The liner notes to this CD of piano miniatures by Padre José Antonio Donostia make much of the influence that
Debussy and
Ravel had on this Basque composer. But it's actually the piano music of
Grieg that comes to mind when listening to these works, not because they overtly sound like
Grieg, but because they are constructed in a similar fashion. As suggested by the title, for the Basque Preludes Donostia used Basque folk music to make lyric melodies and also used harmonies found in Basque music, as well as a few Impressionistic ones, to create inviting, pellucid miniatures that are perfect for accompanying an afternoon of daydreaming. And they are miniatures: the shortest prelude is 30 seconds, while the longest is under five minutes. None are strongly assertive, although the dances can be quite lively and the second one is brilliant in the
Chopin-esque sense of the word, with grand flourishes. The other pieces on the disc are more adventuresome in harmony, but still are conservative by contemporary standards. The Andante is so traditional, it would be easy to mistake it for an early Romantic-era piece, rather than an early-twentieth century piece. However, the Prière plaintive à Notre-Dame de Socorri is a modern, drifting cloudscape. It is in the last few pieces where the Iberian rhythms and effects, such as hemiola, are most apparent, particularly in Vora 'l Ter and Tiento y canción, two pieces originally for guitar. Pianist
Jordi Masó plays all of these pieces wonderfully. He makes the melodies sing out, but also applies a sense of purpose and imagination to supporting lines so that everything coalesces into very pleasing pictures.