Mompou: Suburbis

“Vol 1 of Jordi Masó's Mompou cycle was given the warmest of welcomes and Vol 2 is no disappointment, either. Everything is presented with crystalline clarity, and if the manner is unusually robust it's never less than musicianly.
Directions such as énergiquement and très clair (Prélude No 2), the forte climax of Prélude No 6 or the sudden blaze of anger that erupts in Prélude No 7 are arguably more sympathetically conveyed than Mompou's gentler, more characteristic instructions (con lirica espressione in Prélude No 8 or un peu plus calme in the second 'Gitanes' from Suburbis). It's almost as if Masó, a vibrant and articulate pianist, wished to draw attention away from sentimental or salon associations, and direct us towards Mompou's underlying fervour and what Wilfrid Mellors calls (in his invaluable book Le jardinretrouvé) the 'pre-melodic' nature of Mompou's vocal lines (in Cants magics) or the evocation of a remote, prehistoric world. Masó's boldness is potent and arresting and his comprehensive undertaking makes comparison with Hough and Martin Jones a marginal issue.
So although he's less tonally subtle than Jones, his playing is vital and idiomatic, qualities highlighted by the bright, immediate sound.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010