Albeniz-Iberia-My Favorite Recordings

[stenka razin]

Albeniz' beautiful Iberia was originally conceived as a piano suite. In this form is a very difficult work to perform. But, when done properly, it is music of great beauty and excitement.
Enrique Fernadez Arbos orchestrated some of the movements and in that form Iberia has survived on CD's and in the concert hall. Carlos Surinach trnascribed the remaing sections that Arbos did not orchestrate and when you combine his contributions with Arbos, you have a complete Iberia.

Piano:

1-de Larrocha-Decca-(2CDs)-****1973-Reissued 1996-Complete
2-de Larrocha-EMI-(2CDs)-****-1962-Reissued 2006-Complete
Idiomatic de Larrocha literally owns Iberia. Either the older version or the newer version will do quite nicely. I saw her perform this work and she is peerless in this repertoire.

Orchestra:

1-Lopez-Cobos-Telarc-(2CDs)-***1/2-Complete-1998
Cincinnati Symphony
2-Dorati-Mercury-(1CD)-***1/2-Suite-1957-Reissued-1997
Minneapolis Symphony(Minnesota Orchestra)

Your comments and recommendations please.

P.S. Though now 85, de Larrocha is off to Florida, for concerts in Naples and West Palm Beach, and she has 43 concerts or recitals scheduled between mid-December and next May. Please try to see her. She is one of the last legends still performing.

[val]

I also love Larrocha's recordings, in special the EMI version of 1962, more dynamic and articulated than the 1973 version.

I had the LP with the old version of Leopoldo Querol. The technique of the pianist cannot be compared with Larrocha but he had some very poetic moments.

[stenka razin]

I also love Larrocha's recordings, in special the EMI version of 1962, more dynamic and articulated than the 1973 version.

I had the LP with the old version of Leopoldo Querol. The technique of the pianist cannot be compared with Larrocha but he had some very poetic moments.

Qerol-(1899-1985) was a fine Spanish pianist, whose good Telefunken LP recording of Iberia was once in my possession many years ago. Thank you for reminding me.

When I saw your post, I was reminded of the following pianist:

Esteban Sánchez Herrero (1934–1997) was a Spanish pianist. Born in the town of Orellana la Vieja in Badajoz in the province of Extremadura, Sánchez studied with his grandfather, Joaquin Sánchez Ruiz, choirmaster in the cathedral. He went to the Real Conservatorio (Royal Conservatory) in Madrid and studied piano with Julia Parody. He perfected his technique under Carlo Zecchi in Rome and Alfred Cortot in Paris. Sánchez won numerous major international awards but chose to return home in 1978 to teach at the Badajoz Conservatoire.

Sanchez' recording of the complete Iberia is available on 3 CDs on the Brilliant label. Maybe some other Albeniz devotee can tell us about his performance.

[hassid]

I've Sanchez's version. Is very good, but Alicia "owns" this piece. Not only for her complete technical comand, but her total identification with the esscence
and soul of Albeniz's in particular,and spaniard music in general.
There are other versions I didn't listened to (Ciccolini, Hamelin) and some local spaniard pianist that I lnow exist. There are a rare and very good recording of almost all Albeniz's piano, including the suite, by the greek Rena Kyriakou. Look for her if you find it.

[AntonioA]

I have the Leopoldo Querol recording on a Ducretet Thomson Lp and the first Larrocha on a US Columbia Lp. Both recordings are great. I will try the 1962
Larrocha when I find it on Lp. I guess it´s the one that was availible on MHS,
Epic and Hispavox.

[Lance]

There are many superb recordings, both for piano and orchestra. These are the versions I have, with the CD listing first.

• Archipel 0103, Claudio Arrau, piano [Books I & II only]
• Dante 079, Claudio Arrau, piano [Books I & II only, same as Archipel]
• Gruppo Bramant 9015, Claudio Arrau, piano (selections)
• Hyperion 67476-7, Hamelin, piano
• Mercury 434.388, Dorati/Minneapolis Symphony (Arr. Arbos: Suite)
• Naxos 8.553023, Golovschin/Moscow Symphony (transcribed by Peter Breiner)
• Naxos 8.557064, Trio Campanella (arranged for three guitars!)
• CBS/Sony 71001, de Larrocha, piano (probably Hispavox recording)
• British Decca 448.191, de Larrocha, piano
• EMI 51814, Leopoldo Querol, piano
• EMI 64504, de Larrocha, piano
• Erato 88255 or 45266, Barenboim conducting orchestra.

The following is a list of LP recordings of Iberia (Albeniz) or excerpts thereof.

• London LL-1033, Dario Raucea, piano (El Albaicin only)
• Seraphim S-60021, Rodzinski/Royal Philharmonic (Arr. Arbos, El Corpus en Sevilla only)
• RCA LSC-2230 (also on CD 62586), Reiner/Chicago Symphony (Fete-Dieu a Seville and Triana only)
• Nonesuch H-71189, Munch/French National Radio Orchestra (Arr. Arbos, complete suite)
• Capitol G-7129, Eugene Goossens/Philharmonia Orchestra (Arr. Arbos, complete suite)
• EMI 1435551 (also on CDs), Artur Rubinstein, piano (Evocation only)
• KBI 4-AO68-S or Odeon QALP-10363 (also on various CDs), Artur Rubinstein, piano (Triana only)
• RCA CSC-318, Earl Wild, piano (Triana only)
• EMI 1435551 (also on CDs), Artur Rubinstein, piano (Triana only)
• Vox Box 5403, Rena Kyriakou, piano (complete) [wonderful pianist, deserves to be reissued on CD!]
• Seraphim SIB-6091, Aldo Ciccolini, piano (complete)
• Odyssey Y-35229, Claudio Arrau, piano (complete)
• Westminster XWN-2217, José Echaniz, piano (complete)
• Musical Heritage Society 1307-1308, de Larrocha, piano (probably Hispavox recordings) (complete).

Indeed, there's enough IBERIA, or excerpts thereof, for everybody's tastes![/color]

[hassid]

I've one more,extremely rare, on LP VOX dated 1954,by José Falgarona (??). Not very good version, but I couldn't find any references about this guy. Camon,Lance, you have all the records of the world, so you must know something (but don't say nothing, you just keep rollin' along)

[piston]

Also
Claude Helffer, piano
Suite pour piano "Iberia" (complete)
Musidisc 16017 (2 LPs)

[Heck148]

Your comments and recommendations please.

for the orchestral versions -

Reiner/CSO, Triana, and Fete -dieu a Seville , Navarra, on the splendid Spanish Disc that was recorded in 1958 and 1963...
this also features a wonderful collection of Falla works - including El Amor Brujo and Dances from 3 Cornered Hat, plus Granados.....
great playing, a great disc. one of Reiner/CSO's best.

[Lance]

I've one more,extremely rare, on LP VOX dated 1954,by José Falgarona (??). Not very good version, but I couldn't find any references about this guy. Camon,Lance, you have all the records of the world, so you must know something (but don't say nothing, you just keep rollin' along)

Nah, Hassid, I don't have ALL the records in the world ... there simply wouldn't be enough to time hear them all. I started collecting around 1958-1959 and did not have the knowledge or wherewithall at that time to know about differences between performing artists. I was, after all, just a young lad with big dreams about life but LOVED music above all else, studied the piano, trumpet, and voice.

I certainly know the name of José Falgarona, but I don't have his Vox disc of the Albeniz. (You are the lucky one in this case.) Vox had very many fine and exceptional artists at their disposal in those early years (they were known not to pay them very much, too!), including Alfred Brendel (who also recorded for SPA Records), and Rena Kyriakou, from Crete, who was, herself, an absolutely incredibly gifted pianist (viz.: her complete Mendelssohn recordings on Vox). Balint Vaszoni, Guiomar Novaes, Felicja Blumenthal, Mary Louise Boehme, Grant Johannesen, Ozan Marsh, Eugene List, Michael Ponti, Maria Tipo, Lili Kraus, Louis Kentner, Rudolf Firkusny, Marylene Dosse, Abbey Simon, Gyorgy Sandor, Alan Mandel, Gabriel Tacchino, Jerome Rose, Peter Frankl, Ivan Moravec, Martin Galling, Shura Cherkassky, Walter Klien, Friedrich Wührer (who made a glorious recording of Schubert's complete sonatas in mono, a wonderful set of discs!), Mieczyslaw Horszowski, and too many others to name, were all a part of the incredible Vox piano catalogue thanks to George Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, founder of Vox. Many of these artists went on to glorious careers, most often with other higher-priced and prestigious labels. [Looking back to those days, the Vox catalogue was more prestigious in artists, as we all realize today.]

Falgarona apparently didn't make the big time outside of his native Spain. So, you already know more about Falgarona than yours truly. But isn't it great fun to talk about these old recordings and performing artists!

Now, if you can determine Falgarona's birth- and (possible) death date, (complete as possible), I'll enter him into my roster of artists.

[AntonioA]

A pity that Rubinstein never made a complete recording of Iberia.

[Lance]

A pity that Rubinstein never made a complete recording of Iberia.

I'll completely go along with you on that, Antonio! What a magnificent pianist. As I sit here I can look at a photo I had taken with him many years ago. A great pianist AND a great gentleman was Mr. Rubinstein. He's sorely missed among the piano-loving public today (as is Mr. Horowitz).

[niper]

Your comments and recommendations please.

for the orchestral versions -

Reiner/CSO, Triana, and Fete -dieu a Seville , Navarra, on the splendid Spanish Disc that was recorded in 1958 and 1963...
this also features a wonderful collection of Falla works - including El Amor Brujo and Dances from 3 Cornered Hat, plus Granados.....
great playing, a great disc. one of Reiner/CSO's best.

El Amor Brujo with Leontyne Price is fantastic performance(what a voice)!. Buy this one and you make your heart sing,want regret!

[val]

stenka razin


Esteban Sánchez Herrero (1934–1997) was a Spanish pianist. Born in the town of Orellana la Vieja in Badajoz in the province of Extremadura, Sánchez studied with his grandfather, Joaquin Sánchez Ruiz, choirmaster in the cathedral. He went to the Real Conservatorio (Royal Conservatory) in Madrid and studied piano with Julia Parody. He perfected his technique under Carlo Zecchi in Rome and Alfred Cortot in Paris. Sánchez won numerous major international awards but chose to return home in 1978 to teach at the Badajoz Conservatoire.

I heard Sanchez in some of Albeniz works, but not in Iberia.
To me, however, his great recording was dedicated to Fauré, with the Nocturnes 1 and 6, three Impromptus and the Barcarolles 1 and 3. With Perlemuter and Heidsiek he is one of my preferred interpreters of Fauré's piano music.

[Heck148]

El Amor Brujo with Leontyne Price is fantastic performance(what a voice)!. Buy this one and you make your heart sing,want regret!

yup, great recording - Stokowski/Phila with Shirley Verrett is really great also. brilliant, flamboyant...Reiner's is darker, more sinister....both are wonderful performances, and it shows how great music can thrive under great musicians using different approaches.

[hassid]

About the Amor Brujo and the Sombrero de Tres picos suites, I'll stay with old Ansermet. I love him!

[AntonioA]

About the Amor Brujo and the Sombrero de Tres picos suites, I'll stay with old Ansermet. I love him!

Ansermet conducted the first perfomance of El Sombrero and his both recordings for Decca are complete, not just the suites. His Amor Brujo is very good too, but my favorite is the first Stokowski recording with Nan Merriman.
There are a couple of recordings of the 1915 version of el Amor Brujo too.

Ansermet recorded some of the orchestral arangements of Iberia by the way. Spanish film director Carlos Saura recently made a music film called Iberia, a homage to Albeniz by the geatest flamenco artists of todat. I have only seen a few clips

Lance, so you knew Mr.Rubinstein? I like the way he played Nights in the Gardens of Spain (especially the first recording with Golschmann) better than any Spanish pianist, even if Larrochas first Hispavox recording is very special too.

[Heck148]

About the Amor Brujo and the Sombrero de Tres picos suites, I'll stay with old Ansermet. I love him!
his Amor Brujo is very good too, but my favorite is the first Stokowski recording with Nan Merriman.

is that the BBC one?? I didn't think that one measured up to his Philadelphia version at all.

[AntonioA]

I´m talking about the RCA recording from the 40:s with Hollywood Bowl. A CD edition is probably still availible on the Dutton label.