With
their special series, such as American Classics, Spanish Classics
and 21st Century Classics, Naxos have made available
at budget price a lot of worthwhile, little-known, often neglected
or simply forgotten music. I have discovered much fine stuff
in the Spanish Classics series, of which the present release
is a recent instalment. It is actually the second Guridi disc
in this series, the first one (8.557110) including the delightful
Ten Basque Melodies and the beautiful Así
cantan los chicos for treble voices and orchestra. The
second volume consists mainly of one major work Sinfonía
pirenaica (“Pyrenean Symphony”) completed in 1945. The
fill-up has been taken from the complete recording of Guridi’s
lyric drama Amaya released a few years ago (Marco
Polo 8.225084/5), that I have not heard so far.
Sinfonía
pirenaica is a substantial and fairly ambitious work in three large-scale movements.
As implied by the title, the piece evokes the Pyrenean mountains,
“the soul of the mountains and the dangers they represent”;
but, let me tell you straightaway, this is no Basque Alpine
Symphony. Neither may it be likened to d’Indy’s
Symphonie Cévenole, although Guridi’s traditional,
colourful music often has a ring of folk music, without quoting
any Basque folk tune (or so I guess). The first movement is
the longest, the weightiest and the most developed of the three,
which does not mean that the other movements are lightweight
or uninteresting; quite the contrary. The second movement, a
rather long Scherzo, alternates dance-like, folk-inflected episodes
and more lyrical ones sometimes redolent of plainchant (a small
chapel or an oratory lost in the mountains?). The third movement,
of heroic character, builds up to a noble and triumphant apotheosis.
Am I alone in hearing faint echoes of Vaughan Williams’ Fifth
Symphony or Coastal Command here? The music’s
evocative strength, as well as Guridi’s orchestral mastery,
is quite clear throughout this often imposing piece. As already
hinted at, Guridi’s idiom is fairly traditional, often folk-inflected,
occasionally spiced by some mild dissonance and – more than
once – colourfully impressionistic. This is essentially fairly
impressive outdoor music. It evokes massive mountainous vistas
and rugged landscapes, the play of light and shadow but with
darker undertones. The music also powerfully conveys a strong
feeling of elation. In this respect, Guridi’s symphony might
well compare, albeit superficially, with Delius’ Song
of the High Hills. In short, a serious,
heartfelt and superbly crafted work that clearly deserves to
be heard.
As
mentioned earlier, the disc is rounded-off with a short excerpt
from Guridi’s lyric drama Amaya of 1920, probably
the closest any Basque composer has ever come to writing a national
opera. The short Sword Dance appropriately evokes Basque folk
music with fife and drum, and has the chorus joining in the
final acclamation.
Very
fine performances, as far as I can judge, that serve the music
well ... and very good recorded sound. Superbly crafted music
not lacking in grandeur, though definitely no earthshaking masterpiece.
Nevertheless well worth hearing. Yes, I enjoyed this release
enormously.
Hubert
Culot
Bilbao Choral Societyb
