The rich music of Spain is both an integral component of any classical guitarist’s repertoire and a popular genre in its own right. Impressions of Spain is therefore a fitting debut for the excellent young Australian performer, Hamish Strathdee.

In this release, he has chosen to focus on the compositional world of early 20th-century Spain. In doing so he provides a varied, but no less representative, selection from the repertoire: Rodrigo’s Junto al Generalife and the popular Tres Piezas Española, Granados’s Valses Poeticos – arranged here by one of Strathdee’s teachers, Minh Le Hoang – and Antonio José’s Sonata para Guitarra. While not wholly rare, these works will be less familiar to the casual listener.

The wonderful four-part José work is a highlight, a technically ambitious and fascinating piece bearing more resemblance to the Impressionist composers than traditional Spanish guitar music. Ravel himself was an admirer. Strathdee has produced a new performance edition based on manuscript sources and knows his way around its intricacies.

Indeed, Strathdee’s Smallman & Sons guitar is showcased on this recording (which, incidentally, has been produced by lauded Australian guitarist, Tim Kain). The performance is nimble in the more technical moments and warm and rich in subdued, melodious passages. Already the recipient of a number of awards, Impressions of Spain is a mature release for this emerging artist, and promises exciting things to come.