Piano Music, Vol. 1 - 3 Impromptus / 3 Divertimentos / Sonatina para Yvette / Recondita Armonia

"Jordi Masó continues a pilgrimage to bring international recognition to the piano music of his native Spain, now moving to the works of Xavier Montsalvatge. Born in Catalonia in 1912, Montsalvatge studied composition at the Barcelona Conservatoire, his early influences coming from his deep love of French music, and Debussy in particular, a fact ever present in the Three Impromptus. It was his first published work written at the age of 21, and was to signpost a composer wedded to tonality in works that would gain a ready public acceptance. Those naughty pieces beloved of the French shaped the Divertimentos, and we were still in France for the Sonatina inspired by his five year old daughter, Yvette. It uses as the theme for the final movement, Ah, vous dirai-je, Mamon, a song she sang at the time. The last of the substantial works, the 'piano concerto', Recondita Armonia, was derived from an unperformed string quintet. There is here a conflict of dates, the notes claiming it to be from 1995, though the back insert has 1955 for its composition and this has to be correct. It is a score full of modern crunchy harmonies, but is tuneful and full of joy. The orchestral role is for strings and has an attractive cello solo to introduce the second movement, though it is not a highly demanding accompaniment. The remainder of the disc is given to five short pieces, the Elegia a Ravel-a reworking of the second of the Three Impromptus-while Divagacion is an amusing piece of 'wrong' notes, and originally for an opera, El gato con botas (Puss in Boots). It is a mood that continues in the short Sketch from 1966. So much of excellence has come from Jordi Maso, we almost take for granted his immaculate playing, and he is much at home in the happiness the disc exudes. Good support from his native Granollers orchestra, and the engineering is first class."
(David's Review Corner)