Search - Manuel de Falla, Carlo Maria Giulini, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos :: Falla: El Amor Brujo; Sombrero de tres picos; Noches en los jardines de España

Fantastic Falla

Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 09/22/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD of the music of the great Spanish composer Manuel de Falla is truly fantastic. This title, one of the few remaining from EMI's early 90s series "Studio Plus," presents Carlo Maria Giulini and the Philharmonia Orchestra's golden-age stereo performances of "El Amor Brujo" (1961 with soprano Victoria de los Angeles!) and a suite from "El Sombrero de Tres Picos" (1957 & 1964). Though the treat here is Gonzalo Soriano's 1962 recording of "Noches en los Jardines de Espana" with Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos and the Orchestre de la Societe des Concerts du Conservatoire. These classic recordings have been or are available in other CD incarnations (the Giulini recordings were on a budget line two-disc EMI Seraphim set, now out-of-print, and the same "Brujo" is on a recent Great Recordings of the Century disc), but this mid-line title is the best way to get both the Giulini accounts and the memorable Soriano/de Burgos "Nights.""

Guilini = amazing; but de los Angeles ruined El Amor Brujo

Santa Fe Listener | 06/09/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This particular review refers only to the El amor brujo part of the recording, so if you're not buying the CD for that particular piece, this review may not be relevant. I was considering buying this recording when I was lucky enough to hear the El amor brujo section of it played on the radio. The conducting was miraculous. The only place where I felt the conducting wasn't flawless was at the very end (which seemed a little unconvincing to me), but overall it was extremely beautiful.
I do not plan on buying this cd, however, because the singing from Victoria de los Angeles was absolutely awful. I personally had never heard her sing before, but had always read good things about her. There was no warmth or ring of any kind in her voice. When the piece began on the radio, the singer wasn't announced, and I kept thinking, why would such a wonderful conductor get such an awful singer for this piece, and when I found out that it was her I was shocked (it was announced when the piece ended). I suppose I can say that rhythmically she did do some interesting things, and it did sound like she was involved in the music, but I really couldn't handle her singing.
So, I would give the conducting 5 stars, but about one star for de los Angeles. I'm giving it four stars just so it won't bring the rating down too much, because I'm sure that the other pieces on the disc are likewise very well conducted (and, thankfully, exclude de los Angeles)."

Musically outstanding, but de los Angeles isn't right for El

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 07/09/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I agree with all the appreciations given by the Amazon reviewer and those below, and graced by atmospheric recording from EMI's engineers in the early Sixties, one gets a great deal out of all three Falla works, his most popular by far. I don't collect different versions of Nights in the Gardens of Spain, yet Gonzalo Soriano's sounds impressively evocative. Even more impressive is the young Fruhbeck de Burgos's magical orchestral work--forty years on, he's matured into even deeper mastery, as witness his recent guest appearances with the Boston Sym. in everything from Falla and Stravinsky to Verdi and Beethoven.



Giulini's conducting is not especially Spanish in flavor, but he, too, is exceptionally musical. The lack of Spanish fire deprives El Amor Brujo of its raw flamenco power, however, and Victoria de los Angeles, applying a lyric soprano where Falla wanted a mezzo who could make the listener's spine tingle with her passion, is too civilized and polite. At this time in her career (1962) de los Angeles was establishing herself as a pre-eminent singer of Spanish songs, but El Amor Brujo simply wasn't right for her."