Escena andaluza, Op 7 (Turina) - from CDA67889 - Hyperion Records

Reviews

‘There's a gentle melancholy to overtly Spanish pieces such as La oración del torero and a warm, beguiling tunefulness to … the Piano Quartet, Op 67, all seductively played by The Nash Ensemble’ (The Daily Telegraph)

‘This excellent CD of chamber music … the performances throughout by these outstanding musicians, who are clearly wholly committed to Turina's music, are deeply impressive. The recording quality is also first-rate. Hyperion's world-renowed production values are equally consistently admirable and fully maintained here’ (International Record Review)

‘The near-masterpieces here … are the splendid Piano Trio Op 35, the A minor Piano Quartet Op 67, and the Violin Sonata, played with searing tone and rhythmic dash by Marianne Thorsen and Ian Brown, mainstays of the wonderful Nash Ensemble. Lawrence Power's viola and Paul Watkins' cello shine in, respectively, the Escena andaluza and the songful tenor/bass melodies of the trio. It would be hard to imagine more compelling performances’ (The Sunday Times)

‘Played with relish and sensitivity … this is music that paints pictures and is imbued with Spanish sunshine and sensual nocturnes, the listener serenaded with expressive warmth and a wide palette of colour, all lovingly played’ (Time Out)

Escena andaluza, Op 7, for viola and piano quintet, is among the first works Turina wrote in response to the advice he received from Albéniz and Falla. The first movement, Crépuscule du soir (‘Twilight’), evokes the vision of the solo viola as a lone musician playing against the backdrop of twilight in an Andalusian town, represented by the rest of the ensemble. The movement unfolds as a serenade, perhaps to the musician’s beloved. The second movement, titled À la fenêtre (‘At the window’), hints at a dialogue between the lovers, as themes from the first movement are intertwined, unifying the two sections.

Escena andaluza op. 7 pour alto et quintette avec piano compte parmi les premières œuvres composées par Turina en réaction au conseil d’Albéniz et de Falla. Le premier mouvement, Crépuscule du soir, évoque l’image de l’alto, musicien solitaire jouant sur fond de crépuscule dans une ville andalouse incarnée par le reste des instruments. Le mouvement se déploie sous forme de sérénade, peut-être le genre préféré de Turina. Le second mouvement, À la fenêtre, insinue un dialogue entre les amoureux, car les thèmes du premier mouvement viennent s’y mêler, unifiant les deux mouvements.

Escena andaluza op. 7 für Bratsche und Klavierquintett gehört zu den ersten Stücken, die Turina schrieb, nachdem er jenen wertvollen Rat von Albéniz und de Falla erhalten hatte. Der erste Satz, Crépuscule du soir (Abenddämmerung), stellt die Vision von einem Solobratschisten dar, der als einziger Musiker vor dem Hintergrund der Abenddämmerung in einer andalusischen Stadt spielt. Dies wird von dem restlichen Ensemble ebenfalls symbolisiert. Der Satz entwickelt sich als Serenade, die möglicherweise an die Geliebte des Musikers gerichtet ist. Der zweite Satz, À la fenêtre (Am Fenster), deutet einen Dialog zwischen den beiden Liebenden an, wobei Themen aus dem ersten Satz eingeflochten sind und die beiden Sätze so miteinander verbunden werden.

Recording details: December 2010
Henry Wood Hall, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Andrew Keener
Engineered by Simon Eadon
Release date: April 2012
Total duration: 12 minutes 14 seconds

Cover artwork: Clotilde and Elena on the Rocks, Javea (1905) by Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida (1863-1923)
Private Collection / Photo © Christie's Images / Bridgeman Images

Escena andaluza, Op 7

The Nash Ensemble

Reviews

Introduction