Las hilanderas (Serrano)

Maria Uriz, Isabel Rivas, Cecilia Fondevila, Eduardo Giménez, Ramon Contreras, Juan Pons, Dalmacio Gonzalez. Orquesta Sinfónica de Barcelona, c. García Navarro
BMG Alhambra WD 74554

Mateo Guitart, Anibal Vela, Dorini de Diso. c.?
Blue Moon BMCD 7546 [extracts]

Serrano was fond of Italian settings, and Las hilanderas is a romance with a Tuscan setting - and a happy ending, despite the baleful whiff of sulphur underlying much of this graceful and atmospheric score. The only modern CD dates from 1973, late in the BMG Alhambra series, and the recording quality is good. So are the performances, notably Giménez's Leandro, though as a whole it is without the special magic of so many earlier issues in the series. The coupling is El mal de amores, and as this too is the only modern version available the CD can be confidently recommended to all Serraneros.

One of the most memorable numbers is an invocation to Satan, magnificently delivered as a solo by Vela in the short selection of extracts that make up the filler for Blue Moon's valuable historic Serrano collection. This is another self-recommending issue.

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