Colores de Espana - El Cafe de Sevilla

スペインのソプラノ、アラセリ・フェルナンデスとフィンランドのギタリスト、ハンヌ・シースコネンが共演。詩人、劇作家のガルシア・ロルカの《スペインの民謡と詩》から選んだ8曲をはじめとするスペインのクラシックとポピュラーの歌を演奏しています。
キングインターナショナル

A majority of art songs are composed in German, Italian, or French, so it is certainly a treat to have an album of songs in Spanish. This album by El Cafe de Sevilla (the duo of Araceli Fernandez and Hannu Siiskonen) provides the listener with a unique opportunity to hear what are technically popular songs, or perhaps more accurately, popular themes and tropes incorporated into art music. The first set of songs, by Enrique Granados, introduce the listener to Fernandez and Siiskonen's talent. Fernandez's voice is lyrical, sweet, and clean, while Siiskonen's guitar is by turns poignant, lilting, precise, and always respectful of the soprano voice. Even for those who don't speak Spanish, one can feel what the composer is trying to convey. Though Fernandez is quite clearly a high, light soprano, her low voice is quite nice, too, as heard in La maja dolorosa No. 3. Both artists have excellent technique, although there is almost an excess of beauty and sweetness in Fernandez's voice, almost like gilding the proverbial lily; some of her phrases can tend to sound the same, a gorgeous stream of sound. It is when she hooks more deeply into the emotion and text of the song, such as in Joaquin Rodrigo's Adela (part of the second set of songs), that one truly gets the sense of the earthiness. Certainly, it is not an easy task for classical musicians to interpret popular or non-classical works, and as Fernandez writes in the liner notes, they tried to seek an "intermediate route of interpretation" in the Garcia Lorca songs. Fernandez's passion truly comes out in a couple of these pieces, such as in Zorongo and !Anda, jaleo!, the latter is quite exciting and impassioned, and engages the listener wonderfully. Siiskonen also has plenty of passion and fire, as sensed in the guitar interlude in Zorongo, but he holds back when necessary in order to not overpower Fernandez. Colores de Espana is certainly a good introduction by two fine artists to the colors and sounds of this wonderfully musical nation.