Rapsodia sinfónica (1931) [8:38]
César FRANCK (1822-1890)
Symphonic Variations (1885) [15:43]
Manuel de FALLA (1876-1946)
Nights in the Gardens of Spain (1911-1915) [23:21]
Enrique GRANADOS (1867-1916)
The maiden and the nightingale (1914-1916) [6:05]
Claude DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
La soirée dans Grenade (1903) [5:41]
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV565 (arr. Ferruccio Busoni, 1900) [8:34]
Valerie Tryon (piano)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Kenneth Woods
rec. 2-3 May 2012, Henry Wood Hall, London (Turina, Franck, Falla); encores (Granados; Debussy) 13 April 2003, National Gallery Of Art, Washington DC; 16 February 2000, St George’s, Brandon Hill, Bristol (Bach-Busoni)
SOMM SOMMCD 250 [68:57]
On this first disc Ms Tryon brings great experience and her special brand of artistry and musicianship to works for which she has great affection and which she has performed many a time over the years. This became apparent last year, during SOMM’s sessions at the Henry Wood Hall with the Royal Philharmonic and Ken Woods. To quote Siva Oke, Recording Producer and Director of SOMM Recordings:
“We all listened with admiration to Ms Tryon’s astonishing technical command, her unwavering attention to detail and her ability to focus single-mindedly on the many and varying demands an artist normally faces during orchestral recording. Her relaxed, smiling presence transformed this from sheer hard work to a thrilling experience in which she was happily joined by her fellow artists and recording crew”
“Nothing is pressured or exaggerated, everything falls naturally into place…Kenneth Woods provides a sterling partnership and Somm’s sound and balance are as natural as the performances.”
Bryce Morrison, Gramophone Magazine
“..loving and attentive performances…atmosphere that could be cut with a butter knife. Woods draws the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra into a rapt stillness…
Jessica Duchen- BBC Music Magazine
“Woods and the RPO are equally responsive, and the Iberian heat and colour of the piece are well projected. The sound is most agreeable – it’s warm and detailed – and the balance between soloist and orchestra is perfectly judged…This is a reading of rare equilibrium – now inward, now extrovert – and it’s all bound together by an unforced, singing lyricism that’s just magical. The RPO are suitably emphatic and well-blended in the nicely scaled tuttis and Woods ensures momentum never flags. So, not a self-aggrandising or headline-grabbing performance, just an effortlessly musical one… . Falla’s sultry Nights in the Gardens of Spain has its share of fine interpreters – Alicia de Larrocha, for instance – but Tryon and Woods are persuasive too. There’s plenty of passion and point, and the work’s virtuosic passages hold no terrors for this pianist. Tryon’s phrasing and rhythms are idiomatic and it seems the brooding band is circling her in a mesmeric dance. Very entertaining indeed. ”
Dan Morgan- MusicWeb International.com
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