Asturiana: Songs from Spain and Argentina

A melodious and atmospheric collection of songs without words, Asturiana - Songs from Spain an Argentina offers a fascinating overview of different idioms in Spanish and Argentine songs from early 20th century composers such as De Falla, Granados, Ginastera, Gustavino, Montsalvatge and others. Spanish songs lend themselves particularly well to instrumental transcription due to their frequent foundation in folk and popular styles of song and dance. Their melodic beauty and rhythmic energy create an intense atmosphere of tenderness and nostalgia with sudden outbursts of vitality - a most evocative music that doesn't seem to call for any verbal emphasis. Kim Kashkashian's and Robert Levin's duo, dating back to the mid-seventies, is a rare phenomenon of true musical partnership. It can be observed particularly well in their numerous ECM productions which, after the first album "Elegies" (1986), have included works by Schumann, Brahms, Hindemith, Shostakovich and other composers. The difference of their two musical approaches - Kashkashian's lyricism and love for the melodic line combined with Levin's strong interest in structure and stylistic considerations - is a main reason that this collaboration has been so fruitful. In fact, Asturiana demonstrates an extraordinary degree of freedom and flexibility, both rhythmically and sonically. Album Description

Fascinating.

Kashkashian's and Levin's duo, dating from the mid-70s, is a true musical partnership, observed especially in their ECM discs from Romances & Elegies for Viola & Piano (1986) onwards, including Schumann, Brahms, Hindemith, Shostakovich and others.
It is the difference between their musical approaches - Kashkashian's lyricism and love for the melodic line combined with Levin's strong interest in structure and stylistic considerations - that made this collaboration so fruitful.
In fact, this new cd demonstrates an extraordinary degree of freedom and flexibility, both rhythmically and sonically.
This time the two talented players go through different idioms in Spanish and Argentine song, re-interpreting them along the way.
Many of these songs were intended for larger groups of musicians and many were intended to have vocals, but never do you get the feeling that Kashkashian and Levin are stripping away anything that 'needed' to be there, rather the piano and the viola sing with more emotional tones than would usually be possible for a simple voice.
There is also beauty in the space provided - everything is given room to breathe, and like Satie the silence between the notes is just as important as the notes themselves.
The original pieces are from Manuel de Falla, Enrique Granados, Carlos Guastavino, Alberto Ginastera, Xavier Montsalvatge and Carlos Lopz Buchardo but whether these names are familiar or not there is something deeply familiar about their works, something linked intrinsically with European folk music that is impossible to ignore.
"Asturiana" is a gorgeous album which should appeal to anyone interested in the more minimal side of classical music (Sylvain Chauveau, Goldmund etc) and also any of you with an interest in Southern European folk music.

Brahms: Sonatas for Viola and Piano / Kashkashian, Levin
Monodia
Kancheli: Abii ne viderem
Hindemith: Sonatas for viola/piano & viola alone January 9, 2008

Great!

This CD is everything I hoped it would be after hearing just hearing part of one piece on NPR. January 7, 2008

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