ALICIA DE LARROCHA - Icon : The Complete EMI Recordings (2010) 8xCD BOX-SET / RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

 
EMI's eight-CD box set of Alicia de Larrocha's early recordings is entirely devoted to the works of Spanish composers, whose music she championed for decades. Most of the tracks were originally recorded on Hispavox in the 1960s, though an additional recording from 1992 helps round out the package, while the final disc offers her 1971 Hunter College recital with soprano Victoria de los Angeles. For the most part, the compilation is a generous survey of piano music by Antonio Soler, Enriqué Granados, Isaac Albéniz, Manuel de Falla, Joaquín Turina, and a piano concerto by Xavier Montsalvatge; the song recital also includes selections by Antonio Literes, Blas de Laserna, and Gerónimo Giménez, so the presentation covers Spanish compositions from the Classical to the modern eras. De Larrocha was greatly admired for her dedication to this repertoire, and her legacy starts with these recordings, which have been remastered to have the best possible sound. The crispness of the reproduction reveals the precision and delicacy of de Larrocha's playing, and the closeness of the recordings in many cases gives her realistic presence. While de Larrocha is perhaps best remembered for the music offered here, her discography on other labels includes her great recordings of works by Haydn, Mozart, Chopin, and Debussy, so this package only gives a partial view of her numerous accomplishments.  by Blair Sanderson  
All Tracks

 

ANTONIO SOLER - Keyboard Sonatas Nos. 1-15

The earliest keyboard sonatas of Antonio Soler closely resemble the single-movement sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti, who was decidedly an influence in the transitional period between the Baroque and Classical eras in Spain. The shared binary form, similar melodic patterns, styles of ornamentation, and common didactic purpose make these pieces difficult to distinguish from Scarlatti's, and the 15 sonatas presented on this Naxos CD by pianist Martina Filjak follow his example to the letter. Filjak's playing is crisp and clean, so all the details of the music come through, and the fine qualities of her playing are clearly heard in Naxos' focused reproduction. Because these are educational pieces, which Soler composed for a Spanish prince to play, they are fairly predictable and concentrated on matters of technique, somewhat more than on imaginative flights of fancy. Even so, Filjak gives them considerable interest and charm, so this album is far from a series of routine exercises. by Blair Sanderson

ANTONIO SOLER [1729-1783]

 Keyboard Sonatas Nos. 1-15 [Martina Filjak]

 NAXOS / 2011 / CBR320 / scan

ANTONIO SOLER - Keyboard Sonatas Nos. 16-27

ANTONIO SOLER [1729-1783]  Keyboard Sonatas Nos. 16-27

 [Vestard Shinkus] NAXOS 2012 / CBR320 / scan

ANTONIO SOLER - Keyboard Sonatas Nos. 28-41

ANTONIO SOLER [1729-1783]

Keyboard Sonatas Nos. 28-41 [Denis Zhdanov]

NAXOS / 2013 / CBR320 / scan

ANTONIO SOLER - Keyboard Sonatas Nos. 42-56

ANTONIO SOLER [1729-1783]

 Keyboard Sonatas Nos. 42-56 [Mateusz Borowiak] 

NAXOS 2014 / CBR320 / scan