Pilar Lorengar never achieved the fame and recognition of some of her Spanish peers, such as
Victoria de los Angeles and
Teresa Berganza; because of this, her singing is relatively unknown to contemporary listeners. Fortunately, anyone with interest can get to know this terrific soprano through The Art of Pilar Lorengar, Decca's two-disc retrospective featuring operatic excerpts and songs of Spanish composers. It is well worth the time;
Lorengar had a gorgeous voice, and at its best her singing competes with anything on record. This is especially true of the purely lyrical excerpts on the album, such as "Je dis que rien ne m'épouvante" from Carmen and "Glück, das mir verbleib" from
Korngold's Die tode Stadt, both of which would be tough to beat for sheer beauty of singing. "Dich, teure Halle" from Wagner's Tannhäuser, is an unexpected highlight; it really raises the roof. Some misfires include "Ach, ich fühls" from Mozart's The Magic Flute, which is rigid and unfeeling in its movement, and several of the Puccini arias, including "Si, mi chiamano Mimi" from La bohème, which suffers from the same lack of dramatic impulse. The second disc, featuring songs and arias by
Granados, Falla, and Turina, is rewarding; though she sometimes seems a step removed from the texts and dramatic contexts of the songs, her vocalism and native fluidity with the language help keep things interesting. Most of the selections are accompanied -- magnificently and with great character -- by
Alicia de Larrocha at the piano. Fans of
de Larrocha's who haven't heard her play these songs might want this recording for her alone.