Joaquín Turina - Songs (Carolina Ullrich; Debora Halasz)

Information

Composer: Joaquín Turina

• Homenaje a Lope de Vega, Op. 90
• Poema en forma de canciones, Op. 19
• 2 canciones, Op. 38
• 3 Poemas, Op. 81
• 3 Sonetos, Op. 54
• 3 Arias, Op. 26
• Vocalizaciones, Op. 74
• Ave Maria, Op. 95
• Triptico, Op. 45

Carolina Ullrich, soprano

Debora Halasz, piano

Date: 2011

Label: Naxos

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Review

Albeniz, Granados, de Falla and Joaquín Turina belonged among the most important and influential of Spanish composers during the first half of the 20th century. Turina, he youngest of the four, produced works in most genres: orchestral, chamber, piano, guitar, a couple of operas and quite a number of songs. Like de Falla he went to Paris in the early 20th century and was influenced by Debussy and Ravel. On returning to Spain he searched for his inspiration amid traditional Andalusian music.

The songs on this disc span a period of more than ten years, from Poema en forma de canciones and Tres arias, both appearing in 1923, to Homenaje a Lope de Vega, arguably his best known work, which was composed in 1935.

He changes little during this period – and why should he? He was past forty in 1923 and had found his expressive means, so all of these songs were written by a mature composer at the height of his powers. Generally speaking he strikes a perfect balance between the vocal part and the piano line, which rather than being mere accompaniment is often independent. He excels in preludes and interludes that are real challenges for a great pianist. Listen to the colourful and expressive piano part in Dos canciones, Op. 38 (tr. 9-10). This is inspired and inspirational music and Débora Halász makes the most of it.

The singer, Carolina Ullrich, is also an inspired choice for this recital. Born in Chile she is now a permanent member of the Semper Opera in Dresden, where she this season sings roles like Gretel and Zerlina. She has a bright lyrical voice, slightly edgy at times but also with warm tone. She is a lively and expressive singer. I can imagine her being a superb Zerlina.

Looking more specifically at the songs themselves, the opening Homenaje a Lope de Vega were certainly inspired by the poems of one of the truly great Spanish literary figures. The little trilogy must be counted among his best works. The much earlier Poema en forma de canciones is just as satisfying and the last of the five songs, Las locas por amor, struck me as especially successful. That’s one of the songs I have marked with red in my notes as an aide-memoire for returning to it – why not in order to introduce someone to the world of Turina.

The last of the Tres poemas, Op. 81, Besa el aura is another potential hit. I can’t withstand the temptation to quote the sensual poem:

The gentle breeze, softly murmuring, kisses

the placid waves, sending playful ripples across them;

the sun kisses the cloud in the west

and tinges it with purple and gold;

The flame slides around the burning log

to kiss another flame,

and even the willow, bending beneath its own weight,

to the river that kisses it, gives a kiss in return.

No wonder Turina penned one of his loveliest melodies to these words!

The Tres sonetos, Op. 54 are also inspired. Who can sit still while listening to the dancing ¡Vade retro!? Wow! But the whole group is really good. The Tres arias, Op. 26 are, naturally enough, on a somewhat grander scale and once again Turina creates melodies that stick. Vocalizaciones consists of some delicious miniatures, displaying differents aspects of the abilities of the human voice when there is no need to articulate words. The last of them is a coloratura show-piece. Technical accomplishment as well as wide vocal range are also requirements for the concluding Triptico but the most enduring song is the soft, transparent Ave Maria (tr. 20). It is like a feather – from God? – on which the singer breathes gently. It responds by creating a kaleidoscope of pastel visions. A whispered breeze directly from the Virgin Mary’s lips reaches the listener. Gems need not sparkle but a gem it is, this unpretentious Ave Maria. I envy all of you who have not yet experienced its enchantment. Those of you who are already under the Turina spell won’t need any further sales promotion tricks from me to invest in this super budget issue.

— Göran Forsling

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Joaquín Turina (9 December 1882 – 14 January 1949) was a Spanish composer. He pursued his early studies in Seville and Madrid before relocating to Paris in 1905, where he trained under Moritz Moszkowski and Vincent d'Indy. Influenced by Isaac Albéniz, Turina developed a distinctly Spanish idiom that combined Andalusian folk traditions with French impressionism. His music frequently pays homage to his native Seville, like in Sinfonía sevillana and Canto a Sevilla. Known for orchestral pieces such as Danzas fantásticas and La oración del torero, Turina also composed operas, songs, piano miniatures and chamber music.

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Carolina Ullrich (born 1982 in Temuco, Chile) is a Chilean soprano. A graduate of the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts, she has won major competitions including a 2nd prize at the 2006 ARD International Music Competition. Ullrich has appeared at leading venues such as the Bavarian State Opera, the Berlin Philharmonic and the Lucerne Festival, with performances across Europe, Asia and Chile. From 2010 to 2018, she was a soloist at the Semperoper Dresden, performing a widely varied repertoire. Her conducting partners include such figures as Simon Rattle, Helmuth Rilling and Christian Thielemann.

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Débora Halász is a Brazilian pianist and harpsichordist. She trained at the Magdalena Tagliaferro Academy and later with Beatriz Balzi and Myrian Dauelsberg, completing additional studies in law at the University of São Paulo. Halász made her orchestral debut at fifteen with the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra and earned the APCA Critics' Prize at nineteen for her performance of Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto. She has since appeared widely across Europe and the Americas as a soloist and as a member of the Duo Halász. Her extensive discography encompasses works by leading 20th-century composers.

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