Search - Carlos Chavez, Aaron Copland, Astor Piazzolla :: Latin American Classics [Australia]

Muy caliente!

W. Morris | Pensacola, FL USA | 08/06/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While I have not listened to many recordings of these Latin American showstoppers, (all two of them currently out) I have been a fan of Michael Tilson Thomas. I have a few of his recordings (of which I have reviewed two others, check 'em out if interested) and feel he is one of the best conductors alive at this time. He has been able to make a second tier orchestra compete with the best, and even made a student orchestra put forth some top shelf recordings.



This CD is one of the latter. The New World Symphony, based in South Florida, is an orchestra of students from the finest schools across the nation and the world. They gather together and record some wonderful performances that the public should consider. I speak of this recording namely because I can say with very few grudges that it is as close to definitive as I would dare say (I don't believe in calling recordings definitive, it's not fair).



I purchased it mainly for the Revueltas "Sensemaya" but found myself being able to listen to, and enjoying, anything on this disc. The Ginastera "Estancia" is wild and fancy all at the same time. The Piazzolla "Tangazo" and the Roldan "La rebambaramba suite" receive their best printing to date. I could go on and on.



In conclusion, Michael Tilson Thomas has done it again. These performances and the sound quality are top notch. I cannot recommend this enough. Get it before it can't be gotten."

One Of Michael Tilson Thomas' Better Recordings

J. Rich | 12/09/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Michael Tilson Thomas has received a lot of press through the years, but I haven't really been that impressed with that many of his recordings. His San Francisco Symphony recordings have been major disappointments for me. They almost seem too polished and the playing, while certainly at a high level, seems to be missing a certain bite. This recording titled "Latin American Classics" is really one of the best recordings I've heard from him. The orchestra that appears here are the New World Symphony Orchestra, which is a youth orchestra assembled by MTT himself. Don't let the word "youth" fool you. These young players can play and certainly give the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela a run for their money, but both orchestras are fantastic, especially in this repertoire.



This recording starts off with Carlos Chavez's "Sinfonia India," which is a brilliant piece of music. The rhythms and harmonies are very intriquing. Chavez actually wrote this piece with his own native people in mind. He is actually referring to the "Indians" of his country Mexico. It's a great piece of music. Another highlight for me was Revueltas' very popular "Sensemaya," which is a very barbaric, ritualistic type of piece. I heard someone say it's like a Mexican "Bolero." I would agree, but this piece blows the weak "Bolero" out of the water. Sorry I had to say it! Another highlight was Ginastera's "Estancia" ballet suite. This is also a very aggressive piece that's full of energy. There are also some lesser known works here by Roldan and Caturla that are quite fine. The whole disc is thoroughly enjoyable. The playing and conducting are consistent throughout (a rare feat for MTT) and the audio quality is excellent.



Anyone interested in getting outside of their comfort zone should acquire this disc. It will hopefully inspire you to pick up some other Latin American classical recordings. Highly recommended."