The second and third volumes of our survey on the great Spanish instrumental literature focus on what is universally considered the pinnacle of this magnificent repertoire, Albéniz's cahiers of Impressions for Piano: Iberia, along with the equally popular masterpiece by Granados, Goyescas.
The dense, charming harmonies of Joaquín Turina are here presented in a couple of rare albums: the first is a superb selection of the Sevillan composer's works based on poems by his fellow citizen Gustavo A. Bécquer; the second is a rare, extraordinary account of the cycle Canto a Sevilla by the great Catalan soprano Montserrat Caballé, accompanied by Weissenberg's sensitive piano (the album also contains one of the most delicate versions of Montsalvatge's sublime "Cancion de cuna", from the Cinco canciones negras).
Margaret Price's recital, showcasing the supreme beauty and technique of the late Welsh diva in Granados, Debussy (an otherworldly performance of Mallarmé's Poèmes) etc, is one of my true desert island discs.
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1/29/2013
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