Although all of these works are brief, Ponce's range was in fact broader than you might expect. The eight mazurkas included here, six of which are in minor keys, are unusually moody and expressive despite the music's humble dance origins. The single-movement Legende, the longest piece on the disc, has plenty of contrast and a wealth of appealing ideas. In the "etude" category, Orsorio offers five: three Estudios de concierto, the second of which ("La vida sonrie") is especially lovely, and two charming etudes dedicated to Artur Rubinstein. It almost goes without saying that Osorio plays all of these pieces masterfully, with virtuosity to spare and a natural expressiveness that never compromises the music's freshness and spontaneity. If I had to choose one highlight, it would probably be the Suite cubana, a marvelous exploration of Latino musical folklore cast as a triptych in the manner of Debussy's Images. But then, there are no dead spots, musically or interpretively, and the engineering offers the last word in sonic realism. In short, this is an absolutely wonderful disc by any measure. [11/11/2005]