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.

For their third recording for label Stradivarius, the duo Singer & Fischer have chosen to devote themselves to four Hispanic-flavored works. With little original repertoire despite the opuses that various composers have written for them in recent years, transcriptions, arrangements, and other adaptations are usual in the ensemble’s work. However, not all works are easy to adapt, and the choice of pieces from among the ‘possibilities’ is often a difficult one. The transcriptions on this recording are the result of a process of reflection that goes back to the duo’s genesis. Their first attempts at De Falla or Granados took place in the 90s, a time when the youthfulness of the performers certainly contributed to the enthusiasm essential to any musical interpretation, but when a lack of experience was a brake on any idea of immortalizing their concert attempts.

Since then, the Singer & Fischer duo have taken the time to mature, and this latest recording is the result of over thirty years of playing together. Whether in terms of sound timbre, phrasing or balance, the ensemble has achieved a musical union made possible by its longevity, proof that despite all the acceleration and frenzy in today’s world, some goals take time.

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).

This latest entry in Naxos' Spanish Classics series is also the ninth and final volume in the Albéniz piano music series. The focus here is on Albéniz’s compositional evolution and his use of inspired folk-based melodies, Hispanic nostalgia and vivid dance rhythms, encapsulated by the intoxicating Chants d’Espagne. The album also includes five works heard in exciting new arrangements for two pianos made expressly for this recording. Miguel Ángel R. Laiz is joined by Santiago L. Sacristán in the works for two pianos.

HORN TRIOS from MOZART to PIAZZOLLA and beyond (Volume 2) is the second installment of a compendium of horn trios from the 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st centuries - an amazing "anthology" of original and arranged repertoire for the trio ensemble of horn, violin and piano. This is not the kind of recording project consisting of the "obligatory" Brahms Horn Trio in the company of 2 or 3 other much-recorded works. While the Brahms Trio is included (in Volume 1), the concept is a lot more ambitious. Presenting a 4-centuries, 2-volume collection where each album encompasses a double-disc compilation, the artists explore a strikingly-interesting array of diverse styles and genres, where even the sheer number of different nationalities of the composers (representing 12 different countries in Vol. 1 and 11 countries in Vol. 2) brings instant awe. In Volume 1 we heard trios by composers from the United States, Canada, England, Germany, Austria, France, Liechtenstein, Argentina, Estonia, Romania, Bulgaria and Morocco, while Volume 2 presents music by composers from the US, UK, Australia, Ukraine, Russia, Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Argentina and Czechia. Among the 15 works in Vol. 1 we heard 8 world-premiere recordings, while Vol. 2 is literally brimming with world-premieres: among the 13 works in Volume 2, there are 11 world-premiere recordings. The three artists offer breathtaking interpretations. Hornist Howard Wall, whose storied career includes not just his legendary reputation as a long-time member of two of America's most prestigious orchestras - the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra, but also an impressive discography of chamber and solo discs, brings a symphonic dimension to his own transcriptions of music by Piazzolla, Stravinsky, Bach and John Coltrane. Violinist Elmira Darvarova is equally "at home" in Mozart (as a former concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera, where she accompanied the world's greatest singers in a multitude of Mozart operas) and in Piazzolla (having attained a Grammy nomination for one of her many Piazzolla albums), as well as everywhere else (including world music, with her album based on Indian Ragas debuting as No. 3 on Billboard) and she possesses not just an incredibly strong and full tone, but also a magnificent level of sensitivity which fascinates with the limitless range of dynamics and sophisticated phrasing. Pianist Thomas Weaver, whose own horn trios (one in each volume) mesmerize with atmospheric moods, and whose translucently-textured playing has been hailed for his recent album of Hungarian composers (recorded together with Elmira Darvarova), shines in each piece with sublime virtuosity and fierce artistic commitment. This is a "not to be missed" album release, which has been eagerly anticipated in the "horn universe" and elsewhere, leaving open the possibility of a future Volume 3 as a conclusion to this terrific project.

A super-budget introduction to the riches of the Spanish piano repertoire, including many critically acclaimed recordings. While Domenico Scarlatti was born in Naples, he spent the greater part of his career on the Iberian peninsula, and died in Madrid in 1757 as the composer of 555 keyboard sonatas which would, more than any other single body of work, bring Spanish idioms into the mainstream of European classical music. Many organists and keyboard composers preceded him, but few if any could match his spirit of caprice and restless invention as he fused Hispanic rhythms with the fairly new form of the keyboard sonata. Thus it is fitting that Scarlatti is the earliest composer on this 'Spanish Explorer' box. His music was soon taken up as a model by native composers of subsequent generations, such as Manuel Espona (1714-1779) and Antonio Soler (1729-1783), in writing quirky single-movement sonatas of unpredictably arching melodies and sometimes frenetic developments which evoke the spirit of native dances such as the fandango. While CD1 of this box is an imaginary 'opera for piano', staged by Jean-Fran�ois Dichamp, the principle could be extended to the box as a whole. Dichamp's opera is arranged around the pillars of the monumental cycle of Goyescas by Enrique Granados (1867-1916). This cycle, along with the Iberia of Isaac Alb�niz (1860-1909), then extended the reach of Spanish piano music and defined it's character in a late-Romantic world. While neither Alb�niz nor Granados were modernists by temperament, it is tempting to speculate how they and their music would have developed but for their early deaths in the first years of the last century. Instead the creative flame was passed to Manuel de Falla (1876-1946) and Joaqu�n Turina (1882-1949) and while de Falla's original output for piano is relatively vestigial, it includes the astonishing Fantasia Baetica which invites comparison with contemporary piano masterpieces by Bart�k and Prokofiev in it's new pouring of 'national' character into the virtuoso piano tradition. As the most recent composer in this Spanish Explorer box, Federico Mompou (1893-1987) is also the least definably 'Spanish' - not least because he was a Catalan born and bred. The music itself defies close analysis, much like that of his model Erik Satie, and yet it's aura of intense contemplation has proved deeply rewarding for countless pianists and listeners alike.

In her new album, Maria Lettberg takes a musical journey through the countries of the European Union. She has curated a selected work for piano from each of the respective countries, regardless of the period or style. All the major styles of classical music are represented in this collection: from the Renaissance, Baroque and Viennese classical periods to Romanticism, Late Romanticism, Impressionism, 20th-century music, minimalism and neoclassicism. Each piece from the 27 countries has it's own fascinating characteristics, and together they paint a multi-layered picture of the European Union.

Segovia and His Contemporaries Volume 16 - The Guitar in Spain, Part 4: 1928-1955: This�disc highlights the classical guitar in orchestral, chamber, and duet settings. It opens with the live broadcast of the Castelnuovo-Tedesco Concerto No. 1, made on August 17, 1955 by Segovia at the Lucerne Festival. Chamber music is represented by two 1932 recordings made by Luise Walker, Miguel Llobet's student, of works by Carl Maria von Weber and Luigi Boccherini; and of particular interest are 1928 recordings by the world-renowned�Cuarteto Aguilar, �comprised of four lauds (types of Spanish lute), of works by Joaquin Turina and Renaissance composers Gabriel Mena and William Croft. The Guitar in Duo appears in rare performances by four pairings: the Canarian musicians Victor Doreste and Ignacio Rodriguez (1930), who perform�Capricho Arabe, �Sevilla�and a�Folias Canarias;�the Argentinean duo of Antonio Sinopoli and his daughter Nelida (1932), who play a milonga and vidalita penned by the father; the Mallorcan Bartolome Calatayud, a student of Tarrega, and the Catalan Graciano Tarrago (1936), who assay a�popular Mallorcan dance�So de pastera�and Joan Maria Thomas'�Festa de Sant Antoni; and lastly another Argentinean duo, Consuelo Mallo Lopez and Maria Herminia Antola (1937), who conclude with�Mozart's 'Minueto de la Sinfonia No. 39' and Galluzzo's�Romanza No. 2.

“Ascenso is a collection of works that have, in one way or another, a direct connection to myself. I wanted to present an album that was a representation of my current self, not just as a cellist, but as an artist. My idea is that this is not a cellist’s recording, or an album centered around the instrument, but rather a work that is meant to be experienced as you would a painting on a wall, whatever that may mean to you.”

Santiago Cañón-Valencia has been praised as one of the most promising young cellists of his generation. Born in Bogota in 1995, his major musical mentors have been Henryk Zarzycki in Colombia, James Tennant in New Zealand, Andres Diaz in the United States and Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt at the Kronberg Academy in Germany.

– A 2022 BBC Next Generation Artist and Winner of the Silver Medal and “Audience Favorite”

– A major prize winner of the Sphinx, Casals, Johansen, Cassadó, and Adam cello competitions.

REVIEW:

What the charismatic virtuoso delivers is some attractive premieres. Ponce de León’s "La ruta de la mariposa" has a poignant transparency, and is exquisitely performed.

-- BBC Music Magazine

Charles Richard-Hamelin continues his exploration of the works of Chopin, combining them with rare Spanish works composed at the turn of the 19th century. Frederic Chopin, Isaac Albeniz and Enrique Granados were all virtuoso pianists whose music is characterized by rich melody, refined harmony and fantasy. The pieces that make up this program echo each other by interweaving poetry and dance through both familiar and obscure melodies.

This collection stands as a valuable time capsule from which one comes away with a fuller understanding of Iturbi’s prominence in American wartime and postwar culture.

The complete RCA Victor Recordings by José Iturbi from 1933 to 1953, include his piano duo recordings with sister Amparo Iturbi as well as Amparo Iturbi’s solo recordings on 16 CDs, restored and remastered from the original lacquer discs and analogue tapes using high-resolution 24 bit/192 kHz mastering technology with about 95% of the recordings appearing on CD for the first time and 23 pieces previously unreleased. As well as a new, captivating essay by Grammy-nominated singer, pianist, and music anthropologist Michael Feinstein on the life and work of José Iturbi and a photo book with previously unseen photos and facsimiles from the Iturbi Archives in Hollywood.

There was a time when classical music was a natural part of Hollywood. From the moments with Jascha Heifetz in They Shall Have Music (1939) to the unrivaled performances of Oscar Levant and Isaac Stern in Humoresque (1946). In its Golden Era, Hollywood adorned itself with the Who's Who of classical music. Today, alongside icons such as Marylin Monroe and James Dean, the names of Leonard Bernstein, Maria Callas and Arturo Toscanini, as well as Rudolf Serkin, Joseph Szigeti, or José Iturbi were immortalized on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. This edition is a loving homage to Hollywood in the 1940s and 1950s, made possible through the generous support of the José Iturbi Foundation and the Hollywood Museum Board of Directors, who contributed to the lavish restoration of many previously lost unpublished recordings. The publication was also made possible by contributions of singer, pianist, and music archivist Michael Feinstein, the Ambassador for the Great American Songbook.

REVIEW:

During the 1940s and 1950s the “World’s Most Popular Classical Pianist” mantle fell comfortably upon José Iturbi (1895-1980). His recognition as a radio personality led to a movie career that yielded ten feature films between 1943 and 1951 where the pianist mostly starred as himself. Yet for all of Iturbi’s renown, he was hardly a poseur. He worked with Wanda Landowska in Paris, and gave Stravinsky’s Piano Rag Music its world premiere, as well as the first complete Carnegie Hall performance of Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes.

He also conducted. When Eugene Ormandy assumed the Philadelphia Orchestra’s music directorship in 1936, his chief rival for the position was Iturbi, who wound up taking charge of the Rochester Philharmonic that same year. Once Hollywood beckoned, however, Iturbi became the brunt of intellectual critics, who basically wrote him off as a sell-out and an artistic lightweight.

Time, of course, brings perspective, and Sony/BMG’s lavishly produced 16-CD collection containing Iturbi’s complete RCA Victor recordings invites a fairly thorough examination of the musician behind the personality, plus an opportunity to reassess a largely forgotten body of recorded work. A 188-page coffee table book contains photos in abundance, with all original-jacket artwork represented, including the most politically incorrect cover art ever to grace Dvorák’s “New World” symphony. We get complete session and release discographies, an Iturbi filmography, plus a brilliant in-depth biographical essay by Michael Feinstein, who co-produced this collection with Robert Russ.

It’s a pity that the session discography is not cross-referenced to corresponding CD tracks, not to mention the absence of a discography by composer. This makes it difficult to navigate the contents with ease, especially in works that Iturbi recorded more than once. For example, it took some sleuthing on my part to discover that Discs 5 and 11 each contained the Liszt Liebestraum No. 3, Schumann Arabeske, Debussy Reverie, and Chopin Polonaise in A-flat Op. 53, and that the performances were not identical.

With few notable exceptions, Iturbi’s solo recordings mostly consist of short, encore-length pieces. He’s especially at home in Spanish music: Iturbi’s accentuation, phrasing, and timing throughout Falla’s Ritual Fire Dance define perfection, while he shapes Granados’ Spanish Dance No. 2 (“Oriental’) with sensitivity and tenderness. Classical selections also stand out for Iturbi’s bracing articulation. True, the outer movements of his Mozart K. 331 and 332 sonata recordings are overly facile and insufficiently inflected when measured alongside contemporaneous Mozartean rivals like Schnabel, Gieseking, Fischer, and Haskil. Yet the sheer evenness and poised symmetry of Iturbi’s finger-work easily explains why pianists like Julius Katchen and William Kapell praised his Mozart.

Iturbi also revels in the Haydn C major Theme and Variations’ sly wit. By contrast, introspection and sobriety characterize Iturbi’s measured unfolding of Beethoven’s Andante favori. Similar gravitas elevates Paderewski’s Minuet in G to near-masterpiece status. Iturbi’s virtuosic glitter befits his dashing Saint-Saëns Allegro appassionato more than in his glib Liszt Les jeux d’eaux à la Villa d’Este.

Iturbi’s Chopin hits and misses. His Mazurkas lack the ardency and rhythmic snap that distinguishes a Second Scherzo that gets better as it progresses. Also note the pianist’s dotting the duple rhythms in the A-flat Polonaise’s main theme that Horowitz, Rubinstein, and Lhevinne play straight on their rival RCA versions.

The later recordings reveal Iturbi’s pianism losing some of its erstwhile luster and subtlety, possibly exaggerated by the close microphone placement and twangy patina typical of late 1940s/early 1950s piano recordings stemming from RCA’s Hollywood recording studio. For example, the two Debussy Arabesques recorded in New York in 1939 have a supple elegance missing in their glassy-sounding 1950 Hollywood counterparts (sound clips). The blustery, hard-toned, and harshly engineered Liszt Concerto No. 1, Mendelssohn Concerto No. 1, and Beethoven Concerto No. 3 were non-starters in their day, with the piano way up in the mix, relegating the crackerjack RCA Symphony musicians to doormat status. Still, the Mendelssohn’s outer movements feature some of Iturbi’s most scintillating pianism on disc.

While Iturbi’s two-piano distribution of the solo part of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue is surprisingly effective and discreet, he and his pianist sister Amparo turn in a crass, alternately whipped up, and sappily sentimentalized interpretation. Works of Mozart, Debussy, and Milhaud better represent their dazzling ensemble rapport, but again, the boxy, claustrophobic engineering undermines their efforts. Similar dryness typifies Amparo’s idiomatic solo recordings of Spanish repertoire. Still, it’s nice to have her rare 1954 Granados Goyescas back in circulation, although it pales alongside Alicia de Larrocha’s far more nuanced and texturally differentiated interpretation from the following year.

The collection also showcases Iturbi’s work on the podium. His 1940 Rochester Philharmonic versions of the Mozart D minor and Beethoven C minor concertos are more judiciously balanced than his orchestrally superior 1952 RCA Victor Symphony remakes. Each contains lively and engaging outer movements that flank wooden, hard-toned slow movements.

Iturbi’s 1951 Liszt Hungarian Fantasy with the Valencia Symphony Orchestra has a snarling rawness that differs from the sheen and suavity of the 1952 Arrau/Ormandy and late 1940s Solomon and Moiseiwitsch editions. As with many second-tier American orchestras in the 1940s, the Rochester Philharmonic boasted strong strings but less proficient winds and brass. Consequently, Iturbi’s Mendelssohn “Scottish” Symphony took a back seat to Mitropoulos’ powerful 1941 Minneapolis version, while the aforementioned Dvorák New World lacked the Szell/Czech Philharmonic recording’s flavorful ensemble discipline.

The prize of Iturbi’s Rochester discography is a snazzy and brilliantly turned-out Morton Gould “Latin American” Symphonette, which is surprisingly well-engineered for its 1944 vintage. Another delightful curiosity is William J. Reddick’s Espanharlem, a brief orchestral work whose quick changing moods and jazzy underpinnings wouldn’t be out of place in a Carl Stalling Bugs Bunny cartoon soundtrack. There’s also a previously unpublished recording conducted by Werner Janssen of Iturbi’s orchestral composition Soliloquy. The piece amounts to 14 and a half minutes’ worth of rambling 1940s film music clichés filtered through third-rate Lecuona. Why Iturbi is credited as piano soloist when there’s no piano to be heard is anyone’s guess!

Notwithstanding the artistic unevenness of Iturbi’s recorded output he always had the self-respect to keep his technique in world-class repair, unlike his rival classical pianist turned media personality Oscar Levant. Still, music lovers who don’t want to go the whole hog, so to speak, are directed to APR’s 2016 three-disc solo Iturbi compilation. I also hope to see Iturbi’s post-cinema EMI recordings restored. However, beyond purely musical considerations, Sony/BMG’s collection stands as a valuable time capsule from which one comes away with a fuller understanding of Iturbi’s prominence in American wartime and postwar culture.

-- ClassicsToday.com (Jed Distler)

CONTENTS:

• Mozart: Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orchestra No. 10 in E flat, K365
• Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K466
• Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat major, S124
• Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25
• Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37
• Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
• Chambers, J C: All American
• Gould, M: Symphonette No. 4 'Latin-American'
• Reddick: Espanharlem
• Iturbi: Soliloquy
• Mozart: Sonata for 2 pianos in D major, K448
• Chabrier: Trois Valses Romantiques
• Iturbi: Spanish Dance
• Debussy: En blanc et noir
• Milhaud: Scaramouche, suite for two pianos, Op. 165b
• Nepomuceno: La siesta
• Infante: Guadalquivir
• Infante: Sevillana
• Debussy: Suite bergamasque: Clair de lune
• Liszt: Liebestraum, S541 No. 3 (Nocturne in A flat major)
• Debussy: Rêverie
• Beethoven: Für Elise (Bagatelle in A minor, WoO59)
• Schumann: Arabeske in C major, Op. 18
• Debussy: Deux arabesques, L. 66
• Falla: Dance of Terror (from El amor brujo)
• Rachmaninoff: Prelude Op. 3 No. 2 in C sharp minor
• Liszt: Les jeux d'eaux à la Villa d'Este, S. 163 No. 4)
• Falla: Ritual Fire Dance (from El amor brujo)
• Saint-Saëns: Allegro appassionato, Op. 70
• Albéniz: Malagueña (No. 3 from Espana, Op. 165)
• Chopin: Étude Op. 10 No. 12 in C minor ‘Revolutionary'
• Chopin: Polonaise No. 6 in A flat major, Op. 53 'Héroïque'
• Debussy: Estampe No. 3 - Jardins sous la pluie
• Schumann: Romance in F sharp major, Op. 28 No. 2
• Chopin: Prelude Op. 28 No. 9 in E major
• Chopin: Prelude Op. 28 No. 10 in C sharp minor
• Chopin: Prelude Op. 28 No. 15 in D flat major ‘Raindrop'
• Chopin: Nocturne No. 9 in B major, Op. 32 No. 1
• López-Chavarri: El viejo castillo moro
• Iturbi: Cancion de cuna
• Granados: Orientale (No. 2 from 12 Danzas españolas)
• Chopin: Mazurka No. 6 in A minor, Op. 7 No. 2
• Chopin: Mazurka No. 7 in F minor, Op. 7 No. 3
• Chopin: Mazurka No. 24 in C major, Op. 33 No. 3
• Chopin: Mazurka No. 27 in E minor, Op. 41 No. 2
• Chopin: Mazurka No. 25 in B minor, Op. 33 No. 4
• Chopin: Scherzo No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 31
• Debussy: Children's Corner
• Ravel: Jeux d'eau
• Guastavino: Gato
• Mozart: Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orchestra No. 10 in E flat, K365
• Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K466
• Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37
• Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
• Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte
• Bach, J S: Passacaglia in C minor, BWV582
• Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K331 'Alla Turca'
• Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 12 in F major, K332
• Chopin: Impromptu No. 4 in C sharp minor, Op. 66 'Fantaisie-Impromptu'
• Chopin: Waltz No. 6 in D flat major, Op. 64 No. 1 'Minute Waltz'
• Chopin: Waltz No. 7 in C sharp minor, Op. 64 No. 2
• Chopin: Mazurka No. 5 in B flat major, Op. 7 No. 1
• Albéniz: Sevilla (from Suite Española, Op. 47)
• Granados: Goyescas: Quejas ó La Maja y el Ruiseñor
• Scarlatti, D: Keyboard Sonata K27 in B minor
• Scarlatti, D: Keyboard Sonata K159 in C major 'La caccia'
• Paradies: Toccata in A
• Iturbi: Pequena danza espanola
• Beethoven: Andante Favori in F, WoO 57
• Albéniz: Cantos de España (5), Op. 232, No. 4
• Lazăr, F: Piano Sonata No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 15: III Tempo di Marcia funebre
• Saint-Saëns: Caprice arabe, Op. 96
• Debussy: L'isle joyeuse
• Infante: Danze andaluse (for 2 pianos): No. 2 Sentimento
• Debussy: Deux arabesques, L. 66
• Bach, J S: Fantasia in C minor, BWV906
• Granados: Danza española, Op. 37 No. 10 'Melancólica'
• Gould, M: Boogie Woogie Etude
• Gould, M: Blues
• Falla: Ritual Fire Dance (from El amor brujo)
• Falla: Dance of Terror (from El amor brujo)
• Debussy: Suite bergamasque: Clair de lune
• Liszt: Liebestraum, S541 No. 3 (Nocturne in A flat major)
• Chopin: Polonaise No. 6 in A flat major, Op. 53 'Héroïque'
• Schumann: Arabeske in C major, Op. 18
• Debussy: Rêverie
• Haydn: Theme and Variations in C major, Hob.XVII:5
• Paderewski: Minuet in G major, Op. 14 No. 1
• Beethoven: Für Elise (Bagatelle in A minor, WoO59)
• Schumann: Träumerei (from Kinderszenen, Op. 15)
• Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte
• Rachmaninoff: Humoresque in G major, Op. 10 No. 5
• Infante: Danses andalouses
• Tchaikovsky: The Seasons, Op. 37b: June (Barcarolle)
• Tchaikovsky: The Seasons, Op. 37b: November (Troika)
• Mussorgsky: Une Larme (A Tear)
• Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56 'Scottish'
• Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 'From the New World'
• Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody, S244 No. 14 in F minor
• Falla: El sombrero de tres picos: Dance of the Neighbours (Seguidillas)
• Falla: El sombrero de tres picos: Danza del molinero (farruca)
• Falla: El sombrero de tres picos: Final Dance (Jota)
• Palau Boix: Marche burlesque
• Palau Boix: Hommage a Debussy
• Iturbi: Seguidillas
• Cuesta: Danza valenciana in A major
• Falla: Siete Canciones populares españolas
• Turina: Homenaje a Lope de Vega, Op. 90: I. Cuando tan hermosa os miro
• Granados: Danza española, Op. 37 No. 8 'Sardana'
• Granados: Danza española, Op. 37 No. 12 'Arabesca'
• Granados: Danza española, Op. 37 No. 9 'Romántica'
• Turina: Mujeres Españolas, Series 1, Op. 17: 2. La andaluza sentimental
• Turina: Mujeres Españolas, Series 1, Op. 17: 3. La morena coqueta
• Infante: Pochades andalouses: Canto flamenco
• Infante: ochades andalouses: Danse gitane
• Infante: Pochades andalouses: Aniers sur la route de Seville
• Infante: Pochades andalouses: Tientos
• Albéniz: Granada (from Suite española No. 1, Op. 47)
• Albéniz: Córdoba (No. 4 from Cantos de España, Op. 232)
• Cuesta: Danza valenciana in G major
• Lecuona: Malagueña
• Griffes: The White Peacock
• Infante: Guadalquivir
• Infante: Pochades andalouses: Ritmo
• Mozart: Sonata for 2 pianos in D major, K448: Allegro molto
• Granados: El Pelele
• Granados: Goyescas (piano suite)
• Ravel: Valses nobles et sentimentales
• Chabrier: Scherzo-valse (No. 10 from Pièces pittoresques)
• Chabrier: Idylle (No. 6 from Pièces pittoresques)
• Chabrier: Bourrée Fantasque
• Schubert: Valses Sentimentales, D 779 Op. 50 (Excerpts)
• Schubert: 12 Valses Nobles, D 969 Op. 77: selection
• López-Chavarri: Danza de las labradoras Valencianas
• Shostakovich: Prelude for piano, Op. 34 No. 2 in A minor
• Shostakovich: Prelude for piano, Op. 34 No. 14 in E flat minor
• Shostakovich: Prelude for piano, Op. 34 No. 24 in D minor
• Fauré: Impromptu No. 3 in A flat major Op. 34
• Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 13 in B flat major, K333

The arrangement of Albeniz's piano works for solo guitar, multiple guitars, and even guitar plus a melody instrument has a long tradition, beginning with Francisco Tarrega and Miguel Llobet as well as many other legendary guitarists. The arrangements and versions recorded here are not actually original arrangements but are compiled from a multitude of existing templates and suggestions from recordings.

Mainstays of Spanish and South American guitar music in a rediscovered rare recording In Prague at the turn of September and October 1969, for four days Supraphon's legendary Domovina studio was the home of the 37-year-old Konrad Ragossnig. The guitarist was in top form; he had studied in Spain under Andres Segovia, the "king of the classical guitar", had won the ORTF competition in Paris, and was teaching guitar in Basel at the Musik-Akademie and in Vienna at the Universitat fur Musik und darstellende Kunst. He was giving solo concerts and appearing with orchestras around Europe, the USA, and the Far East. Besides the classical guitar, he had also mastered the Renaissance lute when interest in early music and it's authentic interpretation was just reawakening in western Europe. His chamber music partners included tenor Peter Schreier and flautist Hans Martin Linde. Now in the Prague studio, Ragossnig returned to mainstays of Spanish and South American guitar music. Some of the pieces are written specifically for his instrument, while others (Albeniz, Granados) are piano works that first became truly famous in guitar transcriptions. In the beautiful acoustics of the Domovina Studio, the recording team captured all the superb qualities (beauty of tone, flawless technical brilliance, subtle inflections of rhythm, dynamics, and articulation) that make his playing and this recording special. Over half a century later, this recording remains a rare gem documenting the guitar literature.

This is a remastered recording of the concert given by cantaora Rocío Márquez and pianist Rosa Torres-Pardo at the Fundación Juan March on November 28, 2014. It presents a selection of Spanish classical works interspersed with music from the folk tradition that inspired their composition. The flamenco singer–classical pianist duo interweaves works by Manuel de Falla, Enrique Granados and Isaac Albéniz with popular Spanish songs (some of which were later harmonized by Federico García Lorca). The artists’ flamenco take on classical repertoire reveals the often neglected traditional origins of works whose composers drew on popular culture as they searched for the essence of Spanish music.

The first volume of Sebastian Stanley’s Albéniz survey was greeted with enthusiasm for the repertoire and praise for the interpretations in the pages of Fanfare and elsewhere: ‘He is tender and sentimental in the lyrical moments, animated and energetic in his attack elsewhere. He clearly loves the music, and dispatches it with unapologetic flair.’ His sequel opens with the First Suite Española which contains several of the composer’s most colourful and best-known pieces. It begins with the vibrant guitar-strumming textures and Moorish harmonies of ‘Granada (Serenata)’ and continues with his own interpretation of a dance from his native Catalonia. Evocations of Seville, Cadiz and Asturias all spring from the pages with the sharp colours of a Goya canvas, and the suite comes to an exotic, sensuous conclusion with a Cuban habanera. The Second Suite Española is much smaller and less well-known. Its two movements are evocations of Zaragoza and (once more) Seville. Sebastian Stanley includes two further landscapes in sound: the Zambra granadina (Danse orientale) evokes flamenco dance that features a haunting melody to a seductively syncopated accompaniment. The rolled chords of Cádiz (Gaditana) suggest the strumming of guitars, setting the scene for an animated copla dance. The neoclassical side of Albéniz comes to the fore with the third of his Suites Anciennes – consisting of a graceful Minuet and sprightly Gavotte – which anticipate similar projects to revive Baroque forms in modern guise by Ravel and Respighi. As a reminder of the incomparable richness of the finest Spanish piano music,’ Sebastian Stanley’s Albéniz series should invite the attention of curious listeners and pianophiles alike.

Experience the beauty and tranquility of Spain with a captivating collection of peaceful guitar music, crafted by some of the country's most iconic composers. This unique compilation brings together over three hours of enchanting melodies that celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Spain. Perfect for creating a serene atmosphere, this collection will transport you to a world of timeless elegance and natural beauty. The Spanish guitar is more than just an instrument; it is a symbol of Spain's soul, evoking images of sun-drenched landscapes, vibrant festivals, and quiet evenings under starlit skies. This collection showcases the works of legendary composers such as Isaac Alb�niz, Manuel de Falla, Francisco T�rrega, Federico Moreno-Torroba, and many others. Their compositions capture the essence of Spanish folklore and traditions, blending passion and grace in every note. Featured in this collection are some of the most beloved pieces in classical guitar repertoire. From the mesmerizing arpeggios of Recuerdos de la Alhambra to the dynamic energy of Asturias, each piece tells it's own story. Discover the heartfelt melodies of La Paloma and immerse yourself in the delicate harmonies of Mompou's works. Whether you are a connoisseur of classical music or a casual listener, these timeless compositions will captivate your heart. Whether you're looking to enhance your own music collection or searching for a thoughtful gift, this compilation is a treasure trove of artistry and emotion. It's ideal for anyone who appreciates the beauty of classical guitar and the rich traditions of Spanish music. Let the timeless melodies of Spain inspire your soul. Add this extraordinary collection to your playlist today and embark on a musical journey you'll want to revisit time and time again. - An extensive and highly attractive collection of quiet and peaceful music by Spanish composers, played on the country's iconic instrument, the guitar. - Featured are famous works such as La Paloma, Recuerdos de Alhambra and Asturias, by composers Albeniz, de Falla, Sainz de la Maza, Tarrega, Mompou, Moreno-Torroba and many more. - More than 3 hours of atmospheric Spanish music, inspired by the sounds, smells and colors of the Spanish landscape and folklore.

His ninth solo album on Signum Records, Alessio Bax combines exceptional lyricism and insight with consummate technique and is without a doubt "among the most remarkable young pianists now before the public" (Gramophone). Here he presents an album of works for dancing, including tangos and waltzes spanning three centuries. Featuring composers such as J S Bach, Manuel de Falla and Franz Liszt a variety of cultures are showcased in this album for solo piano, and features contributions to an arrangement by Bax himself.

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.’

This album is inspired by the fantastic physicality and variety of dance forms in which composers from Granados to Shostakovich excelled. There are some hidden gems as well as pieces that will be familiar to all - and they have the novelty, as transcriptions, of all having been 'stolen' from the original. These arrangements are creative, fun and often virtuosic. -Includes Shostakovich's 'Three Fantastic Dances' released in the composer's 50th death anniversary year -Includes Ravel 'Piece en forme de habanera' released in the composer's 150th birth anniversary year

Born in 1860, Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz was mainly a pianist and wrote primarily for the piano. More than any other musician, he succeeded in incorporating the Spanish guitar idiom and folklore into his style. Thus it is no wonder that many of Albéniz’s piano works have also been performed on the guitar. But things are different when we come to Albéniz’s Iberia, a suite of piano pieces so complex that few solo guitarists have ever attempted to transcribe and perform them. My selection stems from Albéniz’s most well-known cycles: Iberia, Suite Española and España.

Before a phrase from the Gran vals by Francisco Tárrega unexpectedly shot to international fame as the Nokia ringtone, his most celebrated pieces included the Capricho árabe, composed in 1892. The piece is inspired by the mixture of Muslim Castilian and Christian cultures which had always been a feature of the Valencia region where Tárrega grew up.

Tárrega’s friend and near-contemporary Isaac Albéniz was a virtuoso pianist who also played the guitar. Even though he evoked the guitar brilliantly on the piano, he never composed any music for the instrument. ‘Malagueña’ was first published in the collection España. Published in 1892 as ‘Prélude’, the piece widely known as ‘Asturias’ is also imbued with the spirit of southern Spain.

Federico Mompou’s Suite compostelana was commissioned by Andrés Segovia and was published in 1964, the same year as Segovia’s first recording of the piece.

The Italian guitarist and composer Carlo Domeniconi has drawn on several national traditions for his works, but has a particular interest in Turkish music which he has studied in depth. The Variationen über ein anatolisches Volkslied (Variations on an Anatolian Folksong) were composed in 1982 and are based on the song (türkü) ‘Uzun ince bir yoldayim’. Koyunbaba is a four-movement suite for guitar which started as an improvisation, and was then notated soon afterwards. The composer describes the score as ‘no more than a sketch’ and insists that players improvise in their performance – which Krzysztof Meisinger does to great effect with his additional ‘Invocazione’ at the start of the work.

REVIEW:

It’s a pity Mompou didn’t write more for the guitar. His only work for that instrument, the Suite compostelana, is a minor masterpiece, profound in its simplicity. It takes a player of Meisinger’s stature to pull off a successful performance, and here the Preludio, Cuna and Canción are especially well rendered.

-- Gramophone

The critically acclaimed Invencia Piano Duo make their Divine Art debut with Dualities, a dazzling album that expands the possibilities of the piano duet and duo repertoire. Drawing on their virtuosity and innovative spirit, the duo explores works that transcend the boundaries of traditional solo piano, delivering arrangements that demand the synergy of four hands. Highlights of the album include Andrey Kasparov's stunning arrangements of Liszt's Totentanz, Ravel's La valse, Scriabin's Vers la flamme, and Albeniz's Triana. These beloved solo pieces are reimagined with breathtaking scope and texture, demonstrating the Invencia Piano Duo's interpretive depth. The album also features two original compositions by Kasparov: Fantasy on Lutheran Chorales and Cadenza for LvB. These works showcase the duo's mastery of both performance and composition, taking full advantage of the dynamic and expressive potential of four-hand piano playing. Founded by Andrey Kasparov and Oksana Lutsyshyn, the Invencia Piano Duo bring a wealth of experience and accolades to their performances. Educated at the Moscow State Conservatory and later at Indiana University's School of Music, the duo has won international recognition for their compelling interpretations and bold programming. Both artists are esteemed faculty members at Old Dominion University in Virginia and serve as artistic co-directors of the Norfolk Chamber Consort. Their individual achievements are equally impressive. Lutsyshyn, a prizewinner at the William Kapell International Piano Competition, made her Carnegie Hall debut following her success. Kasparov, winner of the Albert Roussel Prize, has premiered significant works such as Bartok's revised Piano Concerto No. 3 and earned recognition as a composer of published and recorded works. The Invencia Piano Duo's discography includes a celebrated four-volume series of Florent Schmitt's piano duet works on Grand Piano Records, as well as albums for Albany and Naxos. With Dualities, they continue to push artistic boundaries, presenting an arresting collection that redefines the piano duo repertoire. This album is an essential addition for lovers of virtuosic piano music, blending brilliance, originality, and deep musicality in a singular listening experience.

His exceptional touch and sense of phrasing, his deep and personal understanding of the most varied repertoires, or even the legendary trio he formed together with Jacques Thibaud and Pablo Casals, made Alfred Cortot the greatest pianist of his time. Master of many disciples, notably the brilliant Dinu Lipatti, Samson François and Clara Haskil, Cortot also had a lasting influence on the Russian piano school through Samuil Feinberg and Heinrich Neuhaus, the latter himself being the revered teacher of Sviatoslav Richter.

All of the recordings in this set had undergone careful sound restoration in 2012, in order to respect as closely as possible the original sound. The remastering was carried out under the expert control of Mr. Guthrie Luke, a former disciple of Alfred Cortot who attended many recording sessions by Cortot. These recordings do not represent a "complete" edition: the many rolls engraved by the artist for Duo-Art, Aeolian and Pleyela labels have not been reproduced here, most of them doubling the 78-RPM repertoire. The first recordings are acoustic; and the ones with an electric microphone appeared as early as 1926.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Albéniz: Piano Music, Vol. 1