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Music Monday | Exploring the Majestic Sounds of Lecuona Before the El Escorial | July 6, 2026
- Jul 6
- 2 min read
El Escorial is a vast granite monastery and palace built in the northwest mountains of Spain in the 16th century. Severe, monumental, and strangely moving, it is one of the most imposing structures in the world — and it stopped Ernesto Lecuona in his tracks. Cuba’s greatest composer and pianist responded with Ante el Escorial, “Before the Escorial,” a grand and stately piece as though the sight of that immovable stone edifice demanded something worthy of it.
The two-piano arrangement by Louis Sugarman, recorded by Canadian Duo Turgeon on their album Latin American Journey, transforms the piece into a dramatic dialogue between two instruments. A reviewer described their live performance as evoking “duels, cooperation, negotiations, and perhaps even threats.” Duo Turgeon are also part of our own history: they won first prize in the 1997 Murray Dranoff International Two Piano Competition right here in Miami and went on to give the world premiere of John Corigliano’s commissioned work Chiaroscuro as part of that honor.
On July 11 at The Moss Center, Stephanie & Saar will perform it live as part of Summer Dances & Two Pianos, Dranoff’s collaboration with Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami. Imagine this music paired with the movement of world-class dancers. We cannot wait! Duo Turgeon’s two-piano recording is available on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon. And while no two-piano video yet exists on YouTube, we leave you with a live performance by pianist Thomas Tirino from an all-Lecuona recital at the University of Miami’s Gusman Concert Hall — as close to home as it gets.
