectural top achievements of the Moors are stunning and rightly form part of the world’s cultural heritage. The most famous treasures of that epoch are the Alhambra in Granada, the Great Mosque in Córdoba, and the Royal Alcázar (palace) in Sevilla. The playing of the Moorish architects with water is unrivaled even today and also the incomparable mosaics still fascinate us. It was only in the 15th century that Granada, the last Moorish kingdom on Spanish soil was conquered during the so-called “reconquista”, namely the conquest of the land and the defeat of the Moors by the Spaniards.
The overture “Alcázar” boasts Spanish atmosphere in an unmistakable way. This must not astonish at all, as the composer was essentially inspired to write this work during a visit to Seville, the capital of Andalusia on the Guadalquivir River. The romantic center section goes back to a walk in the garden of the alcazar in a starlit night. At noon, however, the composer visited the Santa Cruz district, in which the plot of the “Barber of Seville” is actually at home. In that part of town a young Spaniard thrilled him. He played guitar sitting under a lemon tree. The composer therefore captured the flamenco, the pounding rhythm of the heels on the floor and the sound of castanets in the overture’s fast passages. The chords which he chose consequently are geared to the barré fingering for the guitar.
Here then is a piece which is full of Andalusian life.
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