Poema en forma de canciones

Seville-born Turina travelled to Madrid where he trained and also studied with Falla whom
he followed to Paris
where he trained under Vincent d’Indy. 
He returned to Madrid
in 1913 along with Falla and remained in the city for the rest of his life as a
teacher, critic and composer, and was appointed professor of composition at the
Conservatory in 1930. He wrote a wide range of music including many piano
pieces and songs. This cycle Poems in the form of Songs dates from 1918
to words by Ramón de Campoamor [1817-1901], who studied for the priesthood but
left it in favour of a literary career. 

The opening movement is a prelude on
the piano alone and sets a strongly Spanish mood.  The first song Nunca olvida, is an
introspective view of unrequited love: You whom I have loved so much, I
shall never forgive! This is followed by Cantares revealing the
singer is pregnant by her lover but says that the more she flees from him the
closer she feels. The third song Los do miedos is a bitter-sweet
creation  with a strong piano part: last
night the singer was afraid to be too close to her lover, this morning she is
frightened  to be too far away from him. Finally
a witty song in a folksy style, “Frantic for 
Love”  presents a quandary: to
choose to love long and wisely or to love fleetingly and frantically.