Hi David,

This piece is my favorite Granados piece too. I'm talking about "Coloquio en la Reja" (Dialogue at the Window). I've played/recorded "Maiden and the Nightingale too but that's not the one on this thread. I'm sort of confused. Oh well....thanks anyway.

Hi Monica,

Sorry about that confusion! I hadn't listened to this Granados work for 5 years or more, and for some reason I thought No. 2 was the Maiden and the Nightingale, but I just looked it up and it's the last! It's probably a good idea, if pieces are titled, to include the title in the header. (I always do that where applicable.) OK, so let me switch gears a bit. My comments on Granados' style in this set still holds true, as do my comments about your fine playing. So I still maintain that you played this "Love Duet" very well indeed. All the pieces in this set are difficult to play, So my hat is still off to you!

David

Bravo, Monica! Great musical outlook on such a conceptually difficult piece. Your interpretation was superb throughout and the deep understanding for the music was conveyed beautifully. Even the hidden melodies were clearly played. I like the recorded sound and reverb processing - it's fantastic! Everything gelled together seamlessly in this recording. Now the question is: What about No. 3???

Oh George - you just made my day! Thank you!!!

What about number 3? haha - that's your baby, remember?

I know little of Granados or of Spanish music in general, having never really studied any of it, so I thought I'd give this a listen. Concerning Granados, I've always liked what I've heard, though it also makes sense to me that, compared with the French composers, especially Debussy and Ravel, it's never enjoyed as secure a place in the "standard" canon of classical music. But I know how passionate you are about Granados, so I should probably keep my mouth shut about that

As for the performance, I really enjoyed it. Maybe in a few places, it seemed a bit rambling and unsure, but that could also partly be attributed to the music, which seems very complex and unpredictable rhythmically and harmonically. In the climaxes, I thought you displayed great lyrical sensitivity and brought out the orchestral sonorities well. You could perhaps aim for slightly greater rhythmic precision and retention, especially in the Spanish-flavored dance rhythms near the end -- in a word, a bit more freedom perhaps. There's some wonderful phrasing in here, which could benefit a bit more from a fluid finger legato. This might be in part due to the pedal usage, which is a tad generous in places (I do think your pedaling has improved tremendously over some of your earlier recordings I have heard though). Have you tried practicing the right hand separately without pedal? Great and very musical ending. The smorzando and ritenuto are very well timed.

Despite the nitpicks, a convincing performance. You make me really like this music

Joe

Thanks, Joe. I don't totally agree with your assessment, but I appreciate the feedback nonetheless. Now go and listen to some more Granados....