Enrique Granados - Piano Music, Vol. 3 (Douglas Riva)

Information

Composer: Enrique Granados

• Preludio in D Major
• Danza lenta
• Escenas románticas
• Barcarola
• Capricho español
• Libro de horas
• Paisaje
• Allegro appassionato
• Allegro de concierto

Douglas Riva, piano

Date: 2000

Label: Naxos

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Review

Douglas Riva and the grande dame of Spanish piano music, Alicia de Larrocha are working together on a Granados edition, to be published in 2001 by Editorial Boileau, S.A. Riva's reading of Granados, while not carrying an ultimate sense of authority, nevertheless captures much of the flavour of this music. Thus the glittery Preludio which opens the disc (an unpublished piece which here receives its first recording) admirably introduces the Hispanic musical language.

Riva seems happier in the more delicate pieces: he brings out the gentle Spanish flavour of Capricho español well and is appropriately restrained in Paisaje (c1912). Elsewhere he can tend towards the pedestrian (as in the Danza lenta, where the harmonies possess more in-built tension than Riva is willing to acknowledge) or the superficial (the dark colours of Libro de horas could certainly be bleaker).

The sparkling Allegro de concierto is occasionally sloppy and he misses the sweep of some of the melodies. Riva ultimately needs to add an extra sprinkling of throwaway virtuosity here.

A mixed disc. Some beautifully spun sonorities vie with missed opportunities. The recording is adequate.

— Colin Clarke

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Enrique Granados (27 July 1867 – 24 March 1916) was a Spanish composer and pianist from Catalonia. A student of Felipe Pedrell, he rose to prominence with his Danzas españolas and soon established himself as one of Spain's foremost pianists. In addition to his celebrated piano works, Granados also composed several operas and founded a piano academy in Barcelona. Deeply influenced by 18th-century and Spanish artistic traditions, he created the renowned Goyescas, inspired by the paintings of Francisco Goya. Granados's life ended tragically when the Sussex was torpedoed during his return voyage from New York.

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Douglas Riva is an American classical pianist renowned for his expertise in Spanish music, particularly of Enrique Granados. He began studying piano and flute at nine and started his professional career as principal flautist with the El Paso Symphony at sixteen before focusing solely on piano. Trained at Juilliard and NYU under Adele Marcus and Eugene List, he later studied in Barcelona at the Academia Marshall. Riva has performed internationally, including at the White House and Carnegie Hall. As a scholar, Riva is the Assistant Director of the 18-volume critical edition of the Complete Works for Piano of Granados.

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