Daniel Barenboim conducts an extremely fine Three-Cornered Hat, expressively shaped from the very first “fandango” but never at the expense of the music’s folk-like innocence and rhythmic zest. The playing of the Chicago Symphony is gorgeous: just listen to the silky atmosphere the violins conjure up at the opening of the “Neighbor’s Dance”, taken at an ideal tempo. In sum, there’s much here to delight fans of the composer, which is a good thing because Nights in the Gardens of Spain is a near disaster. I suppose it proves that ethnicity (conductor Placido Domingo is Spanish, Barenboim Argentinean) is no guarantee of authenticity. The opening is slow, terribly slow, the instrumental textures grey and colorless, the recording dry and lifeless (while for the ballet it’s much better). When Barenboim enters with his first solo, he shapes the music in the heaviest, clumsiest fashion imaginable: the two hands are poorly balanced; the music, which should surge and sparkle like shooting stars, is simply DOA. While the tempo picks up for the remaining movements, Barenboim’s playing doesn’t improve, and his piano has an unpleasant “twangy” sound. A huge disappointment. Jennifer Larmore’s presence on the CD cover is theoretically justified by the 60 seconds of offstage singing she does in the ballet. Definitely a mixed bag, but worth it for a great “Hat”.
