Guridi: Sinfonia Pirenaica / etc

"Guridi's Sinfonía pirenaica was written in 1945 and premiered by this orchestra. It's a loquaciously colourful work teeming with textual incident and density and a three-movement symphony of great character and imagination. The opening Andante sostenuto is actually quite deceptive; the level of impressionism evoked here is not one greatly sustained throughout but instead leads to fresh air and plenty of incident, rich in folkloric dash. These are tinged with baroque varnishings and plenty of detailing from the winds and especially from the bassoon. There are Straussian and Elgarian parallels (I was reminded of the latter's Falstaff more than once) but the over arching parallel I suppose - and unavoidably - is with Vaughan Williams. Little ceremonial brass calls course throughout as do processionals and there's a strong sense of celebration and sheer warmth - as we find in the skirl of the orchestration as the first movement makes its final ascent at the end.

Dance is another major component, as is encountered in the bipartite second movement - a Presto leading to an Andante sostenuto - very attractively orchestrated and winningly performed by the expert band and their excellent conductor Juan José Mena. There is a particularly expressive moment when the viola theme enters, which it does with the serene force of a hymnal - unexpected and very beautiful - though it's soon followed by some tensile and ominous writing. The finale is briskly rhythmic, lush, vibrant and full of some big, bold and very attractive moments. I have to say I found this slightly diffuse for all its clear charms, that the climaxes reappeared here and elsewhere with a degree of regularity that sometimes imperilled the structure. I think one can hardly but feel that there are some repetitious moments along the mountain journey. And that, finally, renders the work problematic. But I wouldn't suggest you pass by; there's plenty of luscious melody and evocative writing to be encountered and this is certainly a work more talked about than heard. Here's a fine chance to put right that injustice. The performance certainly makes the best case for it.

There's a small extra item - the exciting Sword Dance (all three minutes of it) from Amaya. This is extracted from the complete work on Marco Polo 8.225084-85 and recorded back in 1997."
- Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International, May 2005

"Artistic Quality 10 / 10 Sound Quality
If you like Vaughan Williams' A London Symphony then you're going to just love Guridi's Sinfonía pirenaica ("Pyrenees Symphony"), as robust and colorful a tribute to the Basque country as is the English composer's homage to his most beloved city. Although clearly a somewhat later work stylistically (it was composed in the mid-1940s), you will find a similar mix of modal, folk-like melodies and impressionistic tone-painting. Guridi works on an epic scale here: the piece has three large movements and lasts about 50 minutes. There is no formal slow movement, but plenty of slow music is spread around the other parts, and while it might be a stretch to say that the work is closely argued formally, it is quite effectively shaped, never meanders, and the tunes are beautifully scored and obstinately memorable. In short, the symphony deserves to become a popular work in the Romantic nationalist tradition.

Happily, this performance is outstanding. The Bilbao Symphony premiered the work in 1945, and while I have no idea how familiar the orchestra has remained with the music since that time, the playing here is full of confidence and affection. The solo winds in particular do a lovely job phrasing their often rustic melodies with consistent charm and imagination, and the brass section, which on prior outings has sounded overtaxed, manages a full, rich ensemble sonority that captures the imaginative sweep of Guridi's numerous climaxes. Conductor Juan José Mena seems to know exactly when to push forward and when it's safe to stop and enjoy Guridi's musical scenery. His interpretation is poetic and exciting by turns. Naxos' engineers also deliver very natural sonics, with plenty of bass, atmosphere, warmth, and clarity. The Sword Dance from the opera Amaya (previously recorded and released on Marco Polo) makes a fun if unnecessary encore. Certainly this is one of the most impressive and important releases in Naxos' Spanish Classics series, and I couldn't recommend it more highly."
-David Hurwitz, www.ClassicToday.com, 13 April, 2005