If you're looking for a coupling of the two greatest piano works of Spanish romanticism --
Granados' Goyescas and Albéniz's Iberia -- inevitably you're looking for a recording by the greatest Spanish pianist of the twentieth century,
Alicia de Larrocha. She had everything needed to produce great recordings of the works: a sensual tone, an invincible technique, and a temperament as fiery as the music. The question is, which of
de Larrocha's two recordings of Goyescas and Iberia do you want: her recordings made between 1959 and 1963 for Hispavox remastered and released internationally by EMI or her recordings made between 1972 and 1976 for Decca? The former, reissued here in EMI's Great Recordings of the Century series, has the advantages of lightness, delicacy, power, and passion plus unrivaled virtuosity and the disadvantages of a cramped recording. The latter, reissued numerous times in various Decca series, have the advantages of age, experience, and far richer recorded sound and the disadvantages of a heavier tone and a slightly diminished virtuosity. Both are superb in their ways and a truly comprehensive collection will include both. But if you can only have one, the choice is exceedingly difficult: is it better to have youth and dim sound or maturity and great sound? That choice remains with the listener...and good luck to him/her!