 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
www.jansmusic.co.uk - for musical independence
Click here to review the contents of your basket or check out
JANSMUSIC RECOMMENDED RECORDING
Songs
from Latin America
Marina Tafur (soprano) & Nigel Foster (piano)
LORELT LNT112
Villa Lobos: Modinhas e Cancoes; Guastavino: 3
songs; Sas: 6 Cantos Indios del Peru; Lecuona: 4 songs; Estrada: 2 songs;
Valencia: Tres dias; Ginastera: 5 songs
Since I worked for Lontano for a short while about 3 years ago I was involved in the making of this CD – the recording had already happened but I did all the booklet and typesetting, but oddly enough didn’t hear the actual recording till months after I’d left. It’s an unusual but striking collection of songs, and while the singer, Marina Tafur, isn’t always technically perfect or bang in tune, the performances are atmospheric, sometimes ethereal, sometimes passionate, sometimes humorous.
The Villa Lobos songs are mostly light-hearted and tuneful, and sound like they’re fun to sing, particularly “A Gatinha Parda” which lasts all of 39 seconds, and features a lot of miaowing! The final song "Evocacao" is meditative and beautiful. The Guastavino songs could almost be from a musical – the first “The Rose and the Willow” is gorgeous with some stunning piano playing – and if we look at the notes in fact he did write for theatre and ballet, which I feel comes through strongly.
Modesta Bor is a contemporary Venezuelan composer – her songs are more serious and contemplative, while the six Indian poems set by Andres Sas are in the Quechua language, and are quirky miniatures, in quite a simple musical style. Sas was technically Belgian, and studied there and in Paris, so his style is less obviously South American.
Lecuona is another composer who wrote for musicals and film, in New York. His settings are passionate, almost operatic at times, and definitely theatrical, while having a strong Latin-American flavour, particularly the last “Quiero ser hombre”, which is delightful. Lucas Estrada was born later, in 1938, but dying sadly in 1981, and his works are in quite a different style to their neighbours, two short intense songs, which I don’t think sit well for Marina – these are brief statements on life.
The Valencia song came as a surprise for me – I expected it to be a fun, upbeat piece, with its words about a girl who is staying in bed. Instead it is more serious, quite dramatic, with long lines, rippling piano accompaniment and undulating harmonies. And finally, the Ginastera 5 Argentinian Songs give us quite an accurate picture of the composer and the various influences on his style – reflecting his contemporary position, but also his deep love of the music of his country – and he also write beautifully in “duet” for piano and voice; each songs is a brief statement and each is different, but beautifully simply.| Price £10 + p&p | Buy this CD |
| View terms & conditions | Review basket contents |
