Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos - Albéniz: Suite Española (2017) [SACD]

Tuneful, exotically scored (by the conductor Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos), and giving orchestra and recording engineers alike a chance to show their paces, the Suite Española makes highly entertaining listening. We are given here seven pieces from Albeniz's original piano suite plus Cordoba, which is from the same composer's Cantos de Espana. As this has a very fetching tune to end the record graciously, no one is likely to complain. But try the opening Castile for its glittering castanets or the Asturias with its eloquent and sonorous brass chords to offset the flurry of strings. This Hybrid Stereo SACD is pure sonic excellence.

"Albeniz's Suite Espanola has undeservedly stayed under the radar. Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos' orchestral transcriptions of Albeniz's captivating melodies are colorful but always tasteful. The recording should be an important discovery for listeners interested in classical Spanish music. The sound serves the music just about perfectly. This SACD is sonically electrifying." - Arthur Lintgren, The Absolute Sound