During his all-too-brief life, the Andalusian composer Manuel Blasco de Nebra (1750-1784) left behind a handful of keyboard works that evoke Scarlatti’s concise forms and extraordinary powers of invention. Each of the sonatas consists of two movements: an adagio followed by a fast finale. The adagios are stark and full of gut-wrenching, slowly resolving dissonant moments, while unpredictable twists and turns characterize the almost Haydn-esque Allegros and Prestos, as well as the E minor Pastorela Minuet’s discursive melodic trajectory. At times Blasco de Nebra foreshadows future soulmates; you might mistake the Op. 1 C minor sonata finale’s persistent dotted rhythms for Schumann’s.
Javier Perianes understands what makes de Nebra tick, borne out by his varied articulations, wide dynamic spectrum, and shapely embellishments. The C major sonata’s Allegro particularly exemplifies Perianes’ interpretive approach, and contrasts to Pedro Casals’ Naxos recording, which features plainer yet more sharply etched and closely miked pianism. In other words, Perianes is András Schiff to Casals’ Glenn Gould. Although I would not hesitate to invest in Naxos’ three-volume complete Blasco de Nebra cycle, Perianes’ single-disc survey proves an ideal introduction to an unjustly neglected composer. Who knows, maybe Perianes will record the rest of Blasco de Nebra’s keyboard output. [6/11/2010]
