Sara Davis Buechner - Turnia: Mujeres Espanolas (Women Of Spain) (2005)

This disc of Turina's character pieces and dances for piano performed by Sara Davis Buechner is a truly refreshing change from the seemingly endless issues and reissues of the same basic piano repertoire by the same big name pianists. Turina's miniatures are steeped in the musical idioms of Spain, but are completely original, particularly in his use of Impressionistic harmonies and juxtaposition of rhythms. Not only is the music evocative, picturesque, and virtuosic, Buechner handles it expertly, vividly, and with extreme sensitivity. Over the course of the three "Mujeres" suites on the disc, Turina moves from portrait paintings to character studies, and Buechner's approach goes right along with him. Although the Danzas Andaluzas seem more restrained compared to the other works on the disc, a similar difference in approach occurs between that dance suite and the final Bailete suite. Buechner easily moves in Mujeres de Sevilla from the delicacy of "La cigarrera traviesa" to the flashy "Mantillas y peinetas" and in the Bailete suite from the quiet stateliness of the "Danze de Corte" to the affectation of the "Fandango." The sound of the recording is a little distant and a little echoey; however, that shouldn't deter you from giving these performances a listen.