Music from the Americas I
Venezuela!
Judging from “I” in the title, this appears to be the first in a series, and what an enticing prospect it is. This program contains music from 20th-Century Venezuelan composers, conducted by Venezuelan Domingo Hindoyan. It doesn’t get much more authentic or idiomatic than that. And as usual with this conductor, he brings the music brilliantly to life. And also as usual with this conductor, he inspires the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra to exalted heights under his direction. And Onyx Classics continues to provide vibrant, dynamic sound for them. What a transformation from this orchestra’s rather ordinary days under Vasily Petrenko!
I suppose I could stop right here, for this album is self-recommending. And, indeed, writing in detail about the music is a bit difficult with so little help from the enclosed booklet, which consists entirely of an amusing, somewhat clever narrative about the “journey” the program takes around the map as it stops along each composer’s place of origin. It even devotes the final two pages to a visual representation in the form of a map of Columbia and Venezuela to drive the theme home. While all that is interesting and entertaining, it reads rather more like a cruise ship itinerary than an informative orchestral program note. As these composers and their music are completely unfamiliar (to me at least, and probably to most), I would have welcomed a couple of additional pages dedicated to composer histories and their music.
Noting the exclamation point after “Venezuela!” in the title, I was expecting high-energy driving rhythms from this music. But that isn’t what we have here. Much of it is serene and atmospheric, full of color and intrigue rather than sheer exuberance. The first 4 symphonic poems are substantial and quite long, each lasting from 12-16 minutes, while the final two are shorter by at least half.
The program begins at nighttime with Juan Bautista Plaza’s Vigilia, which is based on a poem which begins, “It is night, the city sleeps, but we are awake”. And that’s exactly what the music depicts – the sleepiness of dusk, perhaps with lingering memories of an eventful evening. The music is perfumed with the lush harmonies of Delius and lovely string melodies above. And Hindoyan draws glorious singing lines from his violins, just as we have come to expect based on his previous recordings with this orchestra. And once again I’m reminded how this orchestra has flourished under his leadership.
Evencio Castellanos’ Symphonic Suite, Santa Cruz de Pacairigua, takes us to the more familiar (and expected) Latin rhythms typical of festive music from the region, adorned with lively melodic figures above the constantly churning rhythmic pulse. The music dances infectiously, but rather gently with a subtle waltz feel, punctuated by spectacular dynamic swells and those singing violins which are such a pleasure to hear under Hindoyan. A dramatic climax about 5 minutes in takes us suddenly to a quiet respite, once again depicting night, before returning us to the “frenzy of the fiesta” to finish it off. This is a long piece with 3 distinct sections, and is surely one of the highlights of the program.
Inocente Carreno takes us to the Island of Margaritena in his “Symphonic Exposition”, which sounds very symphonic indeed. It is much more dramatic and richly scored than the preceding works, displaying big dynamic swells and grand melodic outpourings with full orchestral forces. It is almost Wagnerian in scope and orchestration, complete with heavy marching rhythms and pounding timpani. But it’s not relentless; there is plenty of variety, with glittering woodwinds and sparkling percussion occasionally lightening the textures along the way.
It too is quite long, and I was ready to move on to the next destination, El Rio, another masterwork by Castellanos. And what a lovely thing it is – at first. The evocative, picturesque opening once again takes us to dusk, this time along a restless river, and again reminiscent of the richly perfumed atmospheres of Delius. It is colorfully scored with some luscious orchestral writing, lulling us into a blissful state of relaxation, before a vivacious dance sequence appears and soon erupts into a turbulent storm. There are hints of Debussy’s own tempest (3rd section of La Mer) here, followed by flavors of Chabrier in the jubilant rejoicing after the storm has subsided. This is another masterpiece from this wonderful composer, magnificently (and very dramatically) played and recorded here.
Antonio Estevez takes us to the plains for his Mediodia en el Llano. Its quiet opening is poignant and atmospheric, evoking the barren landscape of perhaps a desert. It’s not a lazy day though, as there is an unsettling unease underlying the calm expanse. It builds to a fine climax before taking off on its way. This is wonderful music – original, intriguing and beguiling.
Yuri Hung is the only living composer represented on the program, and his Kanaima exhibits a youthful vitality in its rhythmic insistence. It features percussion prominently (starting off with marimbas and xylophones) along with an abundance of articulated rhythms in the orchestra. This music reminds me of the Respighi of Belka and Roman Festivals, with its exotic harmonies, colorful orchestration and resourceful use of the full orchestra. It’s an immensely rewarding work which gets the heart pumping and makes a spirited concert closer.
The program is positively splendid from beginning to end, and seemed to get even better and more interesting as it progressed. Each piece is distinctly individual and creatively unique, providing an endless variety of moods and atmospheres, holding the listener captive in front of the stereo for the entirety of its 66-minute playing time. And it cannot be emphasized strongly enough the mastery of Hindoyan’s leadership and innate affinity and affection for this music, bringing it marvelously to life with authority and true conviction.
The recorded sound too is excellent. While it doesn’t quite scale the lofty heights of a state-of-the art Chandos SACD in spaciousness and sheer amplitude, it affords the orchestra (and the music) an impactful presence in a realistic, atmospheric hall, with plenty of warmth, color and dynamic power. The orchestra playing itself is dazzling, making this a most enjoyable collection.
About the production – as usual for Onyx, the cover art is highly attractive and enticing. However, the program content, as listed on the back insert and nowhere else (not even in the booklet), is printed in a tiny, very faint, tan font on the busy, pronounced, similarly-colored artwork background, making it very difficult to read. I’m not quite at the age where I keep a magnifying glass handy at all times, but I almost needed one to decipher this. This is another example of how the booklet, entertaining though it is, could have been more helpful with at least providing a legible reprint of the track listing.
But this isn’t at all detrimental to how wonderful this recording is. Overall, this series is a clever concept, presenting unfamiliar and thoroughly rewarding music, all splendidly performed and recorded. It will be most interesting to see (and hear) what they come up with next; I eagerly look forward to the next Volume.
Venezuela!
Judging from “I” in the title, this appears to be the first in a series, and what an enticing prospect it is. This program contains music from 20th-Century Venezuelan composers, conducted by Venezuelan Domingo Hindoyan. It doesn’t get much more authentic or idiomatic than that. And as usual with this conductor, he brings the music brilliantly to life. And also as usual with this conductor, he inspires the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra to exalted heights under his direction. And Onyx Classics continues to provide vibrant, dynamic sound for them. What a transformation from this orchestra’s rather ordinary days under Vasily Petrenko!
I suppose I could stop right here, for this album is self-recommending. And, indeed, writing in detail about the music is a bit difficult with so little help from the enclosed booklet, which consists entirely of an amusing, somewhat clever narrative about the “journey” the program takes around the map as it stops along each composer’s place of origin. It even devotes the final two pages to a visual representation in the form of a map of Columbia and Venezuela to drive the theme home. While all that is interesting and entertaining, it reads rather more like a cruise ship itinerary than an informative orchestral program note. As these composers and their music are completely unfamiliar (to me at least, and probably to most), I would have welcomed a couple of additional pages dedicated to composer histories and their music.
Noting the exclamation point after “Venezuela!” in the title, I was expecting high-energy driving rhythms from this music. But that isn’t what we have here. Much of it is serene and atmospheric, full of color and intrigue rather than sheer exuberance. The first 4 symphonic poems are substantial and quite long, each lasting from 12-16 minutes, while the final two are shorter by at least half.
The program begins at nighttime with Juan Bautista Plaza’s Vigilia, which is based on a poem which begins, “It is night, the city sleeps, but we are awake”. And that’s exactly what the music depicts – the sleepiness of dusk, perhaps with lingering memories of an eventful evening. The music is perfumed with the lush harmonies of Delius and lovely string melodies above. And Hindoyan draws glorious singing lines from his violins, just as we have come to expect based on his previous recordings with this orchestra. And once again I’m reminded how this orchestra has flourished under his leadership.
Evencio Castellanos’ Symphonic Suite, Santa Cruz de Pacairigua, takes us to the more familiar (and expected) Latin rhythms typical of festive music from the region, adorned with lively melodic figures above the constantly churning rhythmic pulse. The music dances infectiously, but rather gently with a subtle waltz feel, punctuated by spectacular dynamic swells and those singing violins which are such a pleasure to hear under Hindoyan. A dramatic climax about 5 minutes in takes us suddenly to a quiet respite, once again depicting night, before returning us to the “frenzy of the fiesta” to finish it off. This is a long piece with 3 distinct sections, and is surely one of the highlights of the program.
Inocente Carreno takes us to the Island of Margaritena in his “Symphonic Exposition”, which sounds very symphonic indeed. It is much more dramatic and richly scored than the preceding works, displaying big dynamic swells and grand melodic outpourings with full orchestral forces. It is almost Wagnerian in scope and orchestration, complete with heavy marching rhythms and pounding timpani. But it’s not relentless; there is plenty of variety, with glittering woodwinds and sparkling percussion occasionally lightening the textures along the way.
It too is quite long, and I was ready to move on to the next destination, El Rio, another masterwork by Castellanos. And what a lovely thing it is – at first. The evocative, picturesque opening once again takes us to dusk, this time along a restless river, and again reminiscent of the richly perfumed atmospheres of Delius. It is colorfully scored with some luscious orchestral writing, lulling us into a blissful state of relaxation, before a vivacious dance sequence appears and soon erupts into a turbulent storm. There are hints of Debussy’s own tempest (3rd section of La Mer) here, followed by flavors of Chabrier in the jubilant rejoicing after the storm has subsided. This is another masterpiece from this wonderful composer, magnificently (and very dramatically) played and recorded here.
Antonio Estevez takes us to the plains for his Mediodia en el Llano. Its quiet opening is poignant and atmospheric, evoking the barren landscape of perhaps a desert. It’s not a lazy day though, as there is an unsettling unease underlying the calm expanse. It builds to a fine climax before taking off on its way. This is wonderful music – original, intriguing and beguiling.
Yuri Hung is the only living composer represented on the program, and his Kanaima exhibits a youthful vitality in its rhythmic insistence. It features percussion prominently (starting off with marimbas and xylophones) along with an abundance of articulated rhythms in the orchestra. This music reminds me of the Respighi of Belka and Roman Festivals, with its exotic harmonies, colorful orchestration and resourceful use of the full orchestra. It’s an immensely rewarding work which gets the heart pumping and makes a spirited concert closer.
The program is positively splendid from beginning to end, and seemed to get even better and more interesting as it progressed. Each piece is distinctly individual and creatively unique, providing an endless variety of moods and atmospheres, holding the listener captive in front of the stereo for the entirety of its 66-minute playing time. And it cannot be emphasized strongly enough the mastery of Hindoyan’s leadership and innate affinity and affection for this music, bringing it marvelously to life with authority and true conviction.
The recorded sound too is excellent. While it doesn’t quite scale the lofty heights of a state-of-the art Chandos SACD in spaciousness and sheer amplitude, it affords the orchestra (and the music) an impactful presence in a realistic, atmospheric hall, with plenty of warmth, color and dynamic power. The orchestra playing itself is dazzling, making this a most enjoyable collection.
About the production – as usual for Onyx, the cover art is highly attractive and enticing. However, the program content, as listed on the back insert and nowhere else (not even in the booklet), is printed in a tiny, very faint, tan font on the busy, pronounced, similarly-colored artwork background, making it very difficult to read. I’m not quite at the age where I keep a magnifying glass handy at all times, but I almost needed one to decipher this. This is another example of how the booklet, entertaining though it is, could have been more helpful with at least providing a legible reprint of the track listing.
But this isn’t at all detrimental to how wonderful this recording is. Overall, this series is a clever concept, presenting unfamiliar and thoroughly rewarding music, all splendidly performed and recorded. It will be most interesting to see (and hear) what they come up with next; I eagerly look forward to the next Volume.
