Notes and Editorial Reviews
A well worked programme; not to be overlooked in the welter of releases and re-releases that continue to saturate the market.
As with the Toldra-Casals-Montsalvatge disc from these forces that I recently reviewed, this isn’t new. It was recorded at the end of 1997 and released by Nimbus the following year. Still, it shouldn’t be overlooked in the welter of releases and re-releases that continue to saturate the market.
This time we go one better; there are four composers represented. Turina’s
Serenata was originally written for string quartet between 1933 and 1935, and the string orchestra version followed in 1943. It’s a light, enjoyable work that passes through incidents adeptly, and with
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plenty of powerful dynamics.
Talía from
Las Musas de Andalucía was written in 1942 for quartet once again, but Gerard Claret, taking his cue from the composer, has arranged it for orchestra. It’s a lissom little morsel, two minutes in length, strongly redolent of pizzicato-imitating Iberian guitar. Naturally the opportunity to present
La Oracion del Torero couldn’t and shouldn’t have been spurned. It’s inevitably a work that draws the best from players, either in quartet or chamber orchestra versions. The proud, extrovert writing comes across well here.
Joan Manén was the leading Spanish violinist of his day, one who toured internationally, and made the first ever recording of the Beethoven violin concerto. It’s still not been reissued. But he was also a composer, of operas as well as miniatures, though it’s the latter we hear in this disc. There are seven altogether. They range from a gentle, baroque-tinged
Pensando en los Clasicos to the light, lissom dance of the second miniature. There’s a frolicsome gentility to his
Wateau (oddly spelt with one‘t’), a rococo charm and naughtiness, that suggests an awareness of the painter’s work beyond the merely gestural — if indeed it is the painter he’s invoking. The
Romanza is very warmly done, and strangely suggests an awareness of Mahler. To end things we have a sinewy fugue.
Rodrigo’s brief
Cançoneta is a very early piece but touchingly reminds us that he was still alive at the time of recording. It may seem redundant now to include this two and a half minute piece, but its inclusion at the time was a fine gesture.
Monocromies, composed by Ricard Lamote de Grignon around 1956, and heard in this world premiere recording, is a rather neo-classical piece, with clear, clean textures, a wistful and rather lovely slow movement, and an Iberian dance finale with tautly rhythmic writing. It’s a fresh and appealing, approachable piece, deserving of this fine performance.
It ends a well worked programme. Maybe we should have expected more, because at 56 minutes there was certainly room for it. More Manén, maybe. Some other time?
-- Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International
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Works on This Recording
1.
Serenata for String Quartet, Op. 87 by Joaquin Turina
Conductor:
Gerard Claret
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Andorra National Chamber Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1935; Spain
2.
Las musas de Andalucía, Op. 93: no 3, Talía by Joaquin Turina
Conductor:
Gerard Claret
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Andorra National Chamber Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1942; Spain
Notes: Orchestrated: Gerard Claret
3.
La oración del torero, Op. 34 by Joaquin Turina
Conductor:
Gerard Claret
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Andorra National Chamber Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1925; Spain
4.
Miniatures for String Orchestra by Juan Manén
Conductor:
Gerard Claret
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Andorra National Chamber Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: Spain
5.
Cançoneta for Violin and Strings by Joaquin Rodrigo
Performer:
Gerard Claret (Violin)
Conductor:
Gerard Claret
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Andorra National Chamber Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1923; Spain
6.
Monocromies by Richard L. De Grignon
Conductor:
Gerard Claret
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Andorra National Chamber Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: Spain
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