This delightful album of Spanish music arranged for strings and celebrating the 150th anniversary of Enrique Granados, was recorded by legendary conductor Jose Serebrier and Concerto Malaga String Orchestra founded in 1996. The orchestra is now one of the foremost ensembles in Spain, best known for its dedicated research into string repertoire ranging from the 17th century onwards. Ther recording pays tribute to one of Spain's most important composers, Enrique Granados and also includes works by Granados's contemporaries and successors who played active roles in promoting Barcelona's and Madrid's musical life in the middle of the 19th century. Over a century after his tragic death, Granados's music continues to entertain and inspire performers and listeners the world over. He spent his entire life in Barcelona and contributed to its musical life as apianist, composer, teacher, conductor, and concert organizer. He was thus only a true champion of Spanish music but he was also a leading figure in the Catalan movement known as modernisme which was on display in much of Barcelona's architecture from around 1900. Granados's best-known collection of 12 Danzas espanolas was premiered in Barcelona in 189. No. 5, Andaluza, transports us to the south of Spain with its suggestion of an impassioned song supported by an energetic guitar accompaniment. Orienta is an all-purpose adjective that suggests anything associated with Andalusia or the Middle East. The Intermezzo from his opera Goyescas and the hauntingly beautiful Pequena Romanza are eloquent examples of his broad stylistic range.

On their second album of this series, Ensemble Esperanza is looking south. Just as on their debut album, Nordic Suites, Ensemble Esperanza has selected dance-like pieces, this time from the highly variegated musical landscapes of Southern Europe. Although only one of the works is in the form of a traditional dance suite, all four move with a swaying motion. The works on this recording date from the first two-thirds of the twentieth century. All four are highly individualistic in character and share a quest for essence and for the sublime, with a formal clarity and lucidity inspired by the great model of Classical Antiquity, which first gave rise to this vast cultural landscape. The warmth of the underlying sentiment allows the pieces to align with their own luminous ideal of Mediterranean beauty. Ensemble Esperanza was founded in 2015 as part of the integral musical education programme of the International Academy of Music in Lichtenstein. With the exception of the concert master, the ensemble is made up of grantees of the International Academy of Music who are coming together for their musical projects from all over the world.

Includes work(s) by Claude Debussy, Vincent Persichetti, William Alwyn, various composers.

Visca L’Amor: Catalan Art Songs of the 20th and 21st Centuries, features tenor Isaí Jess Muñoz and pianist Oksana Glouchko. The album focuses on the fascinating music and poetry of Catalunya—an area of northeastern Spain and southeastern France, whose language was long censored by the Franco dictatorship. This new recording represents one of the few explorations of the rich Catalan tradition, including six song cycles by Frederic Mompou, Eduard Toldrá, Joan Comellas, Ricard LaMotte de Grignon, Narcís Bonet, and a world premiere of a new work by Elisenda Fábregas. Tenor Isaí Jess Muñoz has collaborated with some of the world’s leading ensembles, including the Israel Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Verbier Festival (Switzerland), and the New York City Opera.