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Falla: El Amor Brujo (1915 Version) / Gil-Ordonez, Perspectives Ensemble
Naxos

Falla: El Amor Brujo (1915 Version) / Gil-Ordonez, Perspectives Ensemble

$19.99

Details

Composer
FALLA, MANUEL DE
Artist
Fernandez, Garza, Zetlan, Garcia, Gil-Ordonez
Format
CD
Label
Naxos
Released
May 10, 2019
Catalog #
8573890
UPC
747313389070

About

There have been a couple of recordings of El amor brujo in its original, two-act chamber version of 1915, but this one is as fine as any and just might be the best around. Conductor Angel Gil-Ordóñez chooses ideal tempos, the members of the Perspectives Ensemble play beautifully, and everyone seems genuinely involved in projecting Falla’s characterful instrumental parts with just the right combination of precision and warmth. Cantaora (singer) Esperanza Fernández sings with fervor and her voice, while raw and “popular,” at least remains in tune. She lacks the artistry and sensitivity of more professionally trained singers such as the incomparable Nati Mistrál on Decca, but in these surroundings it hardly matters.

The original version really is a different work: longer, with a slightly different plot that need not concern us, and despite using much of the same music often quite different in sound and texture. You can compare the two in the sound clips below. The revised version for full orchestra sounds more mysterious, more “impressionistic” if you will, while the original is leaner in outline but also definitely more rhythmically persistent and sinister. The only disadvantage to the original, in my opinion, is the generous amount of spoken dialog, which must be irritating even to native speakers when the music is so beautiful. You wish Fernández would offer less talk and more music.

Speaking of talk, Master Peter’s Puppet Show has a plot straight from Cervantes’ Don Quixote, and consists of wonderful musical bits connected by long stretches of recitative narration. The scoring is extremely imaginative, with the chamber ensemble featuring a harpsichord (played by Wanda Landowska at the premiere), and colorful parts for brass and percussion. What singing there is comes off quite well, with Jennifer Zetlan doing her best with the ungrateful part of the narrator. The plot, in case you don’t already know the original, is simplicity itself. At a roadside inn Master Peter puts on a puppet show set in the time of Charlemagne about the rescue of a damsel in distress. Don Quixote becomes thoroughly confused and takes the whole thing rather too seriously. Chaos ensues. That’s it.

Once again the performance is excellent from all concerned, and both pieces are very well recorded. Provided you have time to sit down and follow both not-terribly-long works booklet in hand, in this case thoughtfully containing texts and English translations, this release earns an easy and well-deserved recommendation.

– ClassicsToday.com (David Hurwitz)

Tracklist 26 tracks

  1. 1 Act I: Introducción y escena (Introduction and First Scene) 02:40
    Track
    1
    Title
    Act I: Introducción y escena (Introduction and First Scene)
    Duration
    02:40
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  2. 2 Act I: Canción del amor dolido (Song of a Broken Heart) 01:39
    Track
    2
    Title
    Act I: Canción del amor dolido (Song of a Broken Heart)
    Duration
    01:39
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Esperanza Fernández
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  3. 3 Act I: Sortilegio (The Spell) 01:03
    Track
    3
    Title
    Act I: Sortilegio (The Spell)
    Duration
    01:03
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Esperanza Fernández
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  4. 4 Act I: Danza del fin del día: Danza ritual del fuego (Dance of Day's End: Ritual Fire Dance) 04:04
    Track
    4
    Title
    Act I: Danza del fin del día: Danza ritual del fuego (Dance of Day's End: Ritual Fire Dance)
    Duration
    04:04
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  5. 5 Act I: Escena: El amor vulgar (Scene: Common Love) 01:08
    Track
    5
    Title
    Act I: Escena: El amor vulgar (Scene: Common Love)
    Duration
    01:08
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  6. 6 Act I: Romance del pescador (The Story of the Fisherman) 02:22
    Track
    6
    Title
    Act I: Romance del pescador (The Story of the Fisherman)
    Duration
    02:22
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Esperanza Fernández
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  7. 7 Act I: Intermedio (Interval) 04:52
    Track
    7
    Title
    Act I: Intermedio (Interval)
    Duration
    04:52
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  8. 8 Act II: Introducción: El fuego fatuo (Introduction: The Will-o'-the-Wisp) 01:00
    Track
    8
    Title
    Act II: Introducción: El fuego fatuo (Introduction: The Will-o'-the-Wisp)
    Duration
    01:00
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  9. 9 Act II: Escena: El terror (Scene: The Terror) 01:16
    Track
    9
    Title
    Act II: Escena: El terror (Scene: The Terror)
    Duration
    01:16
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Esperanza Fernández
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  10. 10 Act II: Danza del fuego fatuo: Danza del terror (Dance of the Will-o'-the-Wisp: Dance of Terror) 01:54
    Track
    10
    Title
    Act II: Danza del fuego fatuo: Danza del terror (Dance of the Will-o'-the-Wisp: Dance of Terror)
    Duration
    01:54
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  11. 11 Act II: Interludio: Alucinaciones (Interlude: Hallucinations) 02:05
    Track
    11
    Title
    Act II: Interludio: Alucinaciones (Interlude: Hallucinations)
    Duration
    02:05
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  12. 12 Act II: Canción del fuego fatuo (Song of the Will-o'-the-Wisp) 02:14
    Track
    12
    Title
    Act II: Canción del fuego fatuo (Song of the Will-o'-the-Wisp)
    Duration
    02:14
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Esperanza Fernández
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  13. 13 Act II: Conjuro para reconquistar el amor perdido (Spell to Reconquer Lost Love) 02:49
    Track
    13
    Title
    Act II: Conjuro para reconquistar el amor perdido (Spell to Reconquer Lost Love)
    Duration
    02:49
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Esperanza Fernández
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  14. 14 Act II: Escena: El amor popular (Scene: Ordinary Love) 01:02
    Track
    14
    Title
    Act II: Escena: El amor popular (Scene: Ordinary Love)
    Duration
    01:02
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  15. 15 Act II: Danza y canción de la bruja fingida: Danza y canción del juego de amor (Dance and Song of the False Witch: Dance and Song of the Game of Love) 03:34
    Track
    15
    Title
    Act II: Danza y canción de la bruja fingida: Danza y canción del juego de amor (Dance and Song of the False Witch: Dance and Song of the Game of Love)
    Duration
    03:34
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Esperanza Fernández
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  16. 16 Act II: Final: Las campanas de amanecer (Finale: The Bells of Morning) 01:38
    Track
    16
    Title
    Act II: Final: Las campanas de amanecer (Finale: The Bells of Morning)
    Duration
    01:38
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Esperanza Fernández
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  17. 17 El pregón (The Proclamation) (Master Peter) 00:57
    Track
    17
    Title
    El pregón (The Proclamation) (Master Peter)
    Duration
    00:57
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Jorge Garza
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  18. 18 La sinfonía de Maese Pedro (Master Peter's Symphony) (Master Peter, The Boy) 03:17
    Track
    18
    Title
    La sinfonía de Maese Pedro (Master Peter's Symphony) (Master Peter, The Boy)
    Duration
    03:17
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Jorge Garza, Jennifer Zetlan
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  19. 19 Scene 1: La Corte de Carlo Magno (The Court of Charlemagne) (The Boy) 02:10
    Track
    19
    Title
    Scene 1: La Corte de Carlo Magno (The Court of Charlemagne) (The Boy)
    Duration
    02:10
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Jennifer Zetlan
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  20. 20 Scene 1: Entrada de Carlo Magno (Entry of Charlemagne) (The Boy) 03:07
    Track
    20
    Title
    Scene 1: Entrada de Carlo Magno (Entry of Charlemagne) (The Boy)
    Duration
    03:07
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Jennifer Zetlan
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  21. 21 Scene 2: Melisendra (The Boy, Don Quixote, Master Peter) 03:18
    Track
    21
    Title
    Scene 2: Melisendra (The Boy, Don Quixote, Master Peter)
    Duration
    03:18
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Jennifer Zetlan, Alfredo García, Jorge Garza
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  22. 22 Scene 3: El suplicio del moro (The Moor's Reward) (The Boy) 01:27
    Track
    22
    Title
    Scene 3: El suplicio del moro (The Moor's Reward) (The Boy)
    Duration
    01:27
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Jennifer Zetlan
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  23. 23 Scene 4: Los Pirineos (The Pyrenees) (The Boy) 04:38
    Track
    23
    Title
    Scene 4: Los Pirineos (The Pyrenees) (The Boy)
    Duration
    04:38
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Jennifer Zetlan
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  24. 24 Scene 5: La fuga (The Escape) (The Boy, Master Peter, Don Quixote) 01:51
    Track
    24
    Title
    Scene 5: La fuga (The Escape) (The Boy, Master Peter, Don Quixote)
    Duration
    01:51
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Jennifer Zetlan, Jorge Garza, Alfredo García
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  25. 25 Scene 6: La persecución (The Pursuit) (The Boy, Don Quixote) 00:34
    Track
    25
    Title
    Scene 6: La persecución (The Pursuit) (The Boy, Don Quixote)
    Duration
    00:34
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Jennifer Zetlan, Alfredo García
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez
  26. 26 Final (Finale) (Don Quixote, Master Peter) 05:14
    Track
    26
    Title
    Final (Finale) (Don Quixote, Master Peter)
    Duration
    05:14
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Alfredo García, Jorge Garza
    Ensemble
    Perspectives Ensemble
    Conductor
    Angel Gil-Ordóñez