This 2011 Harmonia Mundi release of major piano works by Manuel de Falla is largely filled with solo keyboard pieces, but the main selection, Noches en los jardines de España, is a concerto-like composition for piano and orchestra that is the literal and figurative centerpiece of the program. While Spanish pianist Javier Perianes performs the Cuatro piezas españolas, the Fantasia bætica, Homenaje ("Le Tombeau de Claude Debussy"), and Pour le tombeau de Paul Dukas with great élan, taking care to sustain a light, impressionistic atmosphere, and offers the Canción, Nocturno, Mazurka, and Serenata andaluza almost in the spirit of encores, his brilliant playing in Noches is most impressive and memorable. Supported by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Josep Pons, Perianes dazzles in his part, and the mixture of his sparkling playing with the orchestra's delicate and lush sonorities is quite seductive. While it is likely that listeners will derive much pleasure from the solo pieces and glean a better awareness of Falla's styles and methods, it is Noches that they will return to repeatedly and hear with delight every time. The sound quality of the album is consistently clear and vibrant, and Harmonia Mundi's production values are superb.
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