FLORENCIO ASENJO (b.1926): Palm-of-the-Hand Tales, Basile's Pentameron, The Batrachomyomachia.

Description: Asenjo's principle of developing a musical narrative by presenting new, contrasting material in a sequence of logically unfolding stages of argument rather than through thematic development in the conventional sense is very effective in his suites of short movements, such as these. It helps, of course, that his material is tonal, attractive and melodically memorable, and that within each movement the music is strongly characterized, with clearly delineated personality and dramaturgy. As each piece is self-contained, the absence of common material is no obstacle to the evolution of an overall character to each suite. Palm-of-the-Hand Tales represent a subjective response to aphoristic, ambiguous stories by Yasunari Kawabata. Each brief movement tells its own vividly characterized story. Basile's Pentameron similarly depicts archetypal folk-tales, in the same richly tonal language, warmly expressive, unabashedly melodic and programmatically vivid. Slovak National Symphony Orchestra; Kirk Trevor.