The young Chilean pianist Hugo Llanos Campos devotes this release to three composers who flourished in Chile during the mid-19th century. The fantasy by Santiago Heitz (1819-1879) based on two popular Chilean Zamacuecas may have been inspired by harps, yet its glittery passagework and rapid-fire double note sequences are pure neo-Lisztian bravura. It’s not deep music by any stretch of the imagination, yet the piece oozes charm, especially through Campos’ stylishly nonchalant virtuosity. There’s a bit more harmonic sophistication in Souvenir by Federico Guzmán (1827-1885), although the garish keyboard writing is less evocative of Chopin than of Gottschalk, who was Guzmán’s mentor.
Born in Germany, Guillaume Deichert (1828-1871) fell in love with Chile, where he eventually became a naturalized citizen and immersed himself in the country’s folkloric musical culture. His piano writing is less ostentatious and overtly decorative compared to Heitz and Guzmán, with more contrapuntal interest. El Chilote Op. 8, for example, features intricate left-hand lines that are more than mere filler, while La Graciosa Op. 11 is an elegant waltz that one might understandably mistake for Tchaikovsky in parts.
Although La Chilena Op. 13 is based on a folk song, the music’s elaborate unfolding suggests Schumann foreshadowing Granados. By contrast, the Fantaisie de Concert sur des thêmes nationaux du Chili Op. 10 is a bland potboiler that rambles on for 20 minutes. Yet you’ll never hear it played better than by Hugo Llanos Campos, who deserves admiration for exploring and committing himself to the piano repertoire’s obscure corners.
