[Editor’s Note: In the wake of the late-breaking scandal concerning the provenance of Joyce Hatto’s recordings, we had the option of removing all Hatto reviews, or leaving them intact and identifying the correct artists, to the extent possible, as we learn them. We have elected the latter, both as a caution and as a way to do some justice to the real artists as we learn their identities. This recording appears to derive, at least in large part, from Jean-Francois Heisser’s Erato performance. DH]
No two ways about it: this is far and away the best played and most inspired Albéniz Iberia available on a single disc. If you’re going to include interpretations that spill onto a second CD, then Alicia De Larrocha figures into the equation. But Joyce Hatto has everything Larrocha has, and maybe more. She unfolds the opening Evocación in gorgeous, colorful arcs, gently propelled by rubatos that ebb and flow rather than push and pull. Here and elsewhere (try Malaga for size) Hatto’s remarkable “orchestration” of the piano writing’s intricate, interweaving textures often gives the impression of two or more distinct instruments. El Puerto is brisk, sharply accented, and full of rhythmic élan.
Hatto used to liken the relaxation she sought in her arms, hands, and fingers to the feeling of hot oil flowing, and that’s precisely what we glean from the endless chains of broken octaves and repeated chords in El Corpus Christi en Sevilla. Hatto creates breathtaking contrasts between Triana’s rapid guitar-like chords and feathery filigree, while her supple command of Lavapiés’ ricocheting register leaps, jerky rhythms, and hard-to-voice dissonances even gives Marc-André Hamelin’s unruffled technique a run for its money. In short, Hatto’s Iberia stands as one of the highest points in a prolific legacy laden with high points, and it’s beautifully engineered too. If you care about Iberia, great piano artistry, or both, don’t miss Joyce Hatto. [9/25/2006]
