By Nestor CASTIGLIONE

It is one of those curious curveballs in history that, despite the centuries in which it was at the summit of global power, Spain’s imprint on classical music was surprisingly weak. Composers it had – and very innovative ones at that ¬– during the Age of Exploration, both at home and in its American colonies. Yet its contribution was all but forgotten once the Italians and later the Germans began making music in earnest.

Yet much fascinating repertoire remains, as harpsichordist Arthur Omura explained in an interview last week.

“You have to remember that Spain also had control of the Netherlands and much of Italy at one point,” he said. “So sometimes the influence can be heard indirectly through composers from those regions.”

He’ll be giving locals a chance to hear some of the musical utterances from 17th and 18th century Spain on Saturday, Jan. 6 at the next Edendale Up Close program.

Omura has assembled a program of Girolamo Frescobaldi, Domenico Scarlatti (who composed some of his greatest works while in the employ of the Spanish royal court), and Juan José Cabanilles, a native Spaniard considered the country’s greatest composer of the Baroque period.

“The way I assemble these programs is interesting,” Omura explained. “I chose them because I feel they have internal sort of connections to each other or because they contrast.”

His love for Spanish music of the Baroque has been a continuing one for Omura.

“I love the way it evokes folk music. You can hear the strumming of the guitars, the singing of shepherds,” he said. “It’s quite evocative.”

Cabanilles, in particular, fascinates Omura.

“His harmonies sometimes anticipate things heard later in Bach,” he said. “He’s incredibly fascinating for that, but he’s an incredible composer on his own too.”

Omura will perform in the Community Room of the Edendale Branch Library (2011 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles) from noon to 1 p.m. Admission is free to the public. Free parking is available in the library lot. For more information, please go online to http://edendaleupclose.blogspot.com/or call (213) 207-3000.

  Nestor CASTIGLIONE