Alejandro Casal - Albero: Six Recercatas, Fugas and Sonatas (2016)

Sebastian de Albero (1722-1756) was a highly talented Spanish composer, who eventually attained a prestigious position at the Royal Court of Ferdinand VI in Madrid, alongside with Domenico Scarlatti and Carlos Seixas. With his early death at age 34 a brilliant career came to a sudden end.

Albero left only two manuscripts, one of which is completely recorded here: the 6 Recercatas, Fugues and Sonatas. This rather unusual set of musical forms which each belong to a different era Albero showed his complete mastery in all existing styles. The Recercatas are free, improvisatory preludes without barlines, in which the imagination of the performer / composer is given free reign.

The Fugue is the Baroque form par excellence, and Albero wrote them in grand style of substantial proportions. The Sonatas are single movement pieces in binary form, much like Scarlattis Sonatas, revelling in brilliant keyboard virtuosity. Alejandro Casal, one of the finest Spanish cembalists of today, plays a magnificent instrument, built by Ugo Casiglia, after Antunes, measuring 2,5 meters long.

Tracklist:

Recercata, Fuga and Sonata No. 1 in D Major (Sebastian de Albero)
1 I. Recercata. Ad libitum 02:34
2 II. Fuga. Allegro 05:43
3 III. Sonata. Allegro 05:09

Recercata, Fuga and Sonata No. 2 in A Major
4 I. Recercata. Ad libitum 02:47
5 II. Fuga. Andante 09:40
6 III. Sonata. Allegro 06:49

Recercata, Fuga and Sonata No .3 in B-Flat Major
7 I. Recercata. Ad libitum 02:17
8 II. Fuga. Allegro 09:52
9 III. Sonata. Andante 04:29

Recercata, Fuga and Sonata No. 4 in G Major
10 I. Recercata. Ad libitum 02:30
11 II. Fuga. Allegro 07:24
12 III. Sonata. Allegro 05:56

Recercata, Fuga and Sonata No. 5 in C Major
13 I. Recercata. Ad libitum 02:27
14 II. Fuga. Andante 12:03
15 III. Sonata. Allegro 06:00

Recercata, Fuga and Sonata No. 6 in E Major
16 I. Recercata. Ad libitum 03:08
17 II. Fuga. Andante 12:42
18 III. Sonata. Andante 07:30