The ink of my earlier
de Séverac review
(Izumi Tateno – Apex 2564-60625-2) is
hardly dry, when another release comes
my way, with two major works, one of
which was not included on the Apex disc.
This is the marvellous cycle Cerdaña
- one of the peaks of de Séverac’s
output. Though rather bluntly subtitled
Five picturesque studies for piano,
this substantial work plays for a little
over half an hour. It shares many common
characteristics with the slightly earlier
En Languedoc, although
the piano writing is considerably more
subtle and refined. This is particularly
evident in the beautiful Les muletiers
devant le Christ de Llivia (Llivia
being the former capital city of the
French-Spanish region known as Cerdagne
or Cerdaña). The other movements,
miniature tone poems in all but name,
offer plenty of mood contrasts evoking
country life, festivals and other many
happy moments. The music, near-cousin
to that of Debussy, also often calls
Albéniz to mind, through some
Spanish inflections, though these are
never overdone or slavishly imitated.
En Languedoc
also evokes the sunlight and the scents
of Southern France in much the same
way, with many colourful episodes as
well as with a peacefully meditative
section Coin de cimetière,
au printemps.
De Séverac’s
music is clear enough and speaks for
itself, so as not to call for many comments.
It is to be enjoyed for all it is worth;
and, as I wrote in my earlier review,
it is simply to good to be ignored.
Jordi Masó plays
beautifully throughout, with much subtlety
and tonal variety, and is superbly recorded.
I hope that this is the first volume
of a recording of de Séverac’s
complete piano output. If so, the present
release augurs well indeed, and is warmly
recommended.
Hubert Culot
Jordi Masó (piano) 