FALLA El amor brujo.1 The Three-Cornered Hat: Suite No. 2. La vida breve: Interlude and Dance. ALBÉNIZ Iberia: Triana; Fête-Dieu à Seville; Navarra. GRANADOS Goyescas: Intermezzo • Fritz Reiner, cond; Asturias SO; Leontyne Price (sop)1 • RCA 704607 (Hybrid multichannel SACD: 71:05)

Everything here except El amor brujo (recorded in 1963) dates from a single day’s sessions in 1958, and this three-channel SACD still carries the original album title, “Spain!” It’s a true classic, and little needs to be said about this latest incarnation. The colorful scores get incisive, full-bodied playing without stinting on the mystery and quiet menace of much of El amor brujo, which boasts a wonderfully chesty and gutsy sounding Leontyne Price, positioned just slightly offstage, as the score requests.

The difference between this and the previous releases, including the well-mastered 1995 standard CD, is the greater spread and depth of the audio image. After the 1963 opener, the earlier material sounds just a tiny bit more constricted in the upper frequency range and in the size of the soundstage, but it’s still impressive and this wouldn’t be at all noticeable if not heard alongside the later recording. I wouldn’t go buy a multichannel setup just for this, but if you already have one, or if you’ve never managed to pick up an earlier version of this release (it’s compatible with ordinary players too), this is an essential acquisition.

FANFARE: James Reel