# Turina - Oracion del Torero op.34 (SQ review)



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Joaquín Turina studied in Paris under Vincent D'Indy and whilst there came to know Debussy, Ravel and Fauré, which left a big influence on his own music. Turina produced quite a lot of chamber music including piano trios, string quartets and sonatas, a piano quartet, piano quintets and a piano sextet but his most well known works are probably the Circulo for piano trio and the nationalistic 'La oración del Torero' for string quartet.
Turina originally composed the single-movement Toreador's Prayer (or Prayer of the Bullfighter), Op. 34, in 1924 for lute (or more like a mandolin of the time) and reworked it for string quartet the year later. With its Iberian flavour and shimmering Andalucian atmosphere it is an instant hit. Turina described his inspiration thus: "One afternoon, during the bullfight in the Plaza de Madrid, this old, harmonious and fun square, I saw my work. I was by the stables, and there, behind a small door, there was a chapel full of incense, where the bullfighters came to pray the moment before they faced death. Then, in all its fullness, I was presented with that subjectively musical and vivid contrast between the distant noise of the square, the audience waiting for the spectacle, and the devotion of those who come to the barren altar, filled with touching poetry. They pray to God for their lives, perhaps for their souls; for the illusion and for the hope, with the full awareness that maybe they will leave forever in a few minutes, in this arena full of laughter, music and sun … “
The Prayer of the Toreador consists of five parts: Introduction brève, Pasodoble, Andante, Lento, Pasodoble (repetición) and this short quartet is littered with pizzicato, syncopated rhythms and the influence of Spanish guitar and evokes the courage and passion as the toreador approaches his potentially fatal scenario. "Thoughts of mortality, the test of courage and honor, and perhaps a sudden nostalgia for the amorous sensuality of life turn the Toreador inward in a dreamy reflection full of longing and hope. Bright and languid harmonies suggest the amorphous and flowery romantic soundtracks of vintage movies that borrowed so much from this period of French and Spanish technicolor impressionism. The toreador's private revere turns ultimately to prayer as humility and supplication lift the music up in a chaste, golden glow." (Kai Christiansen)
The Toreador's Prayer is a wonderfully colourful slice of Andalucian music and a perfect accompaniment to a day in the the region's hot sun (like I'm enjoying as I write this). Turina's excellent piece, for me, captures a mood, an atmosphere and the beauty of the region and express the complicated passions of the the human condition in less than 10 minutes. Some may also know the orchestral version, for which it was later transcribed, as this is a popular short piece in the standard repertoire. Not many recordings to get through and there are some gems here but I've omitted the Saint John Quartet's boring, underplayed account and the Greenwich Quartet's sloppily-played performance.

Here's the Dali Quartet playing a capable, if a little sluggish, rendition (finding a very well-played live video in decent sound isn't easy).






*Recommended*

Britten - persuasive and capably played
Voces - Spanish essence but a little mannered
Skyros - straight down the middle
Pacifica - sweet, lush but overthought
Ludwig - Well-realised and dynamic
Navarra - nice but too slow
Jupiter (live) - well-balanced and scaffolded
Brodsky - a touch schmaltzy and slow
Casals - beautiful but way more Spanish fire needed.
Sacconi - a little rushed but great dynamics (this may end up higher)
Nash Ensemble — lovingly played, beautifully recorded but does it evoke the feel of Spain? Hmmm.

*Highly recommended

Arabella* - another excellent recording from their short SQ pieces album on Naxos. Yet again they are brisk, exhilarating but equally divine in their softer ensemble playing.
*En Accord* - another quartet that capture the Spanish essence of the quartet, playing with lively syncopated rhythms in the introduction and a beguiling earnestness elsewhere, capturing the bullfighter"s fears perfectly.

*Top Picks

Quartet de Barcelona *- they may not be the smoothest or best intonated here but boy do they play with a freshness and Spanish zest that plays to the music's Andalucian roots (check out the castanet-style accompaniment in the opening passage or when the theme reappears at the midpoint). Vibrant and totally engrossing.
*Talich* - gorgeously recorded, brisk account (along with the Debussy and Ravel on this disc) that has fire aplenty. Articulation and agogics are first rate and the tender last few minutes are lavish and ooze class.
*Hollywood (1954) *- this old recording, remastered on Testament, still sounds remarkable for its vintage. Rhythms are quick and the Hollywood can go from ppp to fff in a millisecond. The high strings in the middle are unmatched in their ferocity and textures are golden elsewhere. A classic for a reason.


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