If you want to anger Spanish officials, play the Himno de Riego. It works best when you do it while they’re expecting the Marcha Real, the official national anthem. This record is full of these tunes that evoke strong reactions. The Civil war might have ended in 1939, but most Spanish people will still choose one of the two sides in the conflict.
The cover shows part of Guernica, the enormous painting by Picasso. He painted it during that same Civil war, as a reaction to the bombing of the historical city of Guernica by the German Luftwaffe. In cubist style Picasso portrays here the atrocity of the first terror bombing in modern history.
This is a record that any history aficionado would love to have, and so do I. At the same time, I wasn’t that impressed with the delivery. For a collection of hymns it is all a bit bland in the performance. In that regard it is interesting to see that the performers are not mentioned, except on the label. The collection is curated and described by French film maker Frederic Rossif, someone I remember from working with Vangelis.