FEBRUARY 2025 | Gila Goldstein: Latin American Piano Gems | Centaur Records CRC4083

FEBRUARY 2025 | Gila Goldstein: Latin American Piano Gems | Centaur Records CRC4083

 BY RAY PICOT

This album represents the first recording by the Israeli-American pianist Gila Goldstein of Latin American classical music, with a collection of popular musical gems. In a recent interview Ms Goldstein explains that growing up in Israel she had contact with popular Latin American music, and over time her interest deepened developing “a natural chemistry with the Latin rhythms and its harmonies”. She adds “The exciting rhythmic parts of the works, combined with the pensive and wistful character, that ‘Triste’, resonate deeply with me”.

Clearly this music made a deep impression on the young pianist, as by the time of her New York debut, 20 years ago, Gila Goldstein included Ginastera’s virtuosic Danzas Argentinas in her programme. Her core repertoire included Bach, the romantic composers and from the last century, Bartok, Medtner, Poulenc and Prokofiev; over time she has gradually added a range of Latin American classical pieces.

It seems that the catalyst for this recording, was the discovery of the works of Guastavino, who’s music she first came in contact with after receiving an invitation to take part in an on-line festival of the composer’s music in 2020. Learning multiple pieces Ms Goldstein realised she could fulfil an ambition to record an entire album of Latin American piano music.

Perhaps unsurprisingly Guastavino takes the star billing on this album of over an hour’s music, with four pieces, opening with a lovely rendition of Las Niñas and for me a highlight, an alluring rendition of the evergreen Sonatina in G minor. Alongside these works we are treated to a collection of character pieces by Lecuona, Villa-Lobos, Ponce and Piazzolla. These sound newly minted under her hands which she plays most elegantly, with an understanding of the moments of wistful charm. The rhythms on most of these pieces require a lightness of touch, which Ms Goldstein consistently displays. Lecuona gems like La Comparsa are played with an instinctive understanding of the distinctive Latin rhythms. Contrast that with Villa-Lobos’ Alma Brasileira is captured perfectly taking us from its doleful opening to its dramatic central section with a sure hand. Contrast that with a delightful Intermezzo No.1 by Ponce (though the CD display wrongly identifies it as No.2) and a heartfelt rendition of Piazzolla's Adios Nonino. The recital ends with a very characterful reading of Oblivion, in an excellent and understated arrangement for solo piano by the pianist, based on Bragato's piano trio version. I felt that Ms Goldstein perfectly caught the right balance of nostalgia in these pieces with the subtle interplay of the underlying tango rhythms.

These are just a few highlights from a most enjoyable album which successfully taps into a rich vein of lightly nationalistic, romantic Latin  music, composed over the first 40 years of the last century. Though perhaps these pathways are well trodden, Gila Goldstein never fails to offer engaging and unforced performances, and she has also been very well recorded with a warm piano sound.   

 

 

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