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"Sounds of the Basque Country" Jesús GURIDI (1886-1961) Diez melodías vascas (1941) Miguel A. Gómez Martinez, conductor José María USANDIZAGA (1887-1915) Fantasía para violoncello y orquesta (1908) Asier Polo, cello; Gabriel Chmura conductor Niccolo ARAMBARRI (1902-1960) Ocho Canciones populares vascas para soprano y orquesta (1931) Maria Bayo, soprano; Christian Mandeal, conductor Andres ISASI 1734-1829 Berceuse trágica para violín y orquesta, Op 22, #1 (1914) Jonathan Carney, violin; Enrique García Asensio, conductor Wolfgang Amadeus ESCUDERO (1912- ) El sueño de un Bailaria Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) Alborada del Gracioso (1918) all with the Basque National Symphony Orchestra (Euskadio Orkesta Sinfonikoa) Booklet essay in Basque, Spanish (Castilian), English, German, and French. Recorded in San Sebastian, Spain, between IX 1997 and VI 2001. CLAVES CD 50-2201 [75.56] |
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Contrary to what the title would lead you to expect, this is not ethnic music, but classical orchestra pieces, many of them arrangements of Basque songs. With the conspicuous exception of the Ravel, the music is generally derivative and insipid, at times annoyingly so. There is an occasional nice bit, such as #3, "religiosa" of the Diez melodías (track 3) or #4, Tun kurrum kutun from the Ocho Canciones (track 15) but then you are frustrated at having no information whatever on the music, text, or composers, only pictures of the orchestra, composers and artists, and the reference to the full CDs. However, since these excerpt disks have the very best bits on them, nothing I heard here would lead me to any effort to hear more of the same. Orchestral playing, solo performances (e.g., Asier Polo, cello, track 11), and conducting are thoroughly competent, occasionally brilliant. What information there is focuses on the orchestra itself, mostly self-congratulation, and by the time this is said in five languages (including Basque) there’s no room for anything else.
I’ll pass this one along to our local Basque Cultural Center; I’m sure they’ll love it and I’ll never miss it.
Paul Shoemaker Tim Mahon rather liked this disc
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FREE SOUND SAMPLES (minimum 30 secs) J. GURIDI Ten Basque Melodies Narrativa Amorosa Religiosa Epitalamica De Ronda Amorosa De Ronda Danza Elegiaca Festiva J. USANDIZAGA Fantasy for Cello and Orchestra J. ARAMBARRI Eight Basque Melodies Txalopin txalo Nere maitia Atea tan tan Tun, kurrun, kutun Arranoak bortuetan Ainhoarra nimino Anderegeya Amak ezkondu ninduen A. ISASI Tragic Berceuse F ESCUDERO El sueno de un Bailarin M. RAVEL Alborada del Gracioso You require QuickTime to listed to samples. Get a free QuickTime download here |
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