“The fact that Turina was a skilled orchestrator is manifest throughout this disc in performances of La procesion del rocio and the Danzas gitans that have a shifting, subtle spectrum of coour delineating the music's light and shade, its sunshine and louring clouds, its sensuality and sinew... María Espada adds a luminous glow to this homage to Seville in all its mystery and magic, exuberance and eerie phantasms.” --Gramophone magazine, August 2014
The works recorded here are filled with the inspiration Turina found in his native Andalusia and particularly the city of Seville. La procesión del Rocío, Turina’s first orchestral work, was inspired by memories of a procession held in the gypsy quarter of Seville and is filled with lively dance rhythms. Canto a Sevilla, a song cycle with orchestra, is a heartfelt tribute to Seville and its culture, taking on themes such as the vibrant Easter Procession, Seville beautiful ornamental fountains, and even a ghost that haunts the streets at night. Danzas gitanas, a collection of Andalusian gypsy dances, introduces a nocturnal atmosphere into a style normally characterised by bright orchestral colours and extravagant rhythmic intricacies. The Rapsodia sinfónica, one of his last works, represents a more mature, reflective composer. The use of piano and string orchestra limits the available palette of colours, Turina instead deciding to focus on the intimate relationship between the ensemble and soloist, a role here filled by Martin Roscoe.
