MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Spanish Piano Music [6 CD set]

A generous collection of quintessential Spanish piano works, presenting the three Giants of Spain in their best and most popular works: the colossal piano cycle Iberia by Albeniz, the complete piano music of De Falla and the ever popular Goyescas by Granados. Is it a prejudice to say that Spanish music can only played well by Spanish musicians? Fact is that these recordings by Esteban Sanchez, Cristina Ortiz and Benita Meshulam bring out the uniquely Spanish idiom in these wonderful pieces: the rhythms, the perfumes, the dances, the festivals, the joy and sorrow of the Spanish soul. The Iberia recording of Esteban Sanchez was recently presented in a comparative article in the Gramophone as One of the Best. This superb 6CD set is an exciting overview of some of the greatest piano music to have been composed in Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, from some of the countrys most talented and popular composers Isaac Albéniz (18601909), Manuel de Falla (18761946) and Enrique Granados (18671916). Albéniz was initially influenced by the piano works of Hummel and Liszt (something that can be heard in his Piano Sonata No.5), but quickly established his own original voice, absorbing the music, culture and history of Spain and its regions. Iberia is his masterpiece for piano, a virtuosic and captivating musical evocation of Spains different regions. Manuel de Falla, who is probably the most famous of these three composers, also adopted a style that was unmistakably Spanish, although his time in Paris brought him into contact with Dukas, Debussy, Ravel and Stravinsky all of whom would exert an influence over the young Spaniard. Flamenco dances, Moorish or Arab music, and folk music from all over Spain play significant roles in De Fallas music, which can be heard on the selections featured in this collection. The final disc of the set focuses on Enrique Granadoss landmark Goyescas, inspired by the great Spanish painter Goya, of whom Granados was a great admirer. Evoking scenes from the artists paintings, the two suites of Goyescas, along with Albénizs Iberia, are great masterpieces of the Spanish piano repertoire, a fitting conclusion to this outstanding box set.