The seventh volume in this acclaimed series is devoted to two works of Albéniz’s early maturity. The 12 Piezas características is a cycle of exquisite miniatures encompassing a wide variety of styles, including the assimilation of Andalusian folk music into his own personal idiom, reminiscences of earlier greats such as Scarlatti and Chopin, and elements of nineteenth-century salon music. The work led Felipe Pedrell, the father of Spanish musical nationalism, to call Albéniz not only a superbly equipped pianist but a great composer as well. The romantic and virtuosic Piano Sonata No. 3 opens with a richly contrapuntal Allegretto, followed by a slow movement of the utmost delicacy in the manner of a romanza and concludes with a technically complex Allegro assai.

This program stems from the desire to plunge into a succession of short and idiomatic musical forms that can “evoke” the expressive nuances of the protagonists of the Spanish national school, which developed between the XIX and the XX century. The deep voice of the cello and the brightness of the guitar perfectly blend in this repertoire to recall the taste, the cultural world, and the expressive spirit that originated it and that underlies, in every page, the stories and the weaves of its protagonists. The first pioneers of this Iberian impressionism were the renowned pianists and composers Isaac Albéniz (18601909) and Enrique Granados (18971966). Catalans and spokesmen of a national music filtered through a more European outlook, born from their Parisian stays and the rich cultural excitement of the Barcelona of that era. Both, through their pianos, manage to render a Spain seen from the outside. The popular pieces for piano (or for voice and piano, like in Elegia Eterna) collected here, evoke colors and sounds that transcend the instrument; they recall the dances, the folk songs, the nightly atmospheres, the cante jondo and the voice of the guitar itself to such an extent that the following vibrant transcriptions of guitarists like Tarrega, Llobet and Segovia sparked the popular false belief that these pieces were created for the guitar in the first place. Therefore the guitar presents itself as the ideal instrument for this repertoire since its conception, but the expressive intensity of the cello, not only perfectly marries with the tone of the six strings, but also seems to infuse the singing with a fluidity, a richness, and a narrative intensity that no transcription for solo guitar could ever fully support.

On IMPRESSIONS OF SPAIN from Navona Records, the critically acclaimed guitar trio enchants and excites with their performance of Spanish-influenced works from master composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Arranged and adapted for guitar trio by Gregg Nestor, the unexplored repertoire of five composers cascades across guitar frets in this recording, communicating themes of love, poetry and literature, Spanish dance, and the spirit of Spain itself through music. Experience the works of Isaac Albéniz, Maurice Ravel, Enrique Granados, Joaquín Turina, and Manuel de Falla through a new and virtuosic voice.

Debussy and Messiaen regarded Iberia as THE piano masterpiece of the twentieth century: ‘One’s eyes close, as if dazzled from having gazed upon too many images’, wrote Debussy in 1905. For Nelson Goerner too, this suite in four books, which evokes Andalusia and the working-class districts of Madrid, is a work of major stature: ‘I am of Argentinian origin, this music touches me, it is like an arrow that pierces me... From the sublime incantation that is Jerez, an invocation of the mysteries of night, to Lavapiès, famous for the pianistic difficulties posed by its polyphonic convolutions and hand-crossings, Albéniz’s music exudes a panache and a joie de vivre that, in my view, make it a milestone of supreme importance.’

SEVILLA TIMO KORHONEN

Echoes of Spain

Albéniz’s distinctive musical vocabulary, with its sensual harmonies, rich melodic lines and characteristic rhythmic figures, has ensured lasting popularity, not least in his music for the piano. This album of four-hand piano music reveals the composer’s love of Spain’s regional music traditions, whether in the glittering sweep of the Suite española No. 1or in the Rapsodia Española where a hypnotic dreamscape meets dramatic outbursts. Two movements from Iberia – one of which is a rarely encountered arrangement by the great Spanish pianist Alicia de Larrocha – reveal a daring modernity that aligns Albéniz with Debussy and Ravel.

Issac Albeniz, the pre-eminent Spanish composer was a prolific composer, especially of piano music. Presented here is a collection of his works performed by the celebrated pianist, Martin Jones. Included in this collection are pieces that were left unfinished at the time of Albeniz’s death and completed by Martin Jones. Martin Jones has been one of Britain’s most highly regarded solo pianists since first coming to international attention in 1968 when he received the Dame Myra Hess Award. The same year he made his London debut at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and his New York debut at Carnegie Hall, and ever since has been in demand for recitals and concerto performances on both sides of the Atlantic. He is a prolific recording artist and his many major projects include the complete solo piano works of Mendelssohn, Brahms, Debussy, Grainger, Stravinsky, Korngold, Szymanowski, Granados, Guastavino, Mompou, Ernesto Halffter, Joaquin Nin, Has Gál, Jean Françaix, Jean Roger-Ducasse, and Alan Richardson.

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REVIEW:

Altogether this is a well stocked and representative survey of Albéniz's colourful and imaginative piano music and Martin Jones is as always a convincing advocate; I am always impressed with character and panache that he brings to all that he plays. The liner notes are informative though are in English only. A marvellous collection of the best of Albéniz' piano music.

– MusicWeb International

Isaac Albeniz is best known for his influential piano works and a style that draws on Spanish folk music idioms. But his remarkable catalogue of songs successfully combines tradition and modernity, adapting a myriad of compositional techniques to create a uniquely personal and innovative style. These evocative and at times introspective songs look forward to the composer’s masterpiece Iberia. Renowned mezzo-soprano Magdalena Llamas has been admired for her ‘expression and sensuality’ by The New York Times.

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REVIEW:

Magdalena Llamas gives a very projective reading of these songs. She is rather in her own way as individual as the composer, and we do find the music filtered by her artistry to a significant extent. Nevertheless you hear everything with the emphasis that the composer no doubt intended. One no doubt will find much to like in Maestro Gonzalez’s piano accompaniment. It and the piano writing itself are high points to my mind of this set.

Recommended for anyone interested in the Modern period of Spanish musical art. and too for those who would like a bit of musical adventure!

– Gapplegate Classical-Modern Music Review

Jean Fournier (1911-2003) was a French violinist and professor of classical music. Fournier’s intonation, while lean, was gentle on the ear. He made an impressive career for himself. He was a soloist with some of the great French orchestras as well as with celebrated international ones. Concert tours took him to many of Europe’s centres of culture (Belgium, Germany, England, Italy, Ireland, Yugoslavia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Spain), as well as to North and South Africa, India and the Far East. In addition to his solo work, Fournier was above all an excellent chamber musician. Together with his wife, the French pianist Ginette Doyen (1921-2002), he performed duets for violin and piano. In the 1950s he founded a brilliant piano trio together with the Italian cellist Antonio Janigro (1918-1989) and the Austrian pianist Paul Badura-Skoda (1927-2019). In addition to his active concert activities Jean Fournier also made many recordings. This 10-album compilation is testament to the violinist’s diversity. It includes recordings such as the Sonatina No. 5 op. 32/1 for solo violin by Jean Martinon (1910-1976), and of course numerous duet works (many of them with his wife Ginette Doyen), piano trios (usually together with his trio partners Antonio Janigro and Paul Badura-Skoda) and violin concertos by Mozart or the Double Concerto op. 102 by Johannes Brahms with the Vienna State Opera Orchestra under Milan Horvat (Mozart) and Hermann Scherchen (Brahms).

The piano pieces on this release, all of them, show the lushness of aromas, colors, and reflections of prodigal lands in the production of artistic sensations. One could speak of landscapes in which the human element is present; the voice of a folk tradition which longs to express its most intimate essence, not in an illustrative but in an evocative sense. They embody a perfect communion between the performer, the music, and the context, governed by its aesthetic values that connect with the principles of reason, logos, and intelligence. The first cultural theme of nationhood is the idea of community reflected through shared memory and values, and, in this project by pianist Juan Carlos Fernández-Nieto they find their musical testimony.

As a guitarist, Brad DeRoche has explored a wide variety of musical styles ranging from classical masterpieces to modern works by living composers. He is an active concert artist, appearing as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral soloist. He is passionate about the music of Bach and Spanish composers and often includes them in his concert programs. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in classical guitar performance from the Eastman School of Music where his principal instructor was Nicholas Goluses. In addition, he participated in many masterclasses with prominent concert guitarists including David Russell, Raphaëlla Smits, Paul Galbraith, Fabio Zanon, Denis Azabagic, Scott Tennant, and many others. The present release is a showcase of Spanish guitar music, including works by Isaac Albéniz, Julian Arcas, Manuel de Falla, Enrique Granados, Joaquin Malats, and Antonio Jiménez Manjon.