Celebrate Mexican Independence Day the Unsung Composers Way!

[edurban]

Tomorrow, Sept. 16th is Mexican Independence Day, so I thought I might suggest a little appropriate music.  All of these pieces are 20th century, but none are terribly 'modern'.  The composers are not particularly unsung in Mexico, but few are household names outside their homeland.

Carlos Chavez: Chapultepec "Republican Overture"  Such fun, full of popular tunes and high spirits.

Blas Galindo: Sones de mariachi.  Speaks for itself.

Manuel Ponce:  Piano Concerto. Very Romantic, not too Mexican

Ponce: guitar sonatas (Segovia)  So lovely...

Ponce:Ferial (tone poem?)  Big and gorgeously scored

Antonio Gomezando (d. 1964)  Seis Danzas Mexicanas and the Fantasia Mexicana, both for piano and orchestra.  A total riot, Lecuona meets Waldteufel meets the mariachis.

A glass of Xtabentun, anyone?

David

[edurban]

I should mention that Brilliant classics has released a huge 8 disc set of these and many other fine Mexican pieces , played mostly under the direction of the late Enrique Batiz from the old EMI and ASV catalogues.  The price is low and the chance to sample so many fine composers is, as they say, priceless.  The Ponce Violin Concerto, played by Szeryng, is to die for, then there are all the Chavez symphonies, plenty of Revueltas...it goes on and on....

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=186346

David

[mbhaub]

Where I live, we celebrate all of the Mexican holidays con much gusto! So I'll put on H. Owen Reed's La Fiesta Mexicana, then the Chavez Symphony no. 2 (sinfonia india) and my favorite Mexican derived work, Sensemaya by Revueltas, and maybe Huapango to top it off. Accompanied with some fine Coronas and shredded beef tacos and green chili enchiladas. I'm sure glad Mexican-Americans remember how to celebrate, because Anglos sure don't.

[edurban]

Hola, that's the spirit mbhaup!  Where, pray tell, are you celebrating? 

The Gomezando pieces are not in the Brilliant collection, by the way.  They were on a Koch-Schwann all-Gomezando collection conducted by Jorge Velazco.  Not sure if it's still available...

David

[mbhaub]

I live in Gilbert, Arizona and teach in a predominantly Hispanic school in Mesa. So my wife (nee Rodriguez) and I celebrated at Arriba Mexican Food. Muy bueno! The cd in the car stereo was the new Dudamel recording Fiesta! Sure set the mood.

[peter_conole]

Hi all

A viva for Mexico. Also for an unsung and 'big surprise' work by a romantic era Mexican composer named Ricardo Castro (1864-1907). A cello concerto composed in 1895 - a melodic, large scale work timing in at nearly 25 minutes. On a label called Urtext. Castro also composed a couple of symphonies and a piano concerto...

regards
Peter