Ernesto Lecuona
is probably better known among pop listeners than in the classical world, most of all for his song
Siboney
, recorded by
Desi Arnaz
and
Connie Francis
, among others. However, he composed a good deal of classical piano music, and in general, he exemplifies the way Latin American music so often blurs the distinction between popular and classical. His short works show up on recitals of music from the Americas often enough, but an intelligent program like the one provided here by pianist
Pierre Solot
, devoted entirely to
Lecuona
, is not so common.
wrote piano music of various kinds, ranging from popular songs without words (
La comparsa
) to easily accessible but sharp pictorial pieces (
Merry-Go-Round Whirl
), to pioneering Afro-Cuban works (
Danza lucumi
), to ambitious pieces in a vein of 19th century pianism (
San Francisco el Grande
, a fine finale). Especially interesting are the 19th Century
Cuban Dances
, known in Spanish as the
Danzas Cubanas del XIX Siglo
, in which
recalls older music in subtle shades. The music here seems simple, but there is something unusual about each of these short works, and
Solot
's reserved interpretations, not laying the Cubanismo on too thick, capture the fine points nicely. A more intimate atmosphere than that of the Salle Philharmonique in Liège might have served these works better, but this is a fine look at
, coming from outside the usual sources. ~ James Manheim