ARIA
RECORDING
Martierra highlights
from Jacinto Guerrero's 1928 zarzuela (with Luis
Almodóvar and Tino Folgar - zarzuela songs and
duets) Aria Les nostres veus retrobades
22 [Aria SL 1029]
No.22 in
Aria Recording's Recovered Voices series
is of exceptional interest, a welcome reissue, glowingly transferred, of the
more-or-less original cast recording of Guerrero's neglected
full-length zarzuela. The set features tenor Tino Folgar, best known to
non-Spanish audiences for his Duke in EMI's first electrical recording of
Rigoletto, and baritone Luis Almodóvar. They play the
leaders of two rival factions in the imaginary village "between the mountains
and the sea" which gives the zarzuela its name. Though written between
El huésped del Sevillano and La rosa del azafrán,
with the composer at the height of his popularity and powers, Martierra
has failed to hold the stage. In his admirably full and clear synoptic notes
(in English as well as Catalan and Spanish) Joan Vilà i
Miró suggests that the far from happy ending, with the tenor
apparently doing a Peter Grimes and sailing off to suicide in his boat, was
more operatic than zarzuela audiences could take. In truth he hits the nail
more squarely on the head when he says that "Martierra is a typical
product of the zarzuela genre, neither better nor worse than others ...".
The music is theatrical, fluent and tuneful. A quartet, with
Almodóvar in magnificent voice, stands out, as does a splendidly funny
jota for two old village gaffers. What Martierra really lacks,
from the evidence of the 35 minutes committed to record, is a real showstopper
of the sort that pushes, say, La montería out of the second and
towards the front rank of Guerrero zarzuelas. The plot, centred on the
appearance of an emotionally disruptive interloper, has something in common
with the earlier, consistently inspired Los Gavilanes - represented
later on the disk by the tenor song Flor roja in Folgar's matchless 1929
version, cruelly to demonstrate just why Martierra is unlikely ever to
be resuscitated. Although the main work is reason enough to acquire
this generous Aria CD, the fillers are even more satisfying.
Almodóvar contributes two substantial duets from Vives's
Maruxa, though his burnished tone is not matched by either of his
undernourished soprano partners. The Folgar items are perhaps most to be
treasured. His light, cultivated tenor is inimitable, though many have tried to
do just that with disastrous results. Aria's transfers are notably better than
those on a similar selection of Folgar's zarzuela songs currently available on
the Pearl label as fillers for the famous Rigoletto. Occasionally Folgar
can be mannered, and his tone hardens unpleasantly under pressure, as in the
title song from Serrano's Los de Aragón. But surely nobody has
ever sung Flor roja more delicately; nor Paxarin, tu que vuelas
from Luna's La pícara molinera anything like so musically.
For the duet Mala mujer from Vives's Los flamencos, another
zarzuela from the class of '28, Folgar is joined by Selica Pérez
Carpio. Witty, verbally and musically engaging, delectably put across by
tenor and soprano, this is the showstopper that Guerrero couldn't quite rise to
in Martierra. This tantalising glimpse makes one pine for a long-overdue
complete recording of Vives' last great zarzuela, but thanks are due to
Aria for giving us such sweet icing atop the Guerrero cake.
© Christopher Webber 1999
Aria Recording
SL 1029 Martierra etc.
other issues in the series of particular interest to the
zarzuela: SL 1008 Los nostres veus retrobades - Vol.1 (zarzuela
and opera anthology) SL 1011 Doña Francisquita (Vendrell,
Pérez Carpio, Herrero, Palacios) SL 1007 Marina (2 CD
complete - Capsir, Lázaro, Redondo, Mardones; plus highlights with
Fleta, Revenga, Sagi Barba) SL 1016 Mercedes Capsir (including some
rare zarzuela songs) SL 1015 Bohemios / Los Gavilanes (Redondo,
Raga, Vendrell) SL 1018 Marcos Redondo (zarzuela duets) SL
1022 Los nostres veus retrobades - Vol.2 (opera, zarzuela and songs)
SL 1024 La Sarsuela Catalana SL 1027 El Dictador - La
Dogaresa SL 1028 Miguel Fleta - Vol.3 (zarzuela and songs)
Aria's website:
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