COMPOSERS: Segovia
LABELS: MusicMasters
WORKS: Canciones populares
PERFORMER: Eliot Fisk (guitar)
CATALOGUE NO: 67174-2
The tenth anniversary of the death of the legendary Andrés Segovia falls in 1997, and this disc has been issued in tribute. The central feature of Eliot Fisk’s recital is a group of folk-song settings from various countries, which the master composed in 1941 and which his wife Emilia recently ‘discovered’. In addition there are several arrangements of music by other composers, some original studies and preludes, and four pieces written for Segovia and bearing his name: by Tansman, Roussel, Milhaud and Castelnuovo-Tedesco.
Interesting repertoire, then, thoughtfully compiled and beautifully played. As a recital the disc works well, with sensitive pacings and contrasts, though since none of the pieces lasts longer than a few minutes the total effect is rather less than the sum of the parts. The Canciones populares themselves are sensitive treatments of the original tunes, covering many areas of Europe from Scotland to Croatia, Catalonia and Poland.
Eliot Fisk is undoubtedly a major talent, and he infuses personality into everything he plays. The recording sometimes sounds rather too close, but it is always atmospheric. Terry Barfoot