I'm really looking forward to our Front Row Washington program on September 19th at 9PM ET. It features the critically acclaimed (and local!) PostClassical Ensemble and conductor Angel Gil-Ordóñez in a concert of music by Franz Liszt and Silvestre Revueltas.
PostClassical Ensemble conductor Angel Gil-Ordóñez is particularly drawn to Revueltas, saying “When you listen to Revueltas, you smell the marketplace and taste the tamales. You are in a cantina – a piano bar – drinking tequila. And you are in a culture saturated with music, with marimbas and mariachis. Music is a continuous component of Mexican life, and the Homenaje a Federico García Lorca is a perfect example of it.”
The first movement, Baile (Dance), showcases the unique sound and orchestration of Revueltas. A somber muted trumpet calls out alone before the ensemble enters and before too long, another instrument is featured, the tuba. Revueltas was one of the composers that really understood the tuba and its capability, as you’ll hear it featured in each movement and in many of his other compositions.
The second movement, Duelo (Affliction), begins again with the muted trumpet, but this time is accompanied by strings, marimba, and piano in what sounds like the slow and painful passage of time that continues throughout the movement.
The final movement, Son, is a celebration of Garcia Lorca’s life in a perfect distillation of Revueltas’ music; inventive melodies, colorful orchestration, and an exciting sense of rhythm that stays with you even when it’s over.
Join me for this program featuring the PostClassical Ensemble on September 19th at 9PM ET, and every Monday evening at 9 for live concert recordings from the Washington DC area.
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