Albéniz: Iberia

• Main performer: Marc-André Hamelin
• Booklet languages: English, French
• Time: 125:43
• Release Date: 2005

Review

Marc-André Hamelin takes on the watercolor pictures of Albéniz's Spain on this two-disc set with the expected luminous results. Smaller pieces that are in the same vein complement Albéniz's massive suite Iberia here. The accompanying notes talk about the "reflective" nature of most of Iberia, but while Hamelin does bring out the meditative aspects of the work, he also gives it a sheen of warm sunlight. The opening Evocación is particularly contemplative and evocative of moods in its harmonies and of Spanish dances in its rhythms. Hamelin is so technically at ease with everything he does that music such as this, no matter how complex it is, just washes over the listener in clear, smooth, beautiful waves. La Vega, the only movement completed of Albéniz's suite The Alhambra, is similar to the Evocación. Its livelier moments and the more energetic Iberia movements, such as El Corpus en Sevilla and Eritaña, still carry a sense of affectionate nostalgia and recollection rather than an active depiction of life. Hamelin openly shares Albéniz's personal feelings in this music with the listener, and he is able to do so without being overly sentimental or losing sight of the music's shape. One other work worth mentioning here is Navarra. This was a piece left unfinished at Albéniz's death, but was most likely intended, at some point, as a movement for Iberia. Hamelin performs a fuller realization of the work done by William Bolcom than the more common one done by Albéniz's student Déodat de Séverac. This version holds together extremely well and is a very appropriate fit with the rest of Iberia. ~ Patsy Morita, Rovi

Performances

Composer	Title	Time
Isaac Albéniz	Iberia Suite, for piano, B. 47	82:07
Isaac Albéniz	La Vega, Fantaisie espagnole for piano, B. 46 (for the incomplete suite, "Alhambra") (La vega)	16:05
Isaac Albéniz	Yvonne en visite!, pieces (2) for piano, B. 48	6:30
Isaac Albéniz	España (Souvenirs), pieces (2) for piano, B. 45	12:21
Isaac Albéniz	Navarra, for piano in A flat major, B. 49	8:40

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