Albeniz - Piano Sonatas No 3,4,5 & Suite Ancienne No. 1,2

Albéniz wrote seven piano sonatas during the 1880s, but only Nos. 3, 4, and 5 survive as complete works. As with so much of his output they are now better known in the form of guitar transcriptions – at least for Nos. 3 and 5 – but the piano originals show the same fantastical imagination and romantic temperament as his masterpiece Iberia, while conforming to a more conventionally Classical form. Their craftsmanship in harmony, scoring, and voice-leading are beyond reproach, but it is the lyric sweep and often playful touches of harmony that secure their place on the fringes of the repertoire.

Sebastian Stanley is a British pianist who has specialised in the piano music of Spain, making well-received recordings of the Danzas Espanolas and Goyescas by Granados. This is his debut album on Brilliant Classics, enhanced by booklet notes by the noted authority on Spanish piano music, Walter A. Clark.

This new recording presents the three complete piano sonatas, the numbers 3-4-5, as well as two beautiful Suites Anciennes, which contain baroque dance forms in romantic disguise. This is a beautiful recording by young pianist Sebastian Stanley, who has Spanish roots in is ancestry. His recording of Granados’ Goyescas received 5-star reviews in Fanfare, and American Record Guide.

The liner notes in the booklet were written by Walter E. Clark of the University of California