Enrique Granados - Piano Music, Vol. 4 (Douglas Riva)

Information

Composer: Enrique Granados

• Apariciones. valses románticos
• In the Cuban Style
• Cuentos de las juventud
• Honey from Alcarria: Jota
• Valses poéticos
• Rapsodia Aragonesa
• Escenas infantiles
• Apparition

Douglas Riva, piano

Date: 1999

Label: Naxos

-----------------------------------------------------------

Review

Volume 4 of the continuing Naxos survey of the piano music of Enrique Granados includes three world premiere recordings. The performer is the American pianist Douglas Riva, who now enjoys a considerable reputation for his interpretations of Spanish music and has a particularly strong affinity with the works of Granados. Fine as he undoubtedly is, I doubt that many listeners will be so entranced by these performances as they would by the uniquely individual realizations of Alicia de Larrocha in her classic recordings for RCA Victor and Decca. In addition, most of us will require only the main thread of Granados’ keyboard output: Goyescas and the 12 Spanish dances Op. 37 should suffice. Naxos clearly thinks otherwise, and it’s nevertheless useful to have the complete piano works available at budget price.

Comparing respective accounts of the seven “Poetic Waltzes”, it is de Larrocha who gives the more alluring and idiomatic reading. Natural flow combined with a warmth and affection for the music makes her every rubato and nuance seem completely uncontrived. Riva takes a more robust view of the music, but nowhere does he demonstrate comparable intuitive flair, and numbers three and seven of the waltzes sound mannered. But you’ll be treated to pleasing performances of Apparitions (Romantic Waltzes), and there’s rich humour in Riva’s accounts of the ten Stories of Youth. The Apparitions find their way onto disc for the first time here, as do the five Scenes from Childhood. The other premiere recording is Honey from Alcarria: Jota. Decent enough piano playing, but never in de Larrocha’s league, and a nicely engineered recording.

— Michael Jameson

-----------------------------------------------------------

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.

***

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.

-----------------------------------------------------------