Turina Canto a Sevilla review

Joaquín Turina (1882-1949) was once described as a nationalist composer whose music was "almost unexportable" in spite of its great popularity in his native Spain. His orchestral music is attractively tuneful and skilfully scored. The limitation in its appeal is that other music (most famously by Falla, Ravel and Debussy) encapsulates the atmosphere of Spain with greater zest and individuality. By comparison, Turina sounds a little formulaic. The best-known piece here is the short Rapsodia sinfónica for piano (Martin Roscoe) and orchestra. But the most effective, in spite of José Román Muñoz's maudlin words, is Canto a Sevilla, a homage to his birthplace, beautifully carried by soprano María Espada. The disc includes La procesión del Rocio and the Danzas gitanas Op 55. url.ie/f1f2