Lecuona: Malagueña

Led by Australian harpist Alice Giles, these seven female harpists make a truly astonishing sight, and make a truly astonishing sound. Their repertoire is varied, ranging from old chestnuts like Bach’s Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring to potential classics like Salzedo’s remarkable Bolmimerie, the first work written for seven harps and here receiving its first recording. SHE has commissioned several Australian composers to write new works, and these are included on this CD.

It is interesting that of the nine composers featured in this recital four had no Spanish roots. The “exotic” nature of Spanish music - especially that of Andalusia in the south with its Moorish history and Gypsy culture - has irresistibly drawn non-Spanish composers.

It is an intriguing fact that the musical phrase that has surely been heard most often in history is taken from Tárrega’s charming Gran Vals, dating from around 1902. It was chosen by Nokia in 1993 to be the ring tone on its mobile telephones, and as such it has been heard billions of times. The phrase occurs 14 seconds into this recording, which is of a lightly elaborated four-hand arrangement made specially to provide the present recital with a whimsical encore – and again is the first recording in this form.

This disc, like the majority of recordings from Goldstone & Clemmow features numerous pieces which are new to the repertoire.

With CDs around forty in number and a busy concert schedule stretching back more than a quarter of a century, the British piano duo Goldstone and Clemmow is firmly established as a leading force. Described by Gramophone as ‘a dazzling husband and wife team’, by International Record Review as ‘a British institution in the best sense of the word’, and by The Herald, Glasgow, as ‘the UK’s pre-eminent two-piano team’, internationally known artists Anthony Goldstone and Caroline Clemmow formed their duo in 1984 and married in 1989. Their extremely diverse activities in two-piano and piano-duet recitals and double concertos, taking in major festivals, have sent them all over the British Isles as well as to Europe, the Middle East and several times to the U.S.A., where they have received standing ovations and such press accolades as ‘revelations such as this are rare in the concert hall these days’ (Charleston Post and Courier). In their refreshingly presented concerts they mix famous masterpieces and fascinating rarities, which they frequently unearth themselves, into absorbing and hugely entertaining programmes; their numerous BBC broadcasts have often included first hearings of unjustly neglected works, and their equally enterprising and acclaimed commercial recordings include many world premières.

To celebrate Placido Domingo's 70th birthday, Sony Classical release this budget priced x12 CD boxset. Each disc is packaged in vinyl replica sleeve, with original album artwork & comes in a sturdy outer box. The x12 disc set covers recital & duet recordings from 1969-1989, including some of his finest works.