Symphonie Espagnole [CD]

Édouard LALO: Symphonie espagnole / MANÉN, J.: Violin Concerto No. 1 (Tianwa Yang, Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra, Darrell Ang) These two concertos-one a staple of the repertoire, the other almost unknown-share melodic richness and a Spanish influence. Lalo's Symphonie espagnole reflects the quicksilver technique of it's dedicatee, Pablo de Sarasate, in it's ingenious and virtuosic passagework, with it's moods and rhythms indelibly Iberian in feel. Joan Manén, in his day almost as famous as his fellow Catalan Pau Casals, was an admired virtuoso violinist and a prominent composer. His Concierto español, the first of three violin concertos, is suffused with technical demands, lyric warmth, and rhapsodic nostalgia. Soloist Tianwa Yang's Sarasate recordings have received international acclaim.