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INPRIMATU
Different and special
  • Making a new version of the monumental Iberia Suite of Albéniz is a work of great merit, taking into account the excellent recordings on the market. Therefore, the work of Luis Fernando Pérez in the recital of the Quincena Musical produced me a great admiration.
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Luis Fernando Pérez

Sheet: Quincena Musical from San Sebastian. Luis Fernando Pérez Chamber Music Cycle (piano). Programme: Albéniz ‘Iberia Suite’. Place: San Telmo Museum. Date: 4 August.

Iberia is perhaps the most important piece of Spanish piano literature and one of the music summits for piano of all time. Its twelve pieces, wrapped in four notebooks, require a first level technical and interpretative effort. It takes courage to act!

Luis Fernando Pérez has had the courage and has shown that it is possible to turn this work around and offer another version with its own personality. Another thing is that when comparisons are made, they prefer their version or previous ones. But in any case, Pérez did not hesitate to separate himself from the others.

It was an inspiring and special program. Not so much for the technical perfection of the pianist, but for the atmosphere he gave most of the pieces. We heard the impressionist elements that we were taking to the end, the sounds wrapped in the fog, very subtle ...

Maybe I thought we had heard such exquisite things say. I might prefer a cooler, crazier and more shameless version of Iberia than Pérez's. But its version is certainly very special.

I was not persuaded by the excess of expressiveness in pieces like Evocation or Almería, where sometimes the interpretation was so sweet that the melodic thread was lost.

Likewise, in one of the most beautiful pieces of El Albaicín Suit, the attempt to give that personality plus to the interpretation at some points blurred the core of the piece.

In general, he arranged very well the pieces that require a great technical effort, although sometimes the difficulties prevented a clear melodic line. That was noted in Triana, in Lavapiés (the most difficult piece, no doubt), or in Eritaña.

After all, the pianist demonstrated his own personality. So we already have a choice.