Search - Manuel de Falla, Maximiano Valdes, Alicia Nafe :: Falla: El Sombrero de Tres Picos (The Three-Cornered Hat) / El Amor Brujo (Love the Magician)

Perhaps not a first choice but still pretty good

Robert T. Martin | 02/23/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Conductor Valdes leads straightforward but exciting accounts of all three works on this CD. The playing of the Asturias Symphony Orchestra is exceptional.Unfortunately mezzo-soprano Alicia Nafe lunges, lurches and gasps her way through her vocal contribution in El Amor Brujo-if this is supposed to be an authentic Spanish sound I'm afraid I haven't come to grips with it. The vocalism in El Sombrero, on the other hand (by soprano Maria Jose Martos) is just fine. The sound on this recording is absolutely spectacular. This CD won't replace the Nati Mistral/Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos El Amor Brujo in my affections nor the de los Angeles/Fruhbeck de Burgos El Sombrero but it has earned a place in my collection despite the misgivings regarding Ms. Nafe's performance."