Rachmaninov Op. 23 no. 5 - Spanish influence?

[cygnusdei]

Do you think the middle section was inspired/a hommage to spanish music, particularly the Malagueña? I've always thought there was something familiar - the harmonic progression is certainly similar.

Now when I say Malagueña, I meant the song by Ernesto Lecuona. Apparently he also wrote an arrangement for piano, which I think is part of the Andalucia "Suite Español".

There is a youtube video of pianist David Smith playing his own arrangement (I think):

It says Albeniz on the screen title, but that is not correct. I can't quite figure out what he was saying in the video.

[cygnusdei]

bump 

[opus10no2]

Yes, the flatted 2nd note of the scale.

Lush and exotic indeed.