de Falla: El Amor Brujo / Sombrero de tres picos (Three-Cornered Hat) / Noches en los jardines de España ( Nights in the Gardens of Spain) ~ Giulini

Manuel de Falla (Composer), Carlo Maria Giulini (Conductor), Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos (Conductor), Philharmonia Orchestra of London (Orchestra), Monte Carlo Conservatory Concert Society Orchestra (Orchestra), Victoria de Los Angeles (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Victoria de Los Angeles
• Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra of London, Monte Carlo Conservatory Concert Society Orchestra
• Conductor: Carlo Maria Giulini, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
• Composer: Manuel de Falla
• Audio CD (August 17, 1993)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B000002S4Y
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #298,784 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Spanish critics have long hailed Gonzalo Soriano's two recordings of Nights in the Gardens of Spain--this one from 1962 and an earlier effort with Ataulfo Argenta--as among the finest readings of the score ever committed to disc. It's easy to see why. Soriano brings to bear a conception that is firm, detailed, and energetic and plays the piece with real flair. His partner on the podium, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, only 28 years old when the recording was made, sparks a magnificent account from the Paris Conservatory Orchestra: masculine, evocative, and glowingly ardent despite occasional problems with intonation in the horns and low strings. For this most impressionistic of Falla's scores, it's an ideal sound. The companion pieces, Falla's El Amor Brujo and a suite from The Three-Cornered Hat (not the complete ballet), are masterfully rendered by Carlo Maria Giulini and the Philharmonia Orchestra. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Falla, September 22, 2003

By 

Michael B. Richman (Portland, Maine USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: de Falla: El Amor Brujo / Sombrero de tres picos (Three-Cornered Hat) / Noches en los jardines de España ( Nights in the Gardens of Spain) ~ Giulini (Audio CD)

This CD of the music of the great Spanish composer Manuel de Falla is truly fantastic. This title, one of the few remaining from EMI's early 90s series "Studio Plus," presents Carlo Maria Giulini and the Philharmonia Orchestra's golden-age stereo performances of "El Amor Brujo" (1961 with soprano Victoria de los Angeles!) and a suite from "El Sombrero de Tres Picos" (1957 & 1964). Though the treat here is Gonzalo Soriano's 1962 recording of "Noches en los Jardines de Espana" with Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos and the Orchestre de la Societe des Concerts du Conservatoire. These classic recordings have been or are available in other CD incarnations (the Giulini recordings were on a budget line two-disc EMI Seraphim set, now out-of-print, and the same "Brujo" is on a recent Great Recordings of the Century disc), but this mid-line title is the best way to get both the Giulini accounts and the memorable Soriano/de Burgos "Nights."

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Musically outstanding, but de los Angeles isn't right for El Amor Brujo, July 8, 2006

By 

Santa Fe Listener (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: de Falla: El Amor Brujo / Sombrero de tres picos (Three-Cornered Hat) / Noches en los jardines de España ( Nights in the Gardens of Spain) ~ Giulini (Audio CD)

I agree with all the appreciations given by the Amazon reviewer and those below, and graced by atmospheric recording from EMI's engineers in the early Sixties, one gets a great deal out of all three Falla works, his most popular by far. I don't collect different versions of Nights in the Gardens of Spain, yet Gonzalo Soriano's sounds impressively evocative. Even more impressive is the young Fruhbeck de Burgos's magical orchestral work--forty years on, he's matured into even deeper mastery, as witness his recent guest appearances with the Boston Sym. in everything from Falla and Stravinsky to Verdi and Beethoven.

Giulini's conducting is not especially Spanish in flavor, but he, too, is exceptionally musical. The lack of Spanish fire deprives El Amor Brujo of its raw flamenco power, however, and Victoria de los Angeles, applying a lyric soprano where Falla wanted a mezzo who could make the listener's spine tingle with her passion, is too civilized and polite. At this time in her career (1962) de los Angeles was establishing herself as a pre-eminent singer of Spanish songs, but El Amor Brujo simply wasn't right for her.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great "Three-Cornered Hat" and "Nights in the Gardens of Spain", October 6, 2009

By 

J. Rich - See all my reviews

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This review is from: de Falla: El Amor Brujo / Sombrero de tres picos (Three-Cornered Hat) / Noches en los jardines de España ( Nights in the Gardens of Spain) ~ Giulini (Audio CD)

Let first start by saying I never cared about the vocal part to "El Amor Brujo" no matter who sung the mezzo-soprano part. I think it is seriously out of place and distracts more than it enhances the music, but then again, that's just my own observation. It does have some beautiful parts, which make up for the more vocal-oriented sections.

These are great peformances of "The Three-Corned Hat" and "Nights in the Gardens of Spain." I own many versions of "Nights" and this one of my favorite readings. My favorite reading is the Martha Argerich/Barenboim version on Elatus (Warner Classics). My second favorite version goes to Larrocha/Ansermet. I have not heard Larrocha's other version with Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos, so I can't comment on that version. The pianist here Gonzalo Soriano does a great job though. The accompaniment from Fruhbeck de Burgos is first-rate as is the orchestral playing from the Monte Carlo Conservatory Concert Society Orchestra as are the other peformances with Giulini and the Philharmonia Orchestra of London.

If you love Falla's music, then I would try to acquire this recording before it goes out of print. 4 1/2 stars

Other great Falla recordings:

De Falla: The Three-Cornered Hat, El Amor Brujo / Dutoit, Montreal SO
Manuel de Falla's Spain
Falla: Nights in the Gardens of Spain / The Three Cornered Hat /
Albéniz: Suite Iberia; Falla: Nights in the Gardens of Spain
Falla; Albéniz; Turina: Works for Piano and Orchestra