# I love de Falla's "Nights in Gardens of Spain"; who else has a Spanish influence?



## laurie (Jan 12, 2017)

*I love de Falla's "Nights in Gardens of Spain"; who else has a Spanish influence?*

Manuel de Falla, "Nights in the Gardens of Spain".....
I absolutely love this beautiful work, & am starting to explore the rest of his music; he
doesn't seem to have been very prolific, however. Who are some other composers whose work 
was influenced by Spanish music? They don't actually have to be from that part of the world,
of course; but anyone who has that Spanish sound & flavor in (some or all of) their work?
Specific pieces & recording recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance ....


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

I enjoy Spanish-style music too. Some of my favorites include:

Albéniz: Iberia (Pianist: de Larrocha)
Debussy: Iberia (Conductor: Abbado)
Debussy: La soirée dans Grenade, from Estampes (Pianist: Gieseking)
Granados: Goyescas (Pianist: de Larrocha)
Ravel: Rapsodie Espagnole (Conductor: Munch)
Turina: Tres Danzas Andaluzas (Pianist: de Larrocha, again!)


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Glinka: Jota Aragonesa
Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio Espagnol


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Not mentioned yet: Rodrigo (Concerto de Aranjuez is his most famous work, but plenty of others worth exploring).


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

laurie said:


> Manuel de Falla, "Nights in the Gardens of Spain".....
> I absolutely love this beautiful work, & am starting to explore the rest of his music; he
> doesn't seem to have been very prolific, however. Who are some other composers whose work
> was influenced by Spanish music?


Great topic!! Falla is a wonderful composer - if you like "Nights" then check out "El Amor Brujo" [Love the Magician] probably his magnum opus...originally a ballet, Falla re-scored it for orchestra, with mezzo-soprano...the well-known "Ritual Fire Dance is from this work. There are two outstanding versions of this work Reiner/Chicago/L. Price, and Stokowski/Phila Orch/S. Verrett....Stoki's is brilliant, flamboyant, colorful; Reiner's brilliant, a bit darker in hue, sinister, threatening....both are superb, the orchestras incredible....wouldn't want to be without either.
Falla also wrote The Three-Cornered Hat" - another large work, a ballet [Diaghilev 1919]...this is also a wonderful work - the "Three Dances" are well-known excerpts, but complete work is most enjoyable. I have Barenboim/Chicago, which is good, I think Boulez recorded it with NYPO, and Ansermet with OSR...

If you want a great disc of Spanish music - 
Reiner/CSO - the Spanish Disc - "Spain" - it contains the aforementioned "El Amor Brujo" plus other works by Albeniz, Falla and Granados...a great disc all the way - plenty of the dark, mysterious, smoldering quality of Spanish music, along with the brazen, brassy "machismo" that is also so characteristic of this wonderful music.

Another major composer influenced by Spanish music is Ravel - 
Rapsodie Espagnole
Alborado del Gracioso are two prime examples...both Reiner, and Jean Martinon recorded stellar versions of these orchestra standards.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Chabrier: España
Ibert: Escales


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## JAS (Mar 6, 2013)

Massent's Le Cid? There is also lots of wonderful Spanish music by actual Spaniards, although they seem to have greatly favored the guitar over a full orchestra.


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

From an earlier era, the keyboard sonatas of Scarlatti (which were composed in Spain albeit by an Italian) are full of Spanishry.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Carmen, by Bizet....or if you want to keep it to mainly orchestral music - the Carmen suites 1& 2....wonderful stuff - 

Try Bernstein/NYPO - flashy, flamboyant....the orchestra playing has real "panache", bravura....


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Heck148 said:


> Carmen, by Bizet....or if you want to keep it to mainly orchestral music - the Carmen suites 1& 2....wonderful stuff -
> 
> Try Bernstein/NYPO - flashy, flamboyant....the orchestra playing has real "panache", bravura....


If anyone don't like this, then the world is lost.


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

If you enjoy solo piano music Alicia De laroccha has an excellent "EMI Icons" set, eight albums of Spanish piano music: Granada, Albeniz, Solera, etc


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

laurie said:


> Manuel de Falla, "Nights in the Gardens of Spain".....
> I absolutely love this beautiful work, & am starting to explore the rest of his music; he
> doesn't seem to have been very prolific, however. Who are some other composers whose work
> was influenced by Spanish music? They don't actually have to be from that part of the world,
> ...


My favourite piece of Spanish inspired music is by Luigi Nono - settings of Lorca and Neruda, called Espana en El Corazon. There's a recording of it by Bruno Maderna.

And maybe try Arauxo, if you're used to romantic style music this recording with Thiry and Bismuth may be a good place to start









Also Loraine Hunt Liebeson singing Peter Lieberson's Neruda songs are well worth catching.









Guitar is an instrument which is pretty Spanish, you may like Fernando Sor's Etudes. Andrés Segovia recorded a nice selection of them, though I expect that other maybe more recommendable performances have been recorded since then


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

This is what Manuel De Falla was listening to, in part, when he was inspired to write _Noches en los Jardines de España_. De Falla and Federico García Lorca arranged a flamenco judging contest because they both were so enamored of this music. This is the musical source material.


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## laurie (Jan 12, 2017)

Animal the Drummer said:


> From an earlier era, the keyboard sonatas of Scarlatti (which were composed in Spain albeit by an Italian) are full of Spanishry.


Thank you everybody, for all the great recommendations ....
I'm still busy exploring this musical treasure trove of "Spanishry"!
(& thanks for the new word, Animal!  )


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

"Invocacion y Danza" by Rodrigo is a masterpiece for solo guitar!!! Also try this:


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

laurie said:


> Thank you everybody, for all the great recommendations ....
> I'm still busy exploring this musical treasure trove of "Spanishry"!
> (& thanks for the new word, Animal!  )


That's always nice to read, that someone actually doing things they ask for, happy listening.


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## Chatellerault (Apr 4, 2017)

Bettina said:


> I enjoy Spanish-style music too. Some of my favorites include:
> 
> Albéniz: Iberia (Pianist: de Larrocha)
> Debussy: Iberia (Conductor: Abbado)
> ...


Also Debussy's prelude *La puerta del vino*. Great 'drunk' interpretation by Samson François and a recent recording with great sound by Michel Dalberto


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## StDior (May 28, 2015)

Diego Ortiz - Recercadas del Tratado de Glosas 
Especially if Jordi Savall plays.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

..............2ble, sorry...


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

Maurice Ohana definitely deserves to be mentioned, also because De falla was one of his favorite composers. Compositions like lanto por Ignacio Sánchez Mejías, or all his works for guitar show definitely a spanish influence, altough he's certainly more modern than most of the other composers mentioned.


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## distantprommer (Sep 26, 2011)

You should also try out some of the myriad Zarzuelas, Spanish operettas. They are still very popular in Spain. Possibly the greatest Zarzuela was "El barberillo de Lavapiés" (1874) Francisco Asenjo Barbieri

As a sample of what is included a Zarzuela, this clip is the Intermedio from "La Boda de Luis Alonso" (1896) by Jeronimo Gimenez


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Emmanuel Chabrier - _Habanera_ for piano (also arranged for orchestra) and _España_ - rhapsody for orchestra (also transcribed for solo piano/two pianos).


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## Selby (Nov 17, 2012)

^ I second Lorenzo Palomo! He is sadly rarely mentioned. His Sinfonia a Granada is also fantastic.

~

Here would be my 5 'safe' recommendations:

*1. Lorenzo Palomo: Sinfonia a Granada*









*2. Victoria de los Angeles sings de Falla*









*3. de Falla: El Amor Brujo (ballet with full oratorio); El Retablo de Maese Pedro (operetta); Fantasia Beatica (piano solo)*

__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content









*
4. Los Angeles Guitar Quartet: Evening in Granada - this has a quartet arrangement of El Amor Brujo; I once saw them perform it live and it was just gorgeous.*









*5. Stephen Hough's Spanish Album - because I can't seem to not talk about Stephen Hough.*


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## Selby (Nov 17, 2012)

Here would be my 5 more 'challenging' recommendations:

*1. Alberto Ginastera: Harp Concerto; Guitar Sonata; 3 Danzas Argentinas*









*2. Hilda Pareda: Cuerdas del destino - chamber works for strings and voice*









*3. Silvestre Revueltas' La Noche de los Mayas*









*4. Silvestre Revueltas: Sensemaya / various ensemble works*









*5. Hector Parra: Hypermusic Prologue - this is a very challenging modern opera, be warned.*


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## wolkaaa (Feb 12, 2017)

Nobody mentioned Prokofiev's 2nd Violin concerto.


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## distantprommer (Sep 26, 2011)

Selby, re your post above. These are not, strictly speaking, Spanish music. Alberto Ginastera is from Argentina and Silvestre Revueltas was Mexican. There may be a little Spanish influence, but mainly these works are very much of their environment and the musical development of their countries.

That said, Latin American music is a descendant of the baroque era Spanish music as played and even composed in the New World, in the 17th and 18th centuries, such as the Misas and Villancicos of which there are many. One of the foremost composers was Juan Gutierrez de Padilla (1590 – 1664), Spanish born living in Puebla, in what is now Mexico.

There were other strong influences acting on Latin American music, such as the music brought to the new world by the Africans. This was especially so in Mexico. 

Hector Parra on the other hand is Spanish, being born in Barcelona in 1976. He was a student of Jonathan Harvey and Brian Ferneyhough who have influenced his compositional style.


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## distantprommer (Sep 26, 2011)

I forgot to point out Hilda Paredes. She is one of the leading Mexican composers of our time. Having studied, amongst others, with Peter Maxwell Davies, Harrison Birtwistle and Richard Rodney Bennett, her music is rooted in the contemporary European style with deep echoes of pre-colonial and colonial Mexican eras.

Another contemporary Spanish composer, who I believe has not been mentioned above, is Jesus Rueda Azcuaga. His style evolved from experimental to a more mainstream style. This music is well worth listening to.


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## BabyGiraffe (Feb 24, 2017)

It's funny, but the so called Spanish sound is Moorish/Gypsy. If you want Spanish/Spanish music you will get normal medieval/baroque/classical sound, nothing exotic.


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## distantprommer (Sep 26, 2011)

Indeed, what we consider to be Spanish folk inspired music, is derived from the the Moors as well as from the "Gitanos". Generally this is from Andalucia (Al Andalus). 

A big influence of the Moors onto the gypsy music is the "Cante Jondo", an unspoiled form of Andalusian folk music mostly as a vocal flamenco "song".


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## Selby (Nov 17, 2012)

meh. Deleted post to be more diplomatic.


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## Anankasmo (Jun 23, 2017)

Many French composers were influenced by Spanish music so that's a treasure trove for you. E.g Saint-Saens. He wrote music with Spanish flavour for his friend and violinist Pablo Sarasate(spanish) who was the thing in France back then... Look into: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Havanaise and the Third Violin Concerto. Great repetrtoire.


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

Stretching 'Spanish' just a smidge, Mompou is worth exploring, and there is a lot of Cuban/Hispanic influence in the music of Gottschalk.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Anankasmo said:


> Many French composers were influenced by Spanish music so that's a treasure trove for you. E.g Saint-Saens. He wrote music with Spanish flavour for his friend and violinist Pablo Sarasate(spanish) who was the thing in France back then... Look into: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Havanaise and the Third Violin Concerto. Great repetrtoire.


Nice first post, welcome to TalkClassical also.


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## Anankasmo (Jun 23, 2017)

Pugg said:


> Nice first post, welcome to TalkClassical also.


Just saw this. Rather difficult to keep track of all the threads here haha  Thank you! It seems you are a core member here or veteran of this site so consider me honored.


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## helenora (Sep 13, 2015)

you can check this one. nicely stylized by M. Glinka "Jota aragonesa"


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## eugeneonagain (May 14, 2017)

Francisco Tarrega's _Recuerdos de la Alhambra_ has to be mentioned.


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## Joe B (Aug 10, 2017)

Some mentioned by others, but these are my go to Spanish composers: Gaspar Cassadó, Manuel de Falla, Enrique Granados, Xavier Montsalvatge, Joaquin Turina

Mexican composers Blas Galindo, Jorge Cordoba, Maria Granillo, Luis Sandi, Rocio Sanz, Gonzalo Carrillo, Salvador Torre and Victor M. Medeles wrote great choral music.


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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

We had this thread, I realize Spain and South America are not the same thing but maybe there is some similar influence:

Favorite South American Composers?

We also had one for South American Guitar Music but it's hard to find.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I don't know if anyone posted this, but Debussy's Iberia from his orchestral Images, and Ravel's Rhapsodie Espagnole may satisfy you....musically, that is.


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## Gaspard de la Nuit (Oct 20, 2014)

distantprommer said:


> Selby, re your post above. These are not, strictly speaking, Spanish music. Alberto Ginastera is from Argentina and Silvestre Revueltas was Mexican. There may be a little Spanish influence, but mainly these works are very much of their environment and the musical development of their countries.
> 
> That said, Latin American music is a descendant of the baroque era Spanish music as played and even composed in the New World, in the 17th and 18th centuries, such as the Misas and Villancicos of which there are many. One of the foremost composers was Juan Gutierrez de Padilla (1590 - 1664), Spanish born living in Puebla, in what is now Mexico.
> 
> ...


I would think it would be more so in the Caribbean, Brazil and Panama where there's a much higher African population.....not that there isn't exchange of ideas.


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## Flavius (Oct 7, 2017)

Let me suggest that if anyone would immerse himself, or herself, in Spanish music, enter into the emotional, musical ambiance of Spain, he should listen to zarzuelas. A popular art form, the zarzuela draws on the traditions of the north and south, east and west, Catalan and Andalusian: the urban sophistication of Madrid, emotional intensity of Seville. (Spain, of course, a convergence of ancient kingdoms, each with its own language, its distinct anima.)

Several of the important Spanish composers have already been mentioned. Guridi, a Basque, should also brought to a listener's attention, along with such masters as Escudero (who reaches into almost unbearable depths of loss and lament*).



* 'Illeta'. Salaberria, Baritone, Bilbao Sym. Orch./ Mena (Naxos)


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## Flavius (Oct 7, 2017)

And let me mention with a smile the Cuban zarzuelas by Ernesto Lecuona: 'Maria La O', and 'El Cafetal'....that Iberia and Africa should come together in the Caribbean!


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## CypressWillow (Apr 2, 2013)

Not Spain, but also on the Iberian Peninsula: Portugal! I recently discovered "Fado" a genre unique to Portugal, soulful, sad, intense. You may want to explore Fado sometime.

Here's something to sample by Amalia Rodrigues:


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## CypressWillow (Apr 2, 2013)

Another great artist whose first language was a dialect of Portuguese - Cesaria Evora.

And she sings "Besame Mucho" arguably the most wonderful song ever to come out of Mexico (well, I think so, anyway):






And not arguably, I declare her version(s) of this song to be the best ever!

Here she performs it in an amazing concert in, I believe, Paris and you can tell the audience went wild. It starts at about 40 minutes into the concert. She takes your heart, she breaks it, she gently tosses it back to you, and you beg her to take it again! (Can you tell I think she's wonderful?)






Hope you fall under her spell.


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## Josquin13 (Nov 7, 2017)

I'd most recommend "Iberia" by Isaac Albeniz, and the solo piano works of Federico Mompou--"Musica Callada", "Impresiones Intimas", and "Cancion y Danza":









.













Pianists that are known for their playing of the music of Albeniz and Mompou are: Alicia de Larrocha--most especially, as Mompou dedicated works to her (they were friends), Mompou himself, who recorded his entire solo piano works, Estaban Sánchez (for his Albeniz "Iberia"), Josep Colom (complete piano works of Mompou), and more recently, Luis Fernando Perez, Adolf Pla (complete piano works of Mompou), and Javier Perianes. Some have liked Jenny Lin's "Musica Callada" on the Steinway label too; while others have liked Herbert Henck's more modernist view of the same.

https://www.amazon.com/Albéniz-Ibér...526623124&sr=8-4&keywords=de+larrocha+albeniz

https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%83%A2%...1526622953&sr=8-6&keywords=de+larrocha+mompou

https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%83%A2%...526622953&sr=8-14&keywords=de+larrocha+mompou--a Japanese reissue of the same Mompou album above by de Larrocha.

https://www.amazon.com/First-Record...623720&sr=1-13&keywords=de+larrocha+eloquence--de Larrocha's first early recording of Impresiones Intimas, which she recorded a second time during the digital era.

https://www.amazon.com/Spanish-Song...1526623852&sr=8-1&keywords=de+larrocha+mompou

https://www.amazon.com/Mompou-Compl...-strip-0&keywords=mompou+complete+piano+works

https://www.amazon.com/Mompou-Compl...-strip-0&keywords=mompou+complete+piano+works

https://www.amazon.com/Mompou-Compl...8&qid=1526623390&sr=8-3&keywords=mompou+colom

https://www.amazon.com/Federico-Mom...bums-bar-strip-0&keywords=luis+fernando+perez

https://www.amazon.com/Mompou-Music...d=1526623958&sr=1-1&keywords=jenny+lin+mompou

https://www.amazon.com/Mompou-Music...623921&sr=1-1&keywords=javier+perianes+mompou

https://www.amazon.com/Musica-Calla...26624057&sr=1-1&keywords=herbert+henck+mompou

Finally, I've just ordered the following disc of piano works by Mompou & Ravel, played by Julien Brocal, a student of Maria-Joao Pires:

https://www.amazon.com/Reflections-...8&qid=1526623613&sr=1-1&keywords=mompou+ravel


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## kyjo (Jan 1, 2018)

Any of the works of composer-cellist *Gaspar Cassadó* are bound to have a strong Spanish influence. I know you enjoyed his "Dance of the Green Devil", *laurie* - I would also highly recommend his colorful Suite for Cello Solo (which I recently played for a recital).

There's also *Joaquín Turina*, whose lovely Piano Quartet in A minor I just discovered recently. He has lots of other compositions (orchestral, chamber, piano) which I'm sure are worthy, but I'm not too familiar with most of them yet.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

*Tomas Marco*´s Guitar Concerto, _Concierto del Agua_, is a rather catchy piece in simple, Spanish style.


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## ajones9999 (May 18, 2021)

Hello Members,

I'm new to this forum and I'm trying to find more info on some De Falla releases. I've enjoying this
https://www.discogs.com/Falla-Anser...estral-Music-Musique-Orchest/release/13900364

and this https://www.discogs.com/Falla-Albén...-Rafael-Frühbeck-De-Burgos-Ni/release/3232312

for Noches En Los Jardines de España both cd have same conductor, piano player and symphony. The former CD is a compilation/re-issue and the later recorded in July 1983. Are these the same recordings for Noches En Los Jardines de España?

Thank you all.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Yes, it's the same recording.


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## Eclectic Al (Apr 23, 2020)

Heck148 said:


> If you want a great disc of Spanish music -
> Reiner/CSO - the Spanish Disc - "Spain" - it contains the aforementioned "El Amor Brujo" plus other works by Albeniz, Falla and Granados...a great disc all the way - plenty of the dark, mysterious, smoldering quality of Spanish music, along with the brazen, brassy "machismo" that is also so characteristic of this wonderful music.


If you do downloads then I got the above music as part of a mammoth download from Supraphonline along with so much more. This cost 199 Czech Koruna (or about £6) at the time for about 42 hours of music.
https://www.supraphonline.cz/album/191663-fritz-reiner-the-complete-chicago-symphony-recordings-on-rca/flac

The tags are a mess (and the download process is clunky and requires perseverance), but the quality and quantity make this a stupendous bargain.


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## perempe (Feb 27, 2014)

Danzón No. 2 (Marquez)


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

laurie said:


> Manuel de Falla, "Nights in the Gardens of Spain".....
> I absolutely love this beautiful work, & am starting to explore the rest of his music; he
> doesn't seem to have been very prolific, however. Who are some other composers whose work
> was influenced by Spanish music? They don't actually have to be from that part of the world,
> ...


*Domenico Scarlatti* was born in Naples belonging to the Spanish Crown in 1685 (same year as Bach and Handel). Spanish influence is clearly evident in his famous sonatas exhibiting Spanish guitar like fast runs.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

ArtMusic said:


> *Domenico Scarlatti* was born in Naples belonging to the Spanish Crown in 1685 (same year as Bach and Handel). Spanish influence is clearly evident in his famous sonatas exhibiting Spanish guitar like fast runs.


Which may be why his music sounds so good on the guitar.






(As well as harpsichord and piano.)


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## ajones9999 (May 18, 2021)

@joen_cph How do you find this out? I'm also new to researching on Discog/Musicbrainz and would like to know how one determine this. Thanks.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

ajones9999 said:


> @joen_cph How do you find this out? I'm also new to researching on Discog/Musicbrainz and would like to know how one determine this. Thanks.


I can answer that for you. The single CD with Falla, Albeniz, and Turina was produced in 1984, as shown on the back side of the cover (included in the discogs link).

For the double CD, you have to google a bit to find an image of the back side (link). It says that the Noches En Los Jardines de España was produced in... 1984 (because it is the only DDD recording, so it must be the latest year mentioned, 1984).


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Plus, a series with exactly the same timings (+/- 1 second or so) also happen very rarely between different recordings of a work, even with the same soloists.


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## ajones9999 (May 18, 2021)

joen_cph said:


> Plus, a series with exactly the same timings (+/- 1 second or so) also happen very rarely between different recordings of a work, even with the same soloists.


Wow, I feel like a plumber in an MBA program. Thank you @Art Rock and joen_cph. I also noticed the same timings as well.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

5:18


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