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La Melodía Encantada
MoEBius: Mónica Campillo (clarinet), Emilio González Sanz (piano)
Recording information not given
ITINERANT IK002 [68:46]

This album, titled La Melodía Encantada (Enchanted Melody), compiles some of the best known melodies in classical music. The duo MoEBius, with clarinetist Mónica Campillo and pianist Emilio González Sanz, are responsible for the music selection and possibly the arrangements as well. They write in the booklet that this album emerged as a special present for baby Alexander, to whom they wanted to offer a selection of great universal melodies in classical music. I assume MoEBius are a husband-and-wife team and baby Alexander is their child.

The first two-thirds of the programme is made up of very famous melodies that are universally loved. The final third of the programme features Spanish works, a local favour given that MoEBius hail from Spain and they probably want their baby Alexander to be acquainted with Spanish music from an early age. A couple of tracks feature piano only.

The fact that this album is for babies helps explain the artsy and colourful album design. The booklet is in English and Spanish. I find it a little hard to read the purple text over the variegated background – I am confident though most babies have better eyes than my 38-year-old pair.

The playing of Mónica Campillo is decent but not top-notch. She uses a B flat clarinet throughout, and there are a few notes, particularly in the throat register, that sound out-of-tune with the piano. The programme is not taxing to either performers, and Emilio González Sanz is solid throughout.

As an album for babies I think this album hits the mark. Child experts think babies should listen to classical music played by one to two performers, which is the case here. This album is infinitely preferable to the many baby CDs on the market that use synthesized music. I would also recommend this to people who want to listen to famous melodies as light background music.

Wai Kit Leung

Contents
Giulio CACCINI (1551-1618)
Amarilli mia bella [3:21]
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Aria de la Suite en Re major BWV1068 [4:54]
Gabriel FAURÉ (1845-1924)
Après un Rêve [2:52]
Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Ständchen [4:13]
Camille SAINT-SÄENS (1835-1921)
El Cisne [2:41]
Giacomo PUCCINI (1858-1924)
Coro a bocca chiusa de Madame Butterfly [2:54]
Léo DELIBES (1836-1891)
Dúo de las flores de Lakmé [3:31]
Fritz KREISLER (1875-1962)
Liebesleid [3:33]
Sergei RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943)
Melodía del Adagio del 2º Concierto para piano [3:44]
Jules MASSENET (1842-1912)
Meditación de Thais [5:18]
Pietro MASCAGNI (1863-1945)
Intermezzo de Cavalleria rusticana [3:31]
Reynaldo HANH (1874-1947)
L'heure exquise [2:45]
Enrique GRANADOS (1867-1916)
Danza nº 2, Oriental [4:41]
Intermezzo'de Goyescas [5:16]
Danza nº5, Andaluza [4:10]
Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937)
Pièce en forme de Havanera [3:11]
Issac ALBÉNIZ (1860-1909)
Tango [2:56]
Juan Antonio SIMARRO (1973-)
Nocturno [5:22]