Ricardo Viñes y Roda (, , ; 5 February 1875 – 29 April 1943) was a Spanish pianist. He gave the premieres of various works by Ravel, Debussy, Satie, Falla and Albéniz. He was the piano teacher of the composer Francis Poulenc and the pianists Marcelle Meyer, Joaquín Nin-Culmell and Léo-Pol Morin.

Life and career Viñes was born in Lleida, Spain. He studied the piano at the Paris Conservatoire under Charles-Wilfrid de Bériot, and composition and harmony with Benjamin Godard and Albert Lavignac.Timbrell, Charles and Esperanza Berrocal. "Viñes, Ricardo", Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, retrieved 19 September 2014

In 1895 Viñes made his début at the Salle Pleyel, Paris. From 1900 he had an international career, touring in Russia and throughout Europe and South America. Between 1930 and 1936 he lived in Argentina, returning to Paris in 1936.

In Paris, he resumed a high-intensity schedule, introducing the work of the younger generation of French composers, such as Germaine Tailleferre and René Leibowitz, among others. In 1940, he settled in Barcelona after a tour of Spain, but the Second World War and the German occupation of Paris prevented him from returning to the French capital, leaving him isolated from the musical circuit and living a very precarious life, sustained by the few concerts he could give in a post-war country, supplemented by lessons and bolstered by the help of his friends.

According to Charles Timbrell and Esperanza Berrocal in the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Viñes's keyboard technique was magnificent and his repertoire extensive. In addition to the established classics he championed new works by the many composers of whom he was a close friend. They included Ravel, Debussy, Satie, Falla, Granados, Albéniz and Déodat de Séverac. He was also a proponent of Russian music, and introduced France to pieces by Mussorgsky (Pictures at an Exhibition), Balakirev (Islamey) and Prokofiev (Sarcasmes). Grove lists among the many works dedicated to him Ravel's Oiseaux tristes, Debussy's Poissons d’or and Falla's Noches en los jardines de España.

Viñes composed a small number of works, the best known of which are the two Hommages, for Séverac and Satie. He also wrote several articles, mostly on Spanish music, and his diaries are much quoted by biographers of his musical contemporaries. His piano students included Marcelle Meyer, Joaquín Nin-Culmell, Léo-Pol Morin and Francis Poulenc. Poulenc later said of his teacher:

Viñes died in Barcelona at the age of 68. He was unmarried.

An annual International piano competition "Ricard Viñes" has been held since 1995 in his birth town Lleida. The city council named one of the city's most popular squares the "Plaça Ricard Vinyes", and the main room of the Llotja de Lleida theatre and congress centre (opened in 2010) is also named after him.

Discography Viñes reportedly had an intense dislike for the recording process, but nonetheless left 25 recordings dating from the 1930s.Marston liner notes , retrieved 17 June 2010. In Grove's view, the playing as recorded reveals "an unforced virtuosity, charming rhythmic pointing and shimmering pedal effects."

All the recordings listed below were released by Marston Records in 2007 as "Ricardo Viñes: The Complete Recordings". Other releases are listed below the individual compositions. Isaac Albéniz Granada (Serenata), Op.47 No.1 (rec. 1930) Torre bermeja, Op.92 No.12 (rec. 1930) Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 Orientale, Op.232 No.2 (rec. 1930) Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 Seguidillas, Op.232 No.5 (rec. 1930) Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 Serenata española, Op.181 (rec. 22 July 1936) Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 Tango in A minor, Op.164 No.2 (rec. 22 July 1936) Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 Pedro Humberto Allende Dos Tonadas Chilenas (rec. 22 July 1936) Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 Manuel Blancafort L'Orgue du Carroussel (from Le Parc d'Attractions) (rec. 1930) Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 Polka de l'Equilibriste (from Le Parc d'Attractions) (rec. 1930) Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 Alexander Borodin Scherzo in Ab (rec. 1930) Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 Claude Debussy Soirée dans Grenade (Estampes No.2) (rec. 1930) Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 Poissons d'or (Images, Set 2 No.3) (rec. 1930) Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 Naxos, "A-Z of Pianists - by Jonathan Summers", 4-CD set, 2007 Ysaÿe Records, "Claude Debussy - Images Pour Piano", 2008 Hommage à Rameau (Images, Set 1 No.2) (incomplete; rec. 1938)The Marston release says that the recording date of this is unknown, while the Arbiter release indicates that it was recorded in 1938. Arbiter Records, "Masters of the French piano tradition", 2007 Etude No.10, "Pour les sonorités opposées" (incomplete; rec. 1938) Arbiter Records, "Masters of the French piano tradition", 2007 Viñes speaks on Debussy (radio address in French commemorating the 20th anniversary of Debussy's death, 1938)English translation , retrieved 17 June 2010. Manuel de Falla Dance of Terror (rec. 1930) Récit du Pêcheur (rec. 1930) Introduction and Ritual Fire Dance (rec. 1930) Gluck-Brahms Gavotte in A (rec. 1930) Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 Carlos López-Buchardo Bailecito (rec. 22 July 1936) Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 Domenico Scarlatti Sonata in D, K.29 (L.461) (rec. 1930) Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 Cayetano Troiani Milonga (rec. 22 July 1936) Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 Joaquín Turina Miramar (from Chants d'Espagne) (rec. 1930) Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994 Dans les Jardins de Murcia (rec. 1930) Opal (Pearl), "Ricardo Viñes and Francis Planté", 1994

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