Last week I explored a piano concerto by Erik Chisholm that was influenced by his native Scottish pipe music. I thought it was totally devoid of cliche. I wish I could say the same of this collection by the Andalucian Joaquín Turina (1882-1949). Charming though most of it is, it falls back too often on flamenco-like bombast – all fluttering fans and stamping feet – to be truly engaging. The liner notes urge us to listen to his Piano Quartet in A minor, Violin Sonata No 2 in G major and Piano Trio No 1 not with modern ears but with the attention of listeners coming afresh to the Andalucian folk tradition. Even with the exquisite playing of the Nash Ensemble that's a tall order.
Contributor
Stephen Pritchard
Stephen Pritchard has written on classical music for most of his 45 years in journalism. He was the Observer's first readers' editor, and prior to that was a managing editor and production editor
Stephen Pritchard
The GuardianTramp
