Ponce on Sterling

[Aramiarz]

Sterling always is working in importants projects. Ponce was the Father of Mexican Nationalism, studied with Martín Krauze in Stern, more later with Dukas in París. His first piano concert named "Romantic", is a great treasure! It's the second mexican concert of 1912, the first is the Ricardo Castro's piano concert dedicated to Reinecke. I hope that Yours listen it !

[edurban]

Thank you, Aramiarz, it's good news that Sterling is working on Ponce.  I assume that the piano concerto is one of the pieces recorded?  I am also a fan of its lively blend of Lisztian heroics and sentimental Mexican song.  As you say, it was premiered at a concert in 1912, about 2 years after the composer completed it, which puts it solidly in Ponce's romantic and nationalist period, before he went to study with Dukas and more advanced trends found their way into his style.  Anyone interested in reading about this piece in depth can consult Carlos Balam Vazquez' fine 2007 Master's thesis: Manuel M. Ponce: A Critical Study of his Concierto Romantico:

http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3909/m2/1/high_res_d/thesis.pdf

Incidentally, a check of Archiv Music's website shows a dire situation for Ponce's symphonic music, always excepting the guitar concerto.  A lot of this goes back to the demise of ASV, which had most of the orchestral works (there really aren't that many) in its catalogue.  These were fine Mexican performances, some of which had earlier appeared on EMI, including Jorge Federico Osorio's account of the Concierto Romantico with the State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra conducted by Enrique Batiz.  Other works included the Poema Elegiaco, the piano and orchestra version of the Balada Mexicana, Chapultepec (not to be confused with Carlos Chavez' cheeky overture of the same name), Ferial, the Instantaneas Mexicanas, the Estampas Nocturnas and the guitar concerto (the Concierto del Sur.) In addition EMI had Ponce's last major work, the violin concerto of 1943, played by its dedicatee, Henryk Szeryng, with the Royal Phil conducted by Batiz.  I hope some of these make their way back into the catalogue...perhaps the works in new readings are on Sterling's agenda...

David

PS. Well here it is on Sterling's website, apparently released last month:

New release for August, 2014

CDS-1102 CDS 1102-2 Manuel M. Ponce

Ferial | Piano Concerto No.1 & 2 | Preludios encadenados | Cuatro danzas mexicanas

http://www.sterlingcd.com/catalogue/cds1102.html


Rodolfo Ritter is the pianist and the band is the Orquesta Sinfonica de San Luis Potosi, which sounds perfectly fine in the excerpts.  The later second concerto is apparently a fragment, whether large or small I don't know.  A minute and a half or so can be heard on the website...The Danzas and Preludios are for piano solo.  Add it to the list...

[Aramiarz]

Dear Arban,
   Congratulations for You knowledgment And interesting comments, Ritter And the OSSLP with the conductor José Miramontes Zapata, have some plans for rescue importants works of the past, unjustified forgotten!! The first piano concert by Castro, the first mexican cello concert (too Ricardo Castro!), And Oithona (the first mexican symphonic poem, too wrote by Castro!), very soon we have notices about this wonderful works! Ponce needs be revival! The great guitarra concert " del Sur", was dedicated to great Andrés Segovia, the violín concert was dedicated to Szeryng was previously will be dedicated to Heifetz!! But Szeryng arrived first to Ponce. The second piano concert is inconclusa, Ponce death before ended it. , was dedicated to his discípulo Pablo Castellanos. Ferial it's Other magical work! Mix with two melodies the past of the mexican people, the indigenous And spanish heritage. The work is dedicated to Mexican people. Soon more surprises about Ponce: Merlin inspired in Albeniz opera (Dukas recomended for this work to Ponce!), La verdad sospechosa And of course the Other concerts today doesn't available.

[edurban]

You seem to have good connections with the San Luis Potosi project...can you tell us how much of the 2ndo concierto was completed?  Was any of it orchestrated by the composer?

David

PS. Perhaps we can have a separate thread about forthcoming Castro works?  There was a performance of the piano concerto on youtube, the cello concerto was recorded by Carlos Prieto, and Alondra de la Parra recorded the intermezzo from his opera Atzimba of 1900...It seems there is a modest Castro revival underway.

[Aramiarz]

Dear David
  Ok about your comment for Castro new release! Returning to Ponce, he death in 1948, two months before in one mexican (And USA) newspapers appeared one articule where he mentioned two works that near to finished: the second piano concert dedicated to his discipule Pablo Castellanos, And one quintet with guitar dedicated to Andrés Segovia. He death without finished them  , in the case of piano concert, only two movements were registered by his wife Clema. Ponce finished the piano part, the instrumentation And the principal structure of the movements in the full score. The third movement stayed inconcluse And her comissioned to Ruth Schonthal for finished the orchestration ... 

[edurban]

Wonderful news, thank you.

David

[Aramiarz]

Dear David
what mexican composers do You like more?

[Aramiarz]

Ponce in mexican radio, Sterling release
« on: Today at 03:04 »
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http://www.codigoradio.cultura.df.gob.mx/index.php/la-vida-secreta/17123-manuel-m-ponce-genio

For whom wish to know these wonderful pieces,

[semloh]

I've tried the works of Ponce on and off over many decades and only occasionally found it attractive or interesting. I must say that I've never thought of him as a romantic composer. He was born in 1882 and although his early music is tonal and often described as 'late romantic', most of his music doesn't seem to my ears to fit UC's definition. I am happy to be persuaded otherwise, however, and will explore his music again! 

[Alan Howe]

I suspect only his very early stuff fits.

[JimL]

What a coincidence!  I just sang Mexican Radio at karaoke last night, and now Ponce's on it!

[Gareth Vaughan]

I know only three works by Ponce - all on an ASV disk I bought some time ago: the Piano Concerto No. 1 (aptly subtitled "Romantico"); the Guitar Concerto and the Violin Concerto. All are lush, tuneful, and very much the sort of music we enjoy discussing on this forum. However, the sound bite from the unfinished 2nd PC on Sterling's website, while still tonal and by no means unattractive, suggests that his later music might not be quite so welcome here.

[Aramiarz]

Dear Semloh and Gareth: thank you for your comments! I need to say that my knowledgment about Ponce's works before this project was very  poor. Now I think that he was one very gifted composer. Sadly in Mexico today has poor acknowlegdment. His early creative period is very romantic!!! For this reason the first piano concert was named "Romantic", I think so that this work will be welcome in the Hyperion series!!! What do you think about this? The second piano concert has other language. Too I think that isn't romantic.. But is very interesting!!!

[semloh]

Yes, indeed, the piano concerto is a lush, romantic work, as you say. I think it's a case of being selective.

[Aramiarz]

Dear Semloh,
Thank you for your comments! Other pieces very romantic by Ponce are: Gavota, Intermezzo, etc,     Can you listened Ferial?