Katia & Marielle Labèque - España! (1994)

For those of us who feel an affinity with Spain, and I think even for those who don't, this must be an attractive disc. The Labèque sisters give us the right Iberian mixture of vigour, brilliance, shadows and languor and I readily confess to being captivated at once; occasionally I have thought these fine pianists unrelaxed, but here they seem to be thoroughly enjoying themselves in music that they know well. I suspect that they have played these pieces many times in concerts, sometimes as encores, and know how to bring the house down with them.

I have never heard a more exciting keyboard performance of Falla's ''Ritual Fire Dance'', not even Rubinstein's. This is actually a transcription by Mario Bragiotti. Indeed, save for the Danses Andalouses by Manuel Infante, every piece here is a transcription and the Labeques themselves have had a hand in that of Lecuona's exquisitely sultry Malaguena, which includes quietly plucked strings at the two-minute mark. But no one would know that this music was not originally written for two pianos, for all is idiomatic. Indeed, the transcription of Albeniz's Suite espanola and Pavana capricho is by the composer, while that of his ''Triana'' (music that beautifully blends vivacity and delicacy) is by his friend Granados. All in all, the qualities of this music are fully realized and an intimate yet atmospheric recording by Hein Dekker in London's Henry Wood Hall helps to make this a splendid issue deserving of large sales. -- Christopher Headington