Search - Isaac Albeniz, Esteban Sanchez :: Albéniz: Iberia; España; Recuerdos de viaje; Sonata No. 5

One of the best CDs of Albéniz's music in a very nice price.

Francisco Yanez Calvino | Santiago de Compostela, GALIZA, Spain. | 10/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This are the very long-waited versions played by Esteban Sánchez for Ensayo label, recorded some decades ago in Catalunya (Spain), and which are, for many people between the best recordings of Albeniz's music available.



What we find here is a very racial spanish play of the Albéniz's scores, probably the most "spanish" performances recorded in the second half of the XXth Century. We can hear a very perfect technical playing with great passion and fire inside, something that is felt from the first chords of Iberia, and that become really "wild" in some passages of the work like that outstanding "El Corpus Christi en Sevilla".



Daniel Barenboim has declared his admiration for this Spanish pianist, for his technical perfection, for his feeling of the works and for the very close relation with the music he played, all this felt like in no other composer in this case (I think Falla is another composer felt very close by Sánchez, as we can listen in his recordings for Ensayo).



Apart from all the very well known pieces like Iberia or the Suite Española, we can listen in this 3CD album the monumental recording of La Vega, one of the Esteban Sánchez most incredible recording and a miracle of identification between composer, music and performer. I piece you should not lose.



The recording is quite good for being a small label in a country without tradition of classical-music recording. You've to remember this is a re-release from Ensayo catalogue, now released by Brilliant in a really wonder budget price; a set with no rival in this low price. The sound is even better than the original Ensayo release and some mistakes like you can listen in the original Ensayo release in the piece Mallorca is here taken out.



A great recording to put together with those from Larrocha (Decca, DDD) and Barenboim (Teldec), my favourite recordings.

"

Packed with brilliant playing

Redgecko | USA | 08/04/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There really isn't much to fault with this wonderful set of pieces. The playing is superb, and with over an average of 73 minutes of music on each CD, a great value. Unfortunately, the hard-to-find Azulejos was not recorded, neither was Cataluna nor Aragon from the Suite Espanola, so you might want to look for them elsewhere.



"

Astonishing Bravura Playing, Great Iberia, Boxy Sound in Pla

Doug - Haydn Fan | California | 03/31/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Esteban Sanchez Herrero, largely forgotten today, was an outstanding Spanish pianist, a winner of many important International Awards, the Ferruccio Busoni, the Alfredo Casella and several others. He was awarded the Dinu Lipatti Medal, and finished his studies under Cortot and Carlo Zecchi. In Spain his recordings of Spanish music, made in the sixties and early seventies, are still revered for their imagination, tremendous bravura, and deep passion.



This three Cd set of Albeniz includes Sanchez's fiery performance of that towering masterpiece, Iberia. Despite less than great sound, this is the real deal, with blazing energy engulfing the music with an intensity no one else approaches. At times the percussive effects overwhelm the recording venue - but such limitations can be forgiven given this sort of pianism.



The other selections on the Cd are of less value as music, but all are played by Sanchez with fervor and an extraordinary authenticity. The notes have opening page and a half eulogy of Sanchez, who died in 1997 after dropping out of the European music scene in the late seventies, but there are also an additional nearly 10 pages of excellent information about each of the musical selections.



With several supremely refined performances of Iberia recently available in contemporary fine sound, this set should be considered as a viable alternative or second version of Albeniz's greatest work."