Spain

In June of 1922, a cultural fiesta took place on the grounds of Granada's Alhambra palace, organized by Manuel de Falla and Federico García Lorca. The aim of the event was to preserve the 'purity' of flamenco art and the opening performance was given by 29-year-old guitarist Andrés Segovia. Ironically, Segovia played de Falla's Hommage to Claude Debussy (featured on this disc) - a work which can hardly be described as pure flamenco. But this can be seen as symptomatic of an important trait in the music of 20th-century Spain: Certain composers defended what they believed to be a noble, gallant and Castilian ideal, while others embarked on an quest to restore the 'lost purity' of the peasantry, but embracing Modernism and Impressionism as stylistic tools in order to do so. This is demonstrated on Franz Halász's new disc, which provides a context - Milán's Pavanes from the 16th century, Fernando Sor's 'Malbroug' Variations from 1827 - while juxtaposing later works that embody the described, conflicting attitudes.