Malats composed many pieces of salon music of which Serenata Espagnole with its thrilling virtuoso passages and Iberian exoticism is the most enduring. Serenata Espagnole is most frequently performed as a classical Guitar piece and has been recorded frequently over the years.Joaquin Malats was a highly regarded pianist of the early 20th century. A native of Barcelona he was a prize-winning graduate of the Paris Conservatoire who performed throughout Europe. He premiered Albeniz’s Iberia which was composed ‘Essentially because of [Malats] and for [Malats] ’ according to the composer.
