Lecuona: Complete Piano Music, Vol. 4

Thomas Tirino | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Performers: Ernesto Lecuona, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Silesian Philharmonic Choir, Michael Bartos, Alexandra Montano, Elizabeth Henreckson Farnum, Kate Geissinger
• Composers: Ernesto Lecuona
• Conductors: Michael Bartos
• Original Release Date: February 15, 1999
• Label: BIS
• Copyright: 1997 BIS
• Total Length: 1:04:16
• Genres: Classical/Chamber Music, Classical/Historical Periods/Classical (c.1770-1830)
• ASIN: B000QQT57M
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars PERFECTION: PIANO PLAYING DOESEN"T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS, April 23, 2001

By 

Pianomaven (Bloomington, Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ernesto Lecuona: The Complete Piano Music, Volume 4 (Audio CD)

I own the entire Tirino/Lecuona series on the BIS label and I am a teacher at a major musical institution. I have heard a lot of piano playing in my life, including much Latin American piano music, which I have a special affinity for. Simply stated: Tirino plays this music like a God. Pianism of this high a calibre dosen't get any better. Period. Of all the discs in this series, this one is my favorite,(along with Volume 3). The rumba sizzles, and Tirino infuses it with breadth, stylistic colors and rhythm with real panache. And he wrote the Spanish lyric himself! Amazing. Tirino's technical skills are monumental, BIG, Lisztian in ability, certainly far above "Clementi" or "Scarlatti", good heavens. His playing is perfect for Lecuona-in fact-for ANYTHING. Beyond staggering technique he has a singing quality and subtelty of nuance and phrasing rarely heard nowadays-flexibility of sound with thousands of variations in phrasing, tone, dynamic, and pedal subtelties that make his musicianship stand FAR above many others. His tone is rich, full, NEVER BANGING (enough already, please!), aristocratic-never vulgar. Anyone who really knows good piano playing will hear it. Tirino's playing is very warm. The Danzas Cubanas (especially Lola esta de Fiesta) are magical. Put on Lecuona's recordings and compare them side by side to Tirino's. AMAZINGLY IDENTICAL! Fact: Tirino has been recognized as the Lecuona authority in the world for a reason-TIME magazine, The New York Times, and Stereo Review can't be wrong. Neither is the Lecuona family, who have endorsed his recordings, interpretations and work. There might not even be a discussion about Lecuona these days, had it not been for the work of Tirino.

In summary-Tirino is a GREAT artist and one would be hard pressed to imagine anyone else coming along and improving on his recordings. Comments made to the contrary can be dismissed as silly, uninformed vulgarity. If you want to hear great Lecuona, and great Piano playing by a tremendous artist, this disc and others in this series are for you. If not, it might be advisable to learn music, and re-wire your brain to try and listen differently.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Phenomenal Lecuona from begining to end, March 29, 2001

By 

"keyboardlover" (Miami, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ernesto Lecuona: The Complete Piano Music, Volume 4 (Audio CD)

The playing on this disc is tremendous. From begining to end, I was in awe of Tirino. Not only a big technique: beautiful sound, long depth of phrasing, full spectrum of interpretation. And authentically Cuban to a fault. His liner notes are extremely imformative and show his monumental research as well about this music. The Rumba Rhapsody with an original Spanish lyric by Tirino is amazing: it is SO Cuban and stylistic correct! What a find. I'm buying the rest of the discs in this series.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CONTINUING THE DEFINITIVE LECUONA SERIES, September 13, 2004

By 

D Rodriguez - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ernesto Lecuona: The Complete Piano Music, Volume 4 (Audio CD)

In Each volume, Tirino's playing is Herculean. He understands all the forms-and then plays them flawlessly with total feel, command, poise, and technical panache this music requires. The rumba will have you begging for more! I don't think anyone could ever surpass the perfection Tirino brings to his Lecuona disks. Gold standard.