Romanza Andaluza for Flute and Guitar

Zucker’s gorgeous tone, tasteful phrasing and breath control here meet the clean and pleasingly judged playing of Marc Delpriora in a collection with an Hispanic emphasis. The Sarasate strikes a warm egalitarian balance between the two instruments and is well within the Iberian style. The little known Pessard is represented by a graceful Andalouse. The four movement Buenos Aires (1995) by Pujol ‘unlulls’ us into something with vitality and snappy jazzy pace in Pompeya, finds a classical style for the cool evening of Palermo, syncopated playfulness in San Telmo and finally in this ever so slightly commercial suite comes Microcentro with its anxious welter of interleaved down-pattering figures and siren wails. The other two part Pujol work is similar in its engaging atmosphere and well worth hearing for its poetry and rhythmic urgency. I recommend hearing the Candombe de los Buenos Tiempo for its optimistic throwing aside of the pervasive heat. It has a remarkably engaging liveliness complete with percussive effects delivered against the bodywork of the guitar. Rodrigo’sAria Antiqua does indeed look back to earlier ages in music of largely slow dignity. There is more of that in the Andante moderato of the Serenata al alba del Dia but the better known Rodrigo of the guitar concertos can be discerned very clearly in the Allegro at tr. 12. Gonzalez’s lighter-heartedDanza de los Amantes Efimeros was originally for violin and guitar but has been transcribed by Zucker. This Colombian composer’s piece has an original and fantastical air breaking out of any suggestion of hackneyed territory. The disc finishes with three transcriptions from Granados’s Danzas espagnoles amongst which the clever and endearing Danza triste stands out (tr. 14).

2006 review “a slice of heaven!”