Falla: Cuatro piezas españolas (Four Spanish Pieces)

Arrangements by Martin Schwarz

A second anthology, from Praga Digitals, of Manuel de Falla’s masterpieces; in which he 'invented' modern Spanish music and also revived authentic songs, rhythms and dances out of an Andalusia both legendary and still alive. Only the concerto for harpsichord [written with Landowska in mind] in no way recalls Andalusia.

A tribute to such immortal performers as Victoria de los Angeles, Ernest Ansermet, Ataulfo Argenta and Alicia de Larrocha…

Michel Block (1937-2003) gained international attention and fame when, at the 1960 Chopin Competition, jury member Artur Rubinstein, was so outraged by the jury decision that he awarded Michel Block with the special Artur Rubinstein Award on the spot. Two years later Michel Block, a Juilliard laureate, won the prestigious Leventritt Award. He embarked on an international solo career, and played with esteemed orchestras like the New York Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Concertgebouw, Chicago Symphony and London Symphony Orchestra, with conductors Carlo Maria Giulini, Bernard Haitink and Georg Solti. After entering the Music faculty of Bloomington, he ceased his busy concert schedule. His rare public appearances after that were emorable events.

Block had a special affinity for Spanish music: he grew up in Mexico and his famous recording of Albeniz’ Iberia (EMI) counts amongst the best ever. This recital offers gems from the Spanish repertoire all played in Block’s leisurely, seductive, hypnotising style, where piano hammers don’t exist, only beautiful sound…

Recording: 1991, Bloomington Indiana University School of Music

Manuel de Falla (1876–1946), along with Granados and Albéniz, was one of the first Spanish composers in more than 300 years to win international acclaim.

He was probably the most gifted of the three (although Granados tragically died young on the Lusitania in 1916), and his music is firmly rooted in the folk music of Spain. The main influences on his musical personality are Debussy, Ravel and the Russian nationalists, especially Rimsky-Korsakov, and he is one of the most original and distinctive composers of the 20th century. El amor brujo and El sombrero de tres picos are well known as vividly scored orchestral works (both were conceived as ballets), but they also exist as highly effective piano suites, and Alicia de Larrocha was one of the foremost exponents of this repertoire.

Recording made in 1973.

New booklet notes by French piano connoisseur Jean-Charles Hoffélé.

‘What to say of Alicia de Larrocha in music such as this? Only, I think, that one cannot imagine it more idiomatically and imaginatively played … In Spanish music her playing has all the rhythmic verve, and the control, of Rubinstein at his best, and I cannot hear enough of her.’ Gramophone, April 1975