Alberto Ginastera - The Complete Piano and Chamber Music Vol. 3 [1994]

01. Dos Canciones, Op. 3 (1938) - 1. Canción al árbol del olvido [0:02:29.65]
02. Dos Canciones, Op. 3 (1938) - 2. Canción a la luna lunanca [0:02:01.10]
03. Cinco Canciones Populaires Argentinas, Op. 10 (1943) - 1. Chacarera [0:01:19.05]
04. Cinco Canciones Populaires Argentinas, Op. 10 (1943) - 2. Triste [0:03:07.20]
05. Cinco Canciones Populaires Argentinas, Op. 10 (1943) - 3. Zamba [0:01:12.52]
06. Cinco Canciones Populaires Argentinas, Op. 10 (1943) - 4. Arrorró [0:02:04.58]
07. Cinco Canciones Populaires Argentinas, Op. 10 (1943) - 5. Gato [0:01:48.02]
08. Las Horas de una Estancia, Op. 11 (1943) - 1. El alba [0:04:02.38]
09. Las Horas de una Estancia, Op. 11 (1943) - 2. La mañana [0:02:47.02]
10. Las Horas de una Estancia, Op. 11 (1943) - 3. El mediodía [0:02:47.50]
11. Las Horas de una Estancia, Op. 11 (1943) - 4. La tarde [0:04:40.38]
12. Las Horas de una Estancia, Op. 11 (1943) - 5. La noche [0:04:41.35]
13. Pampeana 1, Op. 16 (1947) (Rhapsody for V & P) [0:08:25.00]
14. Quintet, Op. 29 (1963) - 1. Introduzione [0:03:47.25]
15. Quintet, Op. 29 (1963) - 2. Cadenze I per viola e violoncello [0:02:21.57]
16. Quintet, Op. 29 (1963) - 3. Scherzo fantastico [0:03:49.55]
17. Quintet, Op. 29 (1963) - 4. Cadenze II per due violini [0:03:14.73]
18. Quintet, Op. 29 (1963) - 5. Piccola musica notturna [0:03:30.70]
19. Quintet, Op. 29 (1963) - 6. Cadenza III per pianoforte [0:02:40.10]
20. Quintet, Op. 29 (1963) - 7. Finale [0:01:30.10]

Ian Hobson - Piano
Alberto Portugheis - Piano
Stephen Bingham - Violin
Olivia Blackburn - Soprano 
Marina Gillam - Violin
James Halsey - Cello
Sherban Lupu - Violin
Brenda Stewart – Viola

ASV's series of Ginastera's complete chamber music may have revealed some gems, but the quality has been somewhat variable. It certainly contains some stylistic diversity, and no issue displays that diversity more conspicuously than the volume at hand. Here we have the mildly exciting, deeply folk-inspired Pampeana no.1, several unashamedly populist songs that come across as popular or world music rather than classical music, and Ginastera's later, forbiddingly atonal (but ultimately very rewarding) piano quintet. The Pampeana no.1 is well played by Sherban Lupu and Alberto Portugheis, and may perhaps be the track to sample for most newcomers to this music (although the music is hardly very substantial).

The piano quintet (composed sixteen years later) is thoroughly avant-gardist with serialist and aleatoric elements coexisting rather convincingly in a classical structure. It is actually a rather stirring work (and the technical demands on the players pretty substantial), especially the otherworldly scherzo and the lively finale. The performances are convincing, though, and this is surely a work worth discovering even though the contrast to the other works on the disc could hardly have been greater.

The songs are pretty slight, however. Olivia Blackburn's performances are less informed by classical song traditions than by world music, and to be perfectly honest I was not very impressed - that may, of course, be because the style isn't entirely my cup of tea rather than a reflection of any shortcoming on the part of the composer or performers. Summing up the disc is rather hard, then, and while there is certainly music here for any taste, it seems also bound to contain music that any given listener will not particularly care about - for me, it was certainly the piano quintet that came across as the (by far) most interesting work. At least the performances seem consistently fine, and the presentation is good. Maybe the best recommendation is to sample before purchase (if possible). ---G.D., amazon.com

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