It is good to have this beautiful music available on
CD. I have loved the Cuatro Madrigales Amatorios for many years
in the version with orchestra as performed by the Louisville Orchestra.
I have the same kind of affection for this music that I have for
Les Nuits d'Été of Berlioz, and that comparison
is apt as to the character of the music, given that the Berlioz
is totally French, and the Rodrigo totally Iberian.
Which is why it saddens me to report that although the music
on this disk is excellent, the performances are not always worthy
of it. Isabel Monar sings with great conviction and intelligence,
but at times finds herself beyond her limit of control of pitch
and timbre. Pianist McClure plays very well in the solo pieces;
but just occasionally when the going gets tough in accompanying
Ms. Monar he betrays the habits of a rehearsal pianist - that
is, he tends to slap at the insecure notes, pound the secure ones
and to accomplish little in phrasing or dynamics. Violinist Voronkova
also plays with passion and intelligence, but, for example, some
of the fierce double-stopping of the third of the Cançons
Valencianes is on the edge of her technique. We sympathise with
these artists in their efforts to play well for us, but their
occasional lack of success distracts us from the music.
The finest performances on the disk, and some of the finest music,
are the atmospheric Canciones Sefardies, numbers 1, 2, 4 and 6
from the Cançons Valencianes and the second and third movements
of the virtuosic Sonata Pimpante. The solo piano music is played
exquisitely. The artists deserve to be remembered for these. Hopefully
this disk will inspire additional recordings of this marvellous
music.
The Columna Música producers continue their curious habit
of presenting original language texts and translations on separate
pages in the booklet. There is almost no information at all on
the music other than a rave review by Xaver Montsalvatge of this
recording. The Álbum de Cecilia, subtitled pieces for little
hands, is also available in a guitar arrangement. The music is
simple, but very worthy of the thoughtful performances it here
receives. The Sephardic Songs are in the Ladino language, a mix
of Spanish and Hebrew. Nani, nani is, not surprisingly, a lullaby.
Paul Shoemaker
Notes in Catalán,
Castellano and English. Texts and English translations (not parallel)
