Basque composer Jesús Guridi (1886–1961) has earned particular fame and honor in his homeland, the Basque region of Spain; but his music is performed throughout Spain and internationally. The multi-faceted artists composed works in nearly all genres: operas, zarzuelas, orchestral works, chamber music, piano and organ pieces, choral music, songs and film music. This compact disc, the first in a series featuring works by Basque composers, presents a selection of compositions from various periods of Jesús Guridi’s works, offering a vivid portrait of his colorful art.

The Basque National Orchestra under the direction of Spanish conductor Miguel A. Gómez Martínez, together with the world-famous Orfeón Donostiarra Choir (which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year) and Spanish pianist Ricardo Requejo were the perfect interpreters for this production.

The project was completed in collaboration with the Basque Department of Culture and the Arts and with the support of the ERESBIL organization (the archives for Basque composers), GASNALSA (Gas Naturalde Alava, S.A.) and MCC (Mondragon Corporacion Cooperativa). The recording was made at the visually and acoustically beautiful symphony hall in San Sebastian. The cover illustration features a detail from a mural in the hall.