SEGOVIA’S 1927-1939 RECORDINGS, Vols. 1 & 2....

SEGOVIA’S 1927-1939 RECORDINGS, Vols. 1 & 2. Andres Segovia, guitar. EMI CDH-7 61048 2, CDH-7 61049 2 (2 compact discs). These discs--part of the Great Recordings of the Century series--are a rerelease a 1980 gathering of Segovia’s earliest commercial records, from His Master’s Voice 78s. Because of the original format, most of the selections are short movements excerpted from larger works, though Ponce’s “Folies d’Espagne” (originally on two 78s) highlight the second disc. The pioneering Bach on the first disc is of largely historical value, but the performance of Malats’ Serenade which Segovia laid down in 1937 (then already 44 years old) remains a model of color and supple charm.