Violinist and composer Joan Manén may be a relatively unknown figure today, but in his time (1883–1971) his popularity was in the same league as fellow Spaniard and cellist Pablo Casals. As a performer Manén gave more than 4,000 concerts, travelled around the world five times, and made the first recording of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. Fortunately he also had time to compose. Raymond Bisha introduces his little-known but highly attractive Violin Concerto No. 1, Concerto espagñol. It’s paired on this new release with Édouard Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole that brims with attractive melodies and bristles with ingenious and virtuosic passagework reflecting the phenomenal technique of its dedicatee, Pablo de Sarasate.
View album details of Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole and Manén’s Concierto español at naxos.com
Catalogue No.: 8.573067
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