Search - Manuel de Falla, Maximiano Valdes, Alicia Nafe :: Falla: La vida breve

Well worth it

S Duncan | London | 07/21/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording has many merits for its more-than-reasonable price. This is a digital studio recording and the sound is therefore suitably clear, if not as loud as some other discs (which is usually the case with this wonderful label). Nonetheless, the balancing is good. The sung-text provided is in Spanish with (unfortunately for non-Spanish speakers) no translation. There is an excellent synopsis, however. These matters aside, one cannot complain about Naxos overall. After all, thanks to them a lot more good music has become accessible due to their budget prices.



The composition itself is a great 'little number'. Yes, the comparisons with Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana" are apposite, to an extent. This is another example of a woman who was used and cast aside for another because she wasn't deemed 'good enough'. Salud, being born a gypsy, laments how hard it is to have been born an anvil instead of a hammer. It is Salud and not Paco who dies in this opera, however. The composition is not Italianate....it is VERY Spanish, replete with an authentic-sounding Flamenco singer and Spanish Guitar (well-played by Antonio Reyes). The music also bears the Spanish mark with characteristic triads used to ornament some notes, sung with an effective 'slide' by Ana Maria Sanchez. With the culmination of Salud's death, a good metaphor would be that of viewing a series of beautiful water-colour paintings in pastel shades...then the final painting is abruptly interrupted by spilt water with red paint slowly diffusing through it.



Maximiano Valdes' conducting is superb...perfect! The use of bells and xylophone (or glockenspiel?) evokes the image of a distant forge, and whether it be the pizzicato or tremolo of the strings, the orchestral forces are smoothly harmonised. A distinctly secure and familiar feeling emanates from his conducting. The voices are also well placed. More compliments to the Prince of Asturias Foundation Choir and Director Jose Esteban Garcia Miranda. The men's voices are accurately pitched and so well harmonised that the music takes on a dream-like character. The females are equally effective and the Intermedio sees the perfect match of orchestra and choir with awesome crescendos.



As far as the singing otherwise goes, Manuel Cid is not what he once was and sounds unsteady as La Voz de la Fragua (Voice from the Forge), particularly while holding a note. Alicia Nafe, who has also sung Salud, underwent a dramatic transformation in her portrayal of La Abuela (Salud's grandmother). The voice is somewhat 'fruity' in the upper register but viscerally exciting in the lower, for which she produces fiery chest vocalisations. Very effective and one of the contributions on this disc that I always look forward to. Her final line "!Ah, Infame! !Falso! !Judas!" will convey the sort of violence you wont quickly forget!



Paco is sung by Vincente Ombuena Valls with a secure vocal line. No 'barking' is used to emphasize his heartless lust and infidelity, which is welcome. He was nonetheless suitably desperate ("?Yo?") then accusatory ("!Mientes! !Echadla!") when caught-out in the final scene. El Tio Sarvaor (Salud's Uncle) is dark and virile. He is angered by Paco's two-timing and you can hear it. El Cantador (the Singer) is yet another star in this shining cast. As mentioned before, his voice and singing were authentic, even with an effective 'grate' at one point (not of any irritable variety). Manuel (Enrique Baquerizo) also does well with his very small role, though Maria Jose Suarez is less satisfactory in here even smaller role as Carmela (Paco's betrothed).



At first, I would have been more demanding of Ana Maria Sanchez for some unsteadiness in the lower tessitura but she deserves credit for her smooth execution of those very 'Latin' triads and her beautiful upper range. She does float and combines pure tone with her wonderful vibrato to very good effect. It is only unfortunate that this sometimes descends into a wobble in the mid-lower range.



A bargain and an achievement."