Joaquin Turina composed a tremendous quantity of excellent piano music. Antonio Soria’s difficult-to-obtain but well made complete edition for Edicions Albert Moraleda runs to some 16 CDs, so we have a good deal to look forward to as Jordi Masó works his way through this repertoire. Happily, with Naxos pricing and distribution the resulting releases should be more widely available. This is wonderful stuff, melodically sumptuous and suffused with Spanish light, but also firmly (if often uncoventionally) structured. For example, all three of the sonatas (including the Magical Corner, subtitled “Parade in the form of a sonata”) feature a movement in variation form, but each example is quite different. The number of movements ranges from four (Rincón) to two (Sonata Fantasia and Concierto), and Turina’s invention throughout is unflagging.
As anyone who has heard his previous releases for Naxos will know, Masó is an excellent pianist. His feeling for this music is beyond question, his technical ability fully equal to his interpretive insight. Under his supple fingers the scherzos of the Sonata romántica and Rincón have plenty of the necessary rhythmic snap, while the latter work’s Lied, or the Concierto’s haunting Molto adagio are as soulful as anyone could ask. This very well recorded series (this disc constitutes the second volume) is important and well worth hearing. Start now, and collect the rest as they come.
