Customer Reviews

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

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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.

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.