Per la flor del lliri blau (‘For the flower of the blue lily’) is one of Rodrigo’s most important works and employs considerable orchestral forces. Based on a medieval Valencian legend, its music is constructed around two principal motifs, one lyrical, the other epic in nature. The symphonic poem A la busca del más allá (‘In search of what lies beyond’) was dedicated to NASA and is arguably Rodrigo’s boldest orchestral work. Its fragmented discourse, complex writing and unusual timbre vividly depict the notion of ‘beyond’ – an allusion to space exploration. Three much simpler works complete this disc, among them Dos danzas españolas (‘Two Spanish Dances’) written for the unusual pairing of castanets and orchestra and performed by Lucero Tena, for whom the work was written.