Basque Music Collection, Vol. 13

VALENTÍN DE ZUBIAURRE (1837-1914): Symphony in E, Preludes to the Operas Don Fernando El Emplezado and Ledia, Ecos de Oiz for Cello and Orchestra.

Description: Did anyone expect a 42-minute Romantic symphony to come from the Basque country? Well, this one dates from 1873 and comes from a composer who was one of the forces behind the creation of a native Spanish opera and whose total of compositions surpassed 200 (lots of zarzuelas and choral pieces apparently). The symphony is notable for its lyricism and its main influences seem to be Schumann and late Schubert; the short accompanying pieces come from the same period except for the cello-and-orchestra Ecos which is from 1889 and whose melodic charm suggests a late 19th-century "light music". Roman Jablonski (cello), Basque National Orchestra; Juan José Ocón.