Guridi: Homenaje a Walt Disney, Euzko Irudiak

I picked up on the hint provided by the Berganza recital and ordered a disc with music by Basque composer Jesus Guridi, issued by the Swiss label Claves (meanwhile it has already disappeared from the catalogue). The Homenaje a Walt Disney is a 25-minute fantasia for piano and orchestra. It is a late work, from 1956, and difficult to position stylistically and emotionally. I'm hearing echoes of Rachmaninov and Messiaen, Stravinsky and Bax. Altogether it sounds more Celtic or Slavic than Iberian. The structure is mosaic-like, with contrasting sections piled on top of one another, seemingly without regard for a deeper symphonic logic. That doesn't mean the music isn't interesting. Arguably the keyboard writing seems a little dull, but the thematic material is fascinating and the overall atmosphere is curiously reflective. Only occasionally the music veers towards the cartoonish. Mostly it is deeply introspective and even tenderhearted. There's a curious attraction to this piece and I will be happy to return to it.

The other interesting work on this CD is Euzko Irudiak (Basque Images), a much earlier (1922) tone poem (originally conceived for the theater) for choir and orchestra. It's very accessible music in a folksy idiom that makes reference to the Basques' relationship to the sea. Particularly the final Eszpatadantza doesn't fail to make an impact, not in the least through the excellent singing of the redoubtable Orfeon Donostiarra (literally: choir of San Sebastian). This is one of the world's best known amateur choirs, 170 head strong, that performs with the greatest orchestras and conductors around (a Mahler Resurrection with Abbado and Paavo Järvi, to name just two recent recordings).

There are two other works included on the CD - Diez Melodias Vascas (1941) and Una Aventura de Don Quijote (1916) - which are less interesting. Whilst the Diez Melodias allegedly are Guridi's best known symphonic work, with their colourful, but rather simple tonal language I feel they belong more in the repertoire of amateur orchestras.

The music is competently played by the Basque National Orchestra under Miguel Gomez Martinez (it looks like Andrei Boreyko, who will be chief conductor at the Belgian National Orchestra from 2012 onwards is Principal Guest Conductor with the orchestra). The recording is lively and clean but curiously misses depth.