Icaro [CD]

Icaro is a compelling recital for cello and piano that brings together four luminous works rooted in early-20th-century Spanish musical nationalism, enriched by Catalan folk colour and French Impressionist refinement. Cellist Alex Olmedo Duynslaeger and pianist Fiona Mato present a carefully curated programme that combines rediscovery with repertoire favourites, offering strong appeal to both specialists and a broader classical audience.The album opens with Joaquín Nin de Castellanos's Spanish Suite for cello and piano, a vivid journey through regional dances and melodies shaped by the Franco-Spanish aesthetic of Paris between the wars. A major highlight is the world-premiere recording of the Sonata in A major by Lluís Benejam, rescued from the archives of the Barcelona Conservatory: an elegant, finely crafted work that blends Impressionist sonorities, rhythmic vitality, and lyrical depth. Manuel Oltra's mature Sonata for Cello and Piano follows, notable for it's dynamic dialogue, structural clarity, and expressive intensity, before the programme closes with Gaspar Cassadó's celebrated Requiebros, dedicated to Pau Casals and performed here with remarkable freedom and character.Icaro is both an artistic statement and a discovery album: ideal for distributors seeking high-quality repertoire with premiere value, strong interpretative personalities, and a narrative that connects myth, heritage, and modern performance in a highly attractive commercial package.