In the 19th century, Italy and Spain were not only countries of longing, but also sources of inspiration. An illustrious group of composers, including celebrities from countries further north such as Johannes Brahms, expressed this longing in a variety of ways. In the wake of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the Germans primarily sought themselves in Italy, while the Romantics sought the Orient in Spain. The French composers of the second half of the 19th century were enthusiastic travellers to Spain who tried to capture the Spanish colours with their very own colouring. Gioacchino Rossini reminisced about his homeland and the Adriatic Sea in Paris, while Fernando Obradors set classical Spanish poetry, including Federico García Lorca, to music on the Canary Islands. Carmen Artaza and Hilko Dumno breathe Mediterranean temperament into all of this and unfold a vibrant colourfulness.

Spanish pianists Juan Lago and Bel�n Navarro present in this album a repertoire that has featured prominently in their concerts over the past decade: works by non-Spanish composers inspired by Spanish popular music. Thanks to the piano-a truly universal instrument-Debussy, Ravel, Chabrier, and Rimsky-Korsakov not only developed their early compositional voices, but also found a vehicle through which their orchestral masterpieces could be adapted and performed beyond the concert hall. Through their own arrangements or those by trusted collaborators, these works have reached intimate settings and private homes around the world. The keyboard's orchestral richness-especially in four-hand performance-and it's ability to imitate or evoke the timbral variety of an orchestra allow the Lago-Navarro Duo to showcase their artistry and technical command in a beloved and familiar repertoire, deeply ingrained in the collective musical memory of the Spanish people. In this album, Ib�ria, Rapsodie espagnole, Espa�a, and Capriccio espagnol are brought together in a fresh concert format, allowing the musical echoes of Spain to resound with renewed brilliance. Bel�n Navarro & Juan Lago Piano Duo The well-established Lago-Navarro piano duo-formed in 1997 by Spanish pianists Juan Lago and Bel�n Navarro-presents in this album a repertoire that has featured prominently in their concerts over the past decade: works by non-Spanish composers inspired by Spanish popular music.