Turina, Castelnuovo-Tedesco: Souvenir d'Espagne

Album review

A title like Souvenir d'Espagne is normally associated with Spanish dances, Andalusian modes, and other traits that have come to signify Spanish music, including the guitar. A guitar is present here in one work, the Guitar Quintet, Op. 143, of Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, who was not even Spanish and whose quintet, as the Quatuor Byron notes, includes Jewish, Spanish, Italian, and American influences. The opening Oración del torero ("prayer of the bullfighter") of Joaquín Turina certainly belongs on a Spanish souvenir collection, as does the composer's later and little-known Serenata, Op. 87. The Turina String Quartet, Op. 4 ("De la guitarra"), and the Castelnuovo-Tedesco Guitar Quintet are only slightly Spanish-tinged. They are also both charming works, and the Quatuor Byron catches the delicacy of both. Turina's Quartet is an early work, essentially in the Franck mode but with definite hints of what was to come, including a zortzico dance in the central movement and various effects denoted by its subtitle. Probably the highlight here is Castelnuovo-Tedesco's quintet, which has rarely been played. It is a lovely, fluent work with wonderful guitar writing. The composer called it Schubertian, and it is worthy of the name. Even without the other works, this low-key release would be worth hearing for this work alone. The Oración del torero, probably Turina's most popular work, also receives a strong, rather haunting performance, and the enthusiasm of the Quatuor Byron is evident throughout. An offbeat album from a young quartet to watch.
© James Manheim /TiVo