La Spagna

LA SPAGNA

XV, XVI, XVII Centuries

Capilla del Colegio Imperial de Madrid

Gregorio Paniagua

Reissued on 180g Vinyl for the First Time Since It Was Recorded!

Half-Speed Mastered from Original Master Tapes by Stan Ricker! Pressed at Pallas!

On The Absolute Sound List of Must-Hear Audiophile Recordings!

This double LP set has resided on The Absolute Sound's 'Super Disc' list since dinosaurs ruled. It has an incredible variety of music and instruments from a 200-year period. There are no voices. The sound is very clean, transparent, complex and extended in the highs. The harmonic richness and decay within the hall is outstanding. The soundstage is very deep, but it is not unusually wide.

The disc is simply ravishing. It's a classic analogue recording from 1980, lovingly produced, engineered and edited by Robert von Bahr using a Revox A77 and two - presumably spaced — simple Sennheiser MKH105 omni condenser mikes (vintage early '60's design); it amply shows the merits of a simple signal path, combined with minimal intervention and post-processing.

The recording immediately astonishes with its fluid, natural and utterly truthful sound, And the acoustic of the Chapel of the Imperial College, Madrid is just beautiful. The music, all 80 minutes of it, features variations on three archetypal Spanish themes (La Spagna, a Spagnoletta and Pavane), as interpreted by different composers such as Praetorius, Farnaby, Negri, Josquin Desprez, Ortiz and others. Aided by impeccable playing and 'realisation' of the basic themes, the end result is lively, fun and eclectic.

This is the very first audiophile version of this disc. 

Features:
Pressed!
• 180g Vinyl
• 33 1/3rpm
• Double LP
• Half-Speed Mastered from the Original Master Tapes by Stan Ricker
• Plated and Pressed at Pallas in Germany
• Gatefold Jacket

LP 1 - Side A: 
1. Spagna Contrapunto
2. Spagnoletta
3. Danza alta, sobre "la Spagna"
4. Basse dance du Roy de Spaingne a XLIIII notes a VI mesures
5. La Spagna
6. Basse danze (la Spagna)
7. Triste Espana
8. Historia Baetica
9. La Spagna
10. Calata a la Spagnola I
11. Calata a la Spagnola II
12. Calata a la Spagnola III
13. Calata a la Spagnola IV
LP 1 - Side B:
1. Spaniol Kochesberger
2. Spaniol tancz
3. The Old Spagnoletta
4. Spagnioleta
5. Triste Espana
6. Re di Spagna
7. La Bassa Castiglya - Falla con Misuras
8. La Spagna
9. La Spagna
10. Olvida tu Perdicion Espana

LP 2 - Side C:
1. Spagnioler tancz - Hopper dancz "Spagna"
2. Spanieler
3. Espagnoletta
4. Spagnoletto - Villancico di Spagna - Pavaniglia di Spagna - Spagnoletto da capo
5. La Spagna a 5
6. Recercada primera sobre canto lliano la Spagna
7. Recercada segunda
8. Recercada tercera
9. Recercada quarta
10. Recercada quinta
11. Recercada sesta
LP 2 - Side D:
1. Gagliarda quarta a 5 alla Spagnola
2. Een spaense voys
3. Pavana hispanica
4. The Spaynard
5. The Spanish Pavane
6. Triste Espana
7. Espagnoletta
8. Ricercar Spagnuola "duna cossa spagnola"
9. Ain spaniyelischer hoff dantz
10. Tres sobre el canto llano de la alta (sobre la Spagna)
11. Triste Espana
12. Spagnoletta nuova al modo di madriglia
13. Furioso all spagnuola
14. Padvana hispanica

He tenido la oportunidad de oir los Test Pressings de esta grabación y son sorprendentes. La grabación es perfecta, más detalle imposible, una presencia digna de un directo y la interpretación de estas obras poco conocidas está a la altura del resto de las grabaciones de Paniagua, sublime.