Many of the recordings on this EMI compilation have been well loved since the 1960s, and rightly so. They are some of the best recordings of Spanish songs ever made, by the genre's most distinctive voice, Victoria de los Angeles. De los Angeles could sing almost anything, from Cio-Cio-San to Brahms lieder, beautifully; but there was always a bit of extra magic when she sang in her native language, so these recordings are at the top of the list for the soprano's fans, as well as that of anyone interested in the Spanish repertory.
An effective mix of familiar favorites, like Joaquín Rodrigo's Quatro Madrigales amatorios, and relatively unknown songs, such as Oscar Esplá's Cinco canciones playeras españolas, help make this an especially engaging program. And since all of the selections are accompanied orchestrally, the inclusion of "La maja y el ruiseñor" from Granados' opera Goyescas feels very natural. The EMI engineers have done an admirable job of unifying the sound of the source tapes, which were recorded at different times and with different orchestras. Careful listening will make the differences apparent, but there are no jarring shifts of ambience or volume.
It's hard to pinpoint exactly what makes these performances so good, but it's always that way when a world-class artist sings in her native tongue, and in musical styles and idioms that have been in her ears for a lifetime. The results are just right in every way, and tremendously satisfying to hear.