Alicia de Larrocha: Great Pianists 20th Century Vol. 1

Alicia De Larrocha (Artist), Albeniz (Artist), Granados (Artist), Halffter (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 10, 1998)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B00000DI2V
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #176,297 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Piano Sonata In D

2. Piano Sonata In C Sharp Minor

3. Piano Sonata In F

4. Piano Sonata In D

5. Spanish Dance, Op. 37 No. 5 'Andaluza'

6. Goyescas: El fandango de Candil

7. Goyescas: Quejas o la maja y el ruisenor

8. Goyescas: El pelele (Escena goyesca)

9. Iberia: Book I: Evocacion

10. Iberia: Book I: El puerto

See all 14 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Iberia: Book III: El Albaicin

2. Iberia: Book III: El Polo

3. Iberia: Book III: Lavapies

4. Iberia: Book III: Malaga

5. Iberia: Book III: Jerez

6. Iberia: Book III: Eritana

7. Navarra

8. 'Sonatina' (Ballet): Danza de la Pastora

9. Cancons i dansas ( Excerpts ): No. 1

10. Cancons i dansas ( Excerpts ): No. 2

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fiery jewelry by the supreme Hispanic pianist., June 24, 1999

By 

"muservin" (Cleveland, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alicia de Larrocha: Great Pianists 20th Century Vol. 1 (Audio CD)

When we approach the piano-sourced "poems" of Albeniz such as Iberia and Suites Espanolas it is worth remembering that no less a listener than Olivier Messiaen deemed them worthy of a place beside the "Sonatas of Beethoven and the Well Tempered Clavier of Bach." He wrote this in the liner notes of Iberia as played by the estimable pianist Yvonne Loriod (his wife). But it is Alicia de Larrocha, I believe, who best reveals through her potent artistry the stunning sonic depths of the chords, rhythyms and runs, the full tonal tour of that magic country that is the cross-roads of two continents, Europe and Africa. With breathless enchantment throughout works like "Almeria" a different soul shines out than what we're used to in more Northern music, something that would be wrongly called sensual if only that that would be a misunderstanding of the great spirituality that lies deep within these works, a sort of sleeping fire that Ms. de Larrocha ceaselessly coaxes out with her quicksilver technique. All her playing of the Spanish masters, without exception, speaks of this spirit deep within. Peerless performances of this repertoire.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional performances of less than standard repetoire, February 23, 1999

By 

Jeffrey (SOUTH EUCLID, OH, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Alicia de Larrocha: Great Pianists 20th Century Vol. 1 (Audio CD)

With its Great Pianists of the Twentieth Century, Philips has provided the classical piano fan with an embarrassment of riches. For those who are like me and lack the time and budget to splurge for all 100 volumes, a choice has to be made as to how to select which of the hours of music best merits purchase. There are no doubt many possible ways to select choices, but it seems to come down to whether you want to select your discs by a particular artist or select particular repetoire. While this series seems inclined to promote choosing by artist, this approach may provide a listener with multiple renditions of the same Chopin, Rachmaninov, or Brahms. One artist who merits selection by dint of her repetoire and her celebrity is Alicia DeLarrocha. This disc features Spanish classical music exclusively and is a wonder. DeLarrocha's clear articulation, sharp accents, and dry, singing lines lead the listener to approximately 2.5 hours of magic. For those who think Spanish music is solely flamenco strumming, the depth and variety of this disc will be an eye and ear opener. For choosy consumers and epicures alike, this disc is a winner.