Antón GARCíA ABRIL.
Madre Asturias: A Collection of Asturian Songs.
Joaquín
Pixán, tenor. Rosa Torres-Pardo, piano.
Naxos 8.572073,
53:40.
naxos.com
Review by Steve
Koenig
García Abril's
song collection is largely taken from folksongs from the Asturian region in
the northwest of Spain; some are composed to texts by the Asturian writer José
Léon Delestal. The Spanish-ness of these are not worn on the sleeve;
they are art songs, at least as presented here by tenor Píxan, who, generally,
holds the lyrics close to the vest rather than ringing them out.
You would, however,
immediately identify the songs as being of Spanish musical origin due to the
phrasing, especial of vowels, but also the piano filigree. Some vocal lines
end with the slight quaver of a flamenco influence.
These were originally
scored for orchestra, in which guise, with a different singer, I'd be most curious
to re-experience these. Although the texts are not reproduced "for reasons
of copyright," there are exemplary notes by Ramón Avello, analyzing
both the lyric and, most informatively, the piano parts.
These are not as
easily digestible to a general audience as are Canteloube's songs of the Auvergne,
but should please collectors of songs derived from the land.
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