Urtext has been steadily producing a fascinating series of discs of music from Mexico, using by and large Mexican musicians. Martha Molinar has a light, agreeable soprano voice, and offers here performances of some very unusual repertoire which are, in the main, somewhat understated, and, unfortunately, sometimes undermined by problems of intonation. This is particularly evident in Nebra’s Suavidad del aire inspire and Hidalgo’s Tortolilla que cantas. In addition, some of the instrumental work is rather flaccid: I often wished for more rhythmic emphasis, as little more baroque exaggeration.
Of the repertoire, I must say that the first five pieces struck me as being somewhat anonymous; it is when I reached Cuando la primavera by the Italian Ignacio de Jerusalem that my ears pricked up. This piece has some positively Vivaldian moments: Jerusalem was absolutely convinced of the style in which he was working, which is often not the case with Latin American composers, who sound more tentative. The polished pieces by Corradini and Facco are similarly impressive: the latter is particularly imaginative harmonically. Iberian and American honour is redeemed in full by Hidalgo’s splendid Tortolilla que cantas, the anonymous Para que los alados orfeos, interesting also because of its two independent bass-lines, and Zagales oid las ansias mias by the Abbot of Rusi, oddly enough a secular piece, showing a very distinctive melodic imagination. In spite of my reservations concerning the performances, nobody with an interest in this repertoire will be able to resist this disc.'