He kept composing attractive and popular Spanish tunes using the rich, rhythmic Spanish folk songs in rather new and modern harmony. He finally decided to give up his life as a popular composer and brilliant pianist, and settled down to serious composition. The next thirty pieces took him longer to write than his four hundred popular songs! In 1893 he went to Paris in a most wonderful period, and met Debussy, Fauré, Duparc and d’Indy. His most important composition is _Iberia_, a collection of twelve Spanish piano pieces. Among his other things are _Serenade_, _Orientale_ and _Aragonaise_, all in Spanish dress. He was a very rare personality with a rich nature, exuberant, happy and merry, even until his death. He was the real center of Spanish music and influenced all who came after him. He was to Spain what Grieg was to Norway, Chopin to Poland, Moussorgsky to Russia, and Dvorak to Bohemia or Czecho-Slovakia. ENRIQUE GRANADOS Following Albeniz, was another great Spaniard, Enrique Granados (1867–1916), who was born in Lérida, Spain, and met a tragic death on a transport in the English Channel during the World War. Unlike Albeniz, he did not write in a modern vein, but rather in the accustomed harmonies. He was more Spanish for this reason than Albeniz, less original and without the great charm of the other master. The only opera in Spanish that has ever been sung at the Metropolitan Opera House was his _Goyescas_ in 1916. The principal rôle was sung by Anna Fitziu. First he wrote this as an opera in 1899. Later he made a piano version of it, very much like a suite, which was played with great success by Ernest Schelling. He also wrote symphonic poems among which was _Dante_ with a vocal part, sung by Sophie Braslau, in 1915, with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He is one of Spain’s great sons and the rich and sincere national spirit which he put into his music makes him beloved of his compatriots. CHAPTER XXX America Enters Not long ago we visited the medieval castle of Amboise in Touraine, France, for the 400th celebration of the birth of the French poet, Ronsard. (Chapter XI.) A program of madrigals by Jannequin, Costeley, Lassus and others who had used Ronsard’s poems as texts, was given in the room where the poet himself had entertained his friends. We were impressed by the beauty of the old castle and the aged towers and ramparts. It was here that we realized the meaning of TRADITION! The peasant children passing under the watch tower in the village below the castle are reminded daily of a past replete with history and romance! They know without having been taught that here their poet Pierre de Ronsard and the Italian painter, Leonardo da Vinci, lived, worked and died. This watch tower was old when Columbus discovered America!