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Alicia de Larrocha Plays Mozart

Sony Masterworks

$24.98 May 12, 2017

Available for the first time in the United States, this set from the Sony Classical Masters Series features Alicia de Larrocha playing the works of Mozart, including the Complete Piano Sonatas, Rondos K 485 and 511 and Fantasias K 397 and 475. The Sony Classical Masters is a new series offering a huge wealth of recordings at a very attractive price. Combining the greatest recordings from the RCA, BMG, and Sony Classical labels in one series for the first time, the series houses the performances of the best-loved repertoire by preeminent artists such as James Galway, John Williams, Julian Bream, Lorin Maazel, Yo Yo Ma, Evgeny Kissin, Isaac Stern, James Levine and Glenn Gould, to name but a few. With 42 single-disc releases and 28 box sets, this is a truly all-encompassing range and a complete classical collection in itself, and includes many titles which have not been available for some time.

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Alicia de Larrocha Plays Mozart
Sony Masterworks May 2017
CD
$24.98

Voces de Sefarad / Basso, Mesirca
Brilliant Classics Mar 2016
CD
$14.99

De Murcia: Guitar Music / Núñez Delgado

Brilliant Classics

$13.99 Jun 23, 2023

In the 16th century, the ‘discovery’ of the Indies finally completed the human universe; it marked the beginning of a meeting between two worlds which, though violent, produced an unprecedented cultural wealth in their merging. However, the numerous historical, musicological and archaeological investigations of the sound cultures from this time have yielded few certainties. We do know, however, that this sound universe was interwoven in the baroque music of various composers, like that of Santiago de Murcia (1673–1739), an iconic figure of the late Spanish Baroque period whose work was the crucible where the sounds of both worlds, the New and the Old, were forged. The lack of sources relating to Murcia’s life has given rise to much conjecture. We know, however, that he taught guitar to Marie Louise of Savoy, the first wife of Philip V and great-niece of Louis XIV, around 1704. The Queen of Spain’s French tastes may have led Murcia to take an interest in foreign music, as he is considered ‘the first important Spanish guitarist to abandon the native style and adopt French and Italian models. Santiago de Murcia wrote three notable collections of music, the Resumen de acompañar la parte con la guitarra (1714), Passacalles y obras de guitarra por todos los tonos naturales y acidentales (1732) and the so-called Códice Saldívar No. 4 (c.1732). The Resumen de acompañar la parte con la guitarra, the only known anthology of pieces by Murcia that was printed, brings together for the first time in Spanish Baroque guitar composition numerous French dances, such as bourrée, courante, gigue, passepied and rigaudon, as well as 26 minuets and three suites in French style. Murcia’s work Pasacalles y Obras de Guitarra Por Todos los Tonos Naturales y Acidentales constitutes an essential compendium of some of the most popular instrumental musical genres of the 17th century, in particular, the passacaglia, a musical form of continuous variation in ¾ time. At first this type of music had a bad reputation due to its popular or ‘street song’3 character, but by the middle of the 18th century the passacaglia was known for its noble, courtly character. Of a totally different character, Códice Saldívar No. 4 contains some of the most representative popular music of the Baroque period, the fruit of the meeting between the New and the Old World. This album incorporates works that come from one [now two?] of the most fascinating collections of popular music of the 18th century, a product of the exchange and syncretism of the New World and the Old World, where African-American roots are undoubtedly present. By interspersing a pasacalle with a cumbee, a fandango with a zarambeque, this recording invites you to stroll along the streets of an imaginary 18th-century Novo Hispanic city and listen to its music.

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De Murcia: Guitar Music / Núñez Delgado
Brilliant Classics Jun 2023
CD
$13.99

DON QUIXOTE IN SPANISH MUSIC

Naxos

$19.99 Apr 24, 2007

The five works that make up this recording were all inspired by Cervantes' masterpiece Don Quijote de la Mancha. Barbieri' incidental music was composed as part of the first official commemoration, in 1861, of the anniversary of Cervantes' death.

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DON QUIXOTE IN SPANISH MUSIC
Naxos Apr 2007
CD
$19.99

CUBAN SYMPHONIC MUSIC

MDG

$20.99 Nov 01, 2014

The opening Trois danses cubaines by Alejandro García Caturla (1906-1940) is very much a typical example of Hispano-American musical culture, and would be right at home on a disc of music by Chavez, Villa-Lobos or Ginastera. Like Aaron Copland, he studied under Nadia Boulanger during a stay in Paris, and likewise seamlessly integrates old and new world techniques to great effect. Too bad he died so young. He was a lawyer by day, and it seems one of his clients was rather "disappointed" by his services. The following Preludio para Penthesilea by composer Carlos Fariñas (1934-2002) has, according to the liner notes, become a highly requested concert piece, and I can understand why. With it's constant barrage of multiple percussion instruments adding layer after layer of cross-rhythms and powerful forward momentum, it's hypnotic and almost ritualistic effect could certainly bring an audience to it's feet. A quick change of gears brings US to the beautifully exotic Pregón y Danza by Enrique González Mántici (1912-1974) whose opening pages bring to mind a sound reminescent of Miles Davis around his "Sketches of Spain" period. The aptly titled Rítmotiv, first performed in 2002 under the direction of it's composer Guido López-Gavilán del Rosario (b1944), is an orchestral tour-de-force as it introduces, overlaps and superimposes various rhythmic motifs and melodies to become a cornucopia of captivating sounds all assembled together by a craftsman. The final work on this CD, the deeply moving in Memoriam. A mi esposa Lillian Acosta by Alfredo Diez Nieto (b1918), once again demonstrates that grief is very much a universal human emotion and is expressed the same way regardless of nationality. It's the odd man out on this CD, simply because for that reason, it does not sound Cuban at all. It's a striking work, scored for strings alone, written to honor the loss of his wife in 2010. It's remarkable by it's simple gestures and yet clutching emotion, with closing notes to ponder over.

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CUBAN SYMPHONIC MUSIC
MDG Nov 2014
CD
$20.99

Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez & Fantasia para un gentilhombre / Xianji Liu, Amaral, ORTVE

IBS Classical

$17.99 Jun 19, 2020

In May 2016, I went to the Royal Palace of Aranjuez right after I was awarded the best interpretation of Joaquin Rodrigo Concertos (Special Award to the best interpretation of Fantasia para Gentilhombre granted by the Victoria and Joaquin Rodrigo Foundation). I was walking along the palace when the most ecstatic part of Concierto de Aranjuez came to my mind. I tried following the footprints of Joaquin, feeling what he might have felt at his time, experiencing a combination of Spanish historical architectures and classical music, and dreaming about playing the famous concerto at this very place someday. Joaquin Rodrigo completed his greatest masterpiece “Concierto de Aranjuez” in 1939 in Madrid, which brought him great fame as one of the greatest representatives in Spanish music spectrum, along with I. Albeniz, E. Granados, M. Falla, J. Turina. And his works helped raise the classical guitar to a historic high recognition. The two concertos in the album mean quite differently to me. It was through performing Fantasia para un Gentilhombre that I further understood Joaquin Rodrigo, as a performer myself for the first time. (Xianji Liu, winner of the 50th Franciso Tárrega International Guitar Competition in Benicàssim)

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Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez & Fantasia para un gentilhombre / Xianji Liu, Amaral, ORTVE
IBS Classical Jun 2020
CD
$17.99

Xxv Cuadros Magicos De Julio Cesar Oliva (Primera Serie)
Urtext Sep 2013
CD
$16.99

Cantos de Espana
Kontrapunkt Jan 1990
CD
$22.99

Ponce: Complete Guitar Sonatas

Stradivarius

$33.99 Sep 12, 2025

The sonatas for guitar by the Mexican composer Manuel Maria Ponce (1882-1948) demonstrate his remarkable ability to compose music inspired by a wide variety of styles. From early romantic works like Estrellita (1912) to the more complex harmonic language of his Concierto for violin (1943), Ponce displayed extraordinary versatility. Initially influenced by French modern music and late romantic works, he developed a distinctive musical language that combined romanticism, modernism, and nationalism. His collaboration with guitarist Andres Segovia resulted in his first composition for guitar, the Sonata Mexicana (1923), blending French Impressionism with Mexican folk music. During his stay in Paris from 1925 to 1932, Ponce developed an interest in Neoclassicism and Bitonality, as evidenced in his Suite bitonal for piano. Among his most significant works for guitar is Sonata III (1927), which incorporates romantic, neoclassical, and Mexican and Spanish folk elements. His guitar music was always inspired by Segovia, who suggested numerous works, including the Sonatina Meridional (1930), a tribute to Spanish musical tradition. Ponce's other notable works for guitar include the Sonata Clasica (1927), a tribute to Fernando Sor, and the Sonata Romantica (1928), inspired by Franz Schubert. These compositions further demonstrate his unique ability to blend traditional influences with his own distinctive voice. The Mexican composer wrote eight sonatas (six sonatas and two sonatinas) for guitar, two of which were lost during the looting of Segovia's apartment in Barcelona in 1936. Manuel Maria Ponce - Complete Guitar Sonatas presents for the first time the guitar sonatas in their entirety, including the surviving movements of these lost compositions and Sonata VI, a pastiche of Paganini's famous Grande Sonata for guitar. The works are performed by a group of artists under the guidance of M° Stefano Grondona, the renowned Italian guitarist.

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Ponce: Complete Guitar Sonatas
Stradivarius Sep 2025
CD
$33.99

Latin American Guitar Music
Brilliant Classics Feb 2016
CD
$13.99

Mi primer libro de música clasica / Helsby, Chapman

Naxos

Book

$10.99 ~~$21.99~~ Save 50% Jan 14, 2022

Una deliciosa introducción a la música clásica, diseñada para despertar la imaginación de los niños desde la edad preescolar hasta la primaria. Se pide a los lectores que piensen en los diferentes lugares en los que podemos escuchar música, como una sala de conciertos o en la televisión.

Se presenta de una manera divertida y totalmente ilustrada una sección dedicada a varios compositores famosos como Mozart y Beethoven, y otra sección sobre las familias de instrumentos musicales, desde instrumentos de viento madera hasta las percusiones. A lo largo del libro, se remite a los niños a la lista de reproducción en línea que lo acompaña, para que puedan escuchar ejemplos musicales mientras leen. En la lista de reproducción se incluyen, entre otras grandes obras La Flauta Mágica de Mozart, Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal de Williams, El carnaval de los animales de Saint-Saëns, Los planetas de Holst, Petrushka de Stravinsky, y Pedro y el lobo de Prokofiev.

-----

A delightfully colorful introduction to classical music, now in the Spanish language, aimed to fire the imagination of young children aged 5-7 years. Readers are asked to think about the different places in which we might hear music, whether it is in a concert hall, or just on television. They are then introduced to a selection of famous composers including Mozart and Beethoven, and learn about each of the musical instrument families, from woodwind to percussion. Throughout the book children are referred to the accompanying online playlist so that they can hear examples as they read. Music on the online playlist includes Mozart’s Magic Flute, Williams’ Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals, Holst’s Planets, Stravinsky’s Petrushka and Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf.

"There are people who, when they listen to classical music, think it is boring and turn down the volume or change the station. The appreciation of classical music requires a little bit of education, however, once it is known, it is possible to enjoy it like any other art." – Lilia O'Hara (Los Angeles Times en Español, San Diego Union-Tribune en Español)

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Mi primer libro de música clasica / Helsby, Chapman
Naxos Jan 2022
Book
~~$21.99~~ $10.99

American Classics - Converse: The Mystic Trumpeter, Etc

Naxos

$19.99 Aug 01, 2002

Here's a trivia question for you: What musical work begins with an evocation of sunrise over Detroit? Answer: Frederick Shepherd Converse's Flivver Ten Million, a humorous answer to Honegger's Pacific 231 as portrayed through the adventures of a Ford automobile. After the dawn sequence, the factory gets to work and out comes our hero, the ten millionth Ford, and he sets out on his journeys. There's a sexy love scene (making out with a Chevy?) and a wild joy ride that culminates in a collision, and after a moment of introspection (and, we suspect, some time in the repair shop) Flivver takes off again, good as new. Along the way, Converse calls on a host of special effects: taxi horns, anvils, wind machine, ratchets. It's all over in 12 riotous minutes and JoAnn Falletta leads a clearly energized Buffalo Philharmonic in a knockout performance that alone is worth the price of the disc.

This isn't the time or place to go into the question of how "great" a composer Converse was, but there's no question that he had tremendous talent and a great gift for orchestral narrative. The Mystic Trumpeter (of Whitman fame) takes a few minutes to get going, but once it does, watch out! The battle music gives Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet a good run for its money. And speaking of Tchaikovsky, check out the last few minutes of Endymion's Narrative, where Converse screws up the tension of his lyrical, principal theme in a manner that the great Russian would have been proud to call his own. Okay, so this may not be the most original or thought-provoking music in the world, but who in his right mind would sneer at a few more Tchaikovsky-style tone poems that are just about as good as the originals? And make no mistake; Converse's musical style did evolve over time. Flivver Ten Million, composed in 1927, shows significant advances in harmony, rhythm, and orchestration (albeit in a humorous vein) when compared to the other two works, both of which date from the first decade of the 20th century.

Throughout these works, Converse demonstrates an impressive command of the long melodic line, a keen dramatic sense, and a sure feeling for form. Better still, Falletta and the orchestra play marvelously, holding absolutely nothing back and taking those very fully scored climaxes from one peak of excitement to the next. And yet there's sensitivity aplenty, whether in the delicate harp-accompanied interludes in Endymion's Narrative or the gentle trumpet fanfares that open The Mystic Trumpeter. I can hardly imagine these pieces better played or conducted, and Naxos has contrived to produce a bold, vivid recording with terrific top-to-bottom transparency of texture and an aptly vast dynamic range. Certainly, this stands among the finest entries in Naxos' American music series to date, and markedly improves on the only available competition: the Louisville Orchestra's decent but less-than-spectacular versions of Endymion and Flivver. Let's hope Naxos pauses for a moment before moving on, to further mine this particularly fruitful lode. Remember, Converse also wrote five symphonies... [8/10/2002]
--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

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American Classics - Converse: The Mystic Trumpeter, Etc
Naxos Aug 2002
CD
$19.99

Albeniz: Piano Music Vol 7 / Miguel Baselga

BIS

$21.99 Jan 01, 2012

An excellent balance of masterpieces, salon music of the very best quality and some unknown quantities. The playing is superb.

Isaac Albeniz needs little introduction to readers of these pages. However, one important fact must always be borne in mind when approaching his piano music. The oeuvre divides largely into two main stylistic entities. The first of these are those by which he has gained considerable fame – the Spanish works. These include the great masterpieces such as Iberia and España. However, there is a considerable body of music that owes its being to the late nineteenth century corpus of salon music. These early works often have little to do with Spanish folk music and are more likely to nod to Chopin and Liszt. Additionally there was a transitional phase when Albeniz began to make use of the Spanish idiom from a largely parochial standpoint. The present CD has examples of all three ‘periods’.

The earliest work on this disc is ‘Marcha Militar’ which dates from around 1869. It is also the earliest of the composer’s music to have survived. Albeniz was only nine years old when he wrote it. There is a good tale told about the origins of this work which the careful reader of the excellent liner-notes will enjoy. It is not a bad little piece really, however it hardly foretells what was to come from the composer’s pen.

Chronologically, the next work is Deseo - estudio de concierto which was dedicated to the composer’s wife. Franz Liszt and his Hungarian’s ‘Etudes de Concert’ and the Fantasia après un lecture du Dante are almost certainly the models for this highly virtuosic piece. Nevertheless, it is hardly one of Albeniz’s best efforts and is well summed up by the present pianist. He suggests that it is ‘a highly virtuosic pianistic trifle’. It is well worth having for completeness; however I doubt that it will gain a hold in the repertoire. Deseo is translated as ‘desire’.

I have always loved the Mazurkas de Salon which balances the commercial requirements of the salon and recital room with the need to provide quality ‘teaching’ pieces. These six numbers were written for the composer to use whilst teaching the daughters of the wealthy. The original piano score of these delightful numbers is reputed to have a cover picture showing visiting cards with the corner turned down and bearing the name of the dedicatees. The six young ladies were Isabel, Casilda, Aurora, Sofia, Christa and Maria. It is fair to suggest that each of these pieces was specially tailored to suit the personality and the technical ability of these young ladies. From a musical point of view, Chopin is never far away, however they are not pastiche. Albeniz imbues each dance with a beauty and poignancy that is entirely his own. They were composed around 1887.

Three years later, Albeniz presented the gorgeous L’Automne Waltz. It would be easy to define this piece simply as a reversion to ‘salon’ music, especially coming after some of his ‘Spanish’ influenced pieces such as Recuerdos de viaje and España. However there is nothing trivial about this music. This is a waltz of the highest sophistication and technical creativity. It is written in three sections, preceded by a lugubrious introduction, with each section written in a different key. The coda is impressive with lots of references back to earlier material. It is a perfect example of why a work of this type should be kept in the repertoire and not consigned to history.

Ever since hearing my school-friend Alan Kitchen playing Cordoba from the Chants d’Espagne, in 1971, I have wanted a complete recording of this fine work. Strangely no recording ever came my way. Nearly forty years on I have discovered a version that moves, impresses and fulfils all my expectations of the piece. I can battle my way through parts of this suite on my piano; however there is nothing to beat a superb professional recording.

The Cantos de España, to give the work its Spanish title was originally conceived as a suite of three movements – the Prelude, Orientale and Sous le Palmier. These were published in 1892. In 1898 two further movements were added Cordoba and Seguidillas. The liner-notes sum up the work’s musical style with a quotation from Walter Aaron Clark who wrote that ‘the suite represents the furthest advance in Albeniz’s Spanish style to date in its seriousness, harmonic richness, and formal variety’. The work has the sights, sounds and location of Andalusia as its inspiration.

The opening Prelude is full of exuberance and excitement. This is better-known in the version for guitar, however it sounds well on the piano and the predominantly Flamenco sound of the first and last sections mimics the guitar well. The Orientale, in spite of its name, is based on tunes from Andalusia. This is a moody piece in comparison to the preceding Prelude. Sous le Palmier is written with the rhythm of the habañera, which is a dance originating in Cuba. The piece balances good humour with a touch of melancholy. Cordoba, which I discovered all those years ago, is a little tone poem. It opens with the sound of the bells of the town churches. This is followed by a hymn. The spell is broken by an outburst of flamenco dancing and a big romantic tune. The work closes with a reminiscence of the hymn tune before concluding with a final dance. Seguidillas is once again pure Andalusian folk music with the dance rhythms being complemented by brief ‘coplas’.

Altogether a great work and a superb performance. I am glad to say that my school friend is still making music both on the piano and the organ. I am extremely grateful to him for introducing me to Albeniz’s music.

The Improvisation is an interesting little piece. Only published in 2009, it was transcribed by Milton Laufer from a wax cylinder recorded by the composer in 1903. The work is a short two-minute study of dance rhythms that the composer was planning to use. It is a lively, vibrant piece of work that explores syncopation, alternating rhythms and unison writing in the manner of a recitative. The music of España is called to mind. There were three improvisations recorded and this present one is the first. So there are good things to look forward to in subsequent volumes of Albeniz’s ‘complete’ piano music!

Yvonne en visite! is simply charming. It was composed the year before the composer’s death and forms part of a collection of pieces for ‘children young and old’ assembled by the professors of the Schola Cantorum in Paris. Albeniz’s contribution was a musical depiction of events in the life of Yvonne Guidé who was the daughter of Guillaume Guidé, co-director of the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels. With a Satie-like commentary written into the piano score the composer describes the visit of the young pianist and her being made to perform in front of Albeniz. The poor child is nervous and makes a number of mistakes. Her mother becomes more and more annoyed with her and threatens her with ten days of Hanon – which was a terrifying book of piano exercises ‘popular’ at that time. The work is in two short movements – La révérence and Joyeuse rencontre et quelques pénibles événements (Joyful meeting and painful events!).

I enjoyed this CD and would recommend it to all enthusiasts of Isaac Albeniz’s piano music. It presents an excellent balance of masterpieces, salon music of the very best quality and some unknown quantities. The playing is superb. Miguel Baselga is always sympathetic to this music – whether it is technically difficult or within the grasp of Grade 6-ers like myself. He is never condescending towards the Mazurkas and the Waltz and plays them with attention and obvious love and enthusiasm. The liner-notes written by Jean-Pascal Vachon are informative and provide all the information required for a good understanding of each of these pieces. The sound quality is excellent as would be expected from BIS.

Finally, some of these pieces are recorded elsewhere, however as far as I am aware, the Marcha, the Improvisation and Deseo are not currently in the CD catalogues, apart from the present disc. The other works have precious few recordings available. This apparent lack of interest does not imply that any of this music lacks quality, interest or inspiration: many of these works are little masterpieces.

-- John France, MusicWeb International

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Albeniz: Piano Music Vol 7 / Miguel Baselga
BIS Jan 2012
CD
$21.99

Albeniz, I.: Complete Piano Music, Vol. 4
BIS Apr 2003
CD
$21.99

American Classics - Flagello: Piano Concerto No 1, Etc

Naxos

$19.99 Jun 20, 2006

Born in New York in 1928, Nicolas Flagello began his career as a concert pianist touring widely in the States and Europe. During his student years he had also been a conducting pupil of Dimitri Mitropoulos, and in 1962 was appointed as Music Director of the Rome Symphony Orchestra. As a composer he studied with Vittorio Giannani, an American of Italian descent whose mentor had been Goldmark. It comes as no surprise therefore to find that Flagello inherited a cosmopolitan background, and on his death, at the early age of 66, he left a considerable catalogue of scores, the earliest dating back to his early twenties, though he was forty before he completed his first symphony. Looking back at a previous Flagello review I described his idiom as 'Korngold orchestrating Hindemith's thematic material', a description I would be happy to attach to the present disc. I could add 'Rachmaninov meets Hollywood' to set the scene for the First Piano Concerto, its opening in a rich and dramatic mood offering unlimited space for virtuoso solo display. Conventional relaxed Andante comes before we turn full circle for another shot of brilliant orchestral colours. For Dante's Farewell we are in the world of opera, the big scene highly rewarding for the solo soprano. The Saxophone Quartet Concerto - his last completed work - is highly engaging, its lyrical centrepiece offset by the wild conclusion full of spine tingling excitement. Performances are of mixed origin, but share the same degree of conviction, with soloists that are unfailingly superb, the gorgeous voice of Susan Gonzalez being a major discovery that I am itching to hear again. Sound quality is good, and has the bass drum ever been more realistically captured than in the finale of the saxophone concerto? One of the most enjoyable American music discs I have heard.

"David's Review Corner"
June, 2006

Nicolas Flagello was one of those composers who was a skilled craftsman, and very much a member of his "school", that school being American "neo" something-or-other (fill in the blank with either "classical" or "romantic", it doesn't much matter which). If you like the school, and there's plenty to like, then you will like Flagello. During the dark days of the 1960s and '70s, tonally speaking, facing little if any prospect of performance, he left some of his larger works in short score, hence Anthony Sbordini's sensitive orchestration of Dante's Farewell, a moving scena for soprano based on works by Mrs. Dante. It's a lovely, affecting piece that would have been wonderful had it been sung by someone with a voice far more appealing than that of Susan Gonzalez.

The First Piano Concerto is a bold, passionate, memorably tuneful work that takes its romanticism seriously. There's plenty of storm and stress, and my only quibble is that there doesn't seem to be any particular motivation for the piano and orchestra to divide the musical argument the way that they do. In that sense, it's an odd piece, but still a good listen. Tatjana Rankovich already has recorded Flagello's Second and Third Concertos, and she knows what she's doing, as does the orchestra under John McLaughlin Williams.

Best of all, though, is the Concerto Sinfonico, a late work dating from 1985. This has to be the best piece ever written for saxophone quartet and orchestra--not that there's all that much competition, but it really does work extremely well. The timbres that Flagello exploits are consistently ear-catching, the argument easy to follow but rewarding as well. The performance also sounds very comfortable--inside the idiom and aptly high-spirited. The Rutgers orchestra (of New Jersey) acquits itself proudly, and despite the different venues, the sonics are consistently good.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

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American Classics - Flagello: Piano Concerto No 1, Etc
Naxos Jun 2006
CD
$19.99

Spanish Classics - Rodrigo: Complete Orchestral Works Vol 3
Naxos Jan 2003
CD
$19.99

BEETHOVEN: COMPLETE VARIATIONS FOR PIANO VOL. 1

HARMONIA MUNDI

$21.66 Mar 24, 2023

Cedric Tiberghien has long been interested in the principle of Beethovenian variation, as is demonstrated by a recording he made for harmonia mundi twenty years ago. He now proposes a project on a quite different scale, in which all Beethoven's variation cycles will be juxtaposed with works illustrating the evolution of the genre, from the Renaissance to the present day. Here is the first part of a trilogy that promises to be fascinating.

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BEETHOVEN: COMPLETE VARIATIONS FOR PIANO VOL. 1
HARMONIA MUNDI Mar 2023
CD
$21.66

SPANISH MUSIC FOR CLASSICAL GUITAR

TELARC

$15.99 Apr 12, 2011

Guitarist David Russell, recognized for his "evident mastery" of the Spanish guitar repertoire, releases a new album featuring distinctive works by master Isaac Albiniz. The album celebrates the best of Albiniz' oeuvre, including works originally composed for other instruments. "The magic in Albeniz' Spanish melodies is unsurpassed. Many of his pieces sound so good on the guitar that it is amazing that they were not written for our instrument," says Russell. "I am sure that he had the sound of the guitar in the back of his mind, while he was writing them."

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SPANISH MUSIC FOR CLASSICAL GUITAR
TELARC Apr 2011
CD
$15.99

Bach: Goldberg Variations
Berlin Classics Nov 2009
CD
$24.99

Brahms, J.: Variations - Opp. 23, 56B / 16 Waltzes, Op. 39
Musicaphon Feb 2003
CD
$10.99

Music From Argentina / Various

ARC Music

$16.99 Jul 24, 2020

A folksy take on traditional music straight out of the Argentinian songbook. Intertwining village roots, lively urban rhythms, traditional acoustic guitar, melodies of the pampas and Buenos Aires tangos, presented by Instituto El Cimarrón. Argentina's folk music has a rich and varied tradition. Apart from the indigenous music of the Fuegians and Patagonians, Mapuche and Chaco Indians, the descendants of the Quechua and Aymara and the Calchaqui Valley Indians, there is a large mestizo and creole repertoire. The creole repertoire is of predominantly European origin. Three basic types emerge, differentiated by function: Carnival songs (performed collectively), entertainment songs (performed for an audience) and religious songs (performed solo or in chorus).Carnival songs, their lyrics in short stanzas, are accompanied by drums and guitars. Related dances are the chacarera, zamba and gato, the latter being one of the most important rural Argentinian dances. The cueca, a dance like the zamba, is found in western Argentina. The malambo is a dance in which solo dancers alternate in competitive performances. It is popular among the gauchos. The sung milonga may be a romance (traditional ballad) or a corrido (ballad, based on contemporary events). The milonga (dance) is an urban style developed primarily in Buenos Aires by known composers. It is usually accompanied by the accordion. Polkas are sung to guitar accompaniment in triple time or sung in duplets over a 6/8 accompaniment with much syncopation. The polquita (little polka) is sometimes played in processions for saints.

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Music From Argentina / Various
ARC Music Jul 2020
CD
$16.99

40 MOST BEAUTIFUL ARIAS / VARIOUS

WARNER CLASSICS

$7.90 Mar 25, 2008

Two CD collection featuring the finest voices in Opera performing the most beautiful arias by the classic composers. An aria is a self-contained piece for vocals with orchestral accompaniment and this collection gathers together arias that will touch your heart and relax your soul as you are lifted by their beautiful melodies. 40 tracks including solos from Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, Jennifer Lamore, William Christie, Marcello Viotti and many others. WEA. 2008.

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40 MOST BEAUTIFUL ARIAS / VARIOUS
WARNER CLASSICS Mar 2008
CD
$7.90

CANCIONEROS DEL SIGLO DE ORO 1451-1595

ALIA VOX

SACD

$27.99 Jul 08, 2022

This deluxe remastering of three albums includes the three most famous songbooks of the Golden Age (1451-1595). The Sevillian Cancionero de la Colombina and Cancionero Musical de Medinaceli are samples of a musical humanism with a distinctly Hispanic stamp, in which the cultured and the popular come together. The Castilian Cancionero de Palacio is the most valuable and representative jewel of the repertoire performed in the itinerant Courts of the Catholic Kings, including songs, Christmas carols, ballads and 'extravagances' by authors such as Encina, Millan, Escobar, Anchieta, and Penalosa. La Capella Reial de Catalunya, Hesperion XX and Jordi Savall made them known to the world through these famous recordings made between 1991 and 1992.

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CANCIONEROS DEL SIGLO DE ORO 1451-1595
ALIA VOX Jul 2022
SACD
$27.99

DIABELLI VARIATIONS
ALTO Sep 2012
CD
$11.01

Beethoven: Complete Bagatelles, Diabelli and Eroica Variatio

Piano Classics

$20.99 May 01, 2020

Winner of the prestigious Premio Venezia prize, Vincenzo Maltempo 'rides high among many young and gifted Italian pianists.' (Gramophone, January 2015). His recordings on Piano Classics have won critical acclaim for their technical finesse and musical sensitivity. His latest release is a timely one, celebrating the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth in Bonn with the two major variation sets and the ever-elusive, whimsical Bagatelles which have taxed the hands and imaginations of all the greatest pianists. All the works here derive ultimately from the composer's instincts as an improviser and thinker at the keyboard: playing continually with ideas both physical and intellectual, working them over and around the body of the instrument that was his own principal medium of expression. The Op. 34 variations marked a seachange in the composer's treatment of his form, sharing the expressive reach of his sonatas and concluding with an ambitious fugue. Even the Eroica Variations, however, give little notice of the visionary transformation wrought upon an upbeat but modest waltz, sent to him by his publisher Diabelli, in his final work in variation form. They occupied Beethoven on and off for five years, during which time he explored every possibility of the theme and of variation-form itself. The result is, in the words of Alfred Brendel, 'the greatest of all piano works.' Here and in the final Bagatelles we find Beethoven challenging even the outer limits of his own prodigious imagination as well as the fingers of his performers and the minds of his listeners. Amid the cavalcade of Beethoven releases in 2020, Maltempo's new album is a big event.

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Beethoven: Complete Bagatelles, Diabelli and Eroica Variatio
Piano Classics May 2020
CD
$20.99