The twelve extended pieces which make up Albéniz' 'Iberia' are not only the composer's greatest work, but also the greatest piano work to come out of Spain. Fired by his discovery of the music of Ravel and Debussy, Albéniz transformed his early salon style, which essentially produced charming but slight 'picture postcards' of Spain, into a language which was much more complex - harmonically, texturally and pianistically - and which created a series of tone poems which capture the spiritual essence of Spain. The superabundance of the writing also makes the cycle one of the supreme virtuoso challenges, so who better to realize the beauty beyond the notes than Marc-André Hamelin who reveals here that the previous virtual monopoly of this work by Spanish pianists may have done more harm than good.

Track Listing
Disc One: Iberia: Book 1, 2 & 3
Disc Two: Iberia: Book 4; La vega; Yvonne en visite!; España: Souvenirs; Navarra (completed by William Bolcom)