Flavours Of Spain

This budget release double cd from DG goes by the somewhat cheesy title of Viva Espana. You won't be surprised to learn that it features music with a Spanish flavour. Not all the composers are native Spaniards, there are works by Russians ( Glinka and Rimsky-Korsakov ) and French ( Chabrier, Bizet, Ravel and Debussy ) as well as Tarrega, Turina, Albeniz, De Falla and Granados representing the home side. The performers are equally numerous, various orchestras are led by such as Ozawa, Mackerras, Maazel, Abbado, Fremaux and Ansermet, while soloists are Narciso Yepes on guitar and pianists Sviatoslav Richter, Dino Ciani and Jean-Marc Luisada. The choices are mainly obvious ( Ravel's Rapsodie Espagnole, Rimsky's Capriccio, Bizet's Carmen Suite ) and familiar from travel shows about holidays in Spain ( the guitar features of Tarrega and Albeniz ). Of more interest are the orchestral suites by De Falla and Albeniz ( The Three Cornered Hat and Suite Iberia ) which are in the vein of the Rimsky piece for instance but maybe more authentic ? The highlights for me are the solo piano pieces of Debussy played by Richter and Ciani ( Le Soiree dans Grenada and two preludes ) and of Granados played by Luisada ( Fandango by Lamplight and Lament of the Girl and the Nightingale ). Some of the recordings are showing their age as far as sound quality is concerned but it is a good sampler if you want a bit of sun and warmth on a cold winter day.