Enrique Batiz
Born in Mexico City of Polish and Mexican descent, Enrique Bátiz explains why his name is accented on the first syllable: "It's a Basque name...from the region of the separatists. I'm still a very independent person!" As for his musical heritage, Bátiz began as a pianist and turned to the podium fairly late by current standards. Yet since the mid-'80s, Bátiz has become one of Latin America's most widely known conductors.
Bátiz began his piano studies with his mother before his feet could even reach the pedals, and gave his first public performance at age five. After obtaining his bachelor's degree from Mexico University in 1959, he furthered his education at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and, from 1963 to 1966, the Juilliard School of Music, where he studied piano with Adele Marcus and conducting with Jorge Mester. Bátiz traveled to the Warsaw Conservatory for four years of post-graduate work, including conducting tutelage from Witold Rowicki. During his twenties, Bátiz made concert tours and radio recordings as a pianist in Mexico, Poland, and Salzburg. Eventually, though, he realized that his true vocation was as a conductor.
In 1971, at age 29, Bátiz founded the Mexican State Symphony Orchestra, of which he remained principal conductor until the end of 1982, renewing his relationship with the group in 1990. Shortly after he first secured this appointment, he set about a serious technical study of conducting with Leon Barzin. Early in 1983, Bátiz was named music director and principal conductor of the Mexico City Philharmonic, where he remained until 1989. He landed guest appearances in Europe with the Czech Philharmonic and the continent's best second-tier orchestras (Dresden, Leipzig, and the like). Bátiz became especially active in England, leading the London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. By 1984, Bátiz had secured the post of principal guest conductor with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Already, EMI had engaged Bátiz to conduct a variety of London and Mexican orchestras in what would become four well-packed CDs devoted to the works of Joaquín Rodrigo. The conductor's next significant project for EMI was Heitor Villa-Lobos' Bachianas Brasileiras, the series' third integral recording and the first to be easily available in Europe since the composer's own mono EMI version. Bátiz also devoted three ASV CDs to the orchestral music of Georges Bizet. Yet he did proselytize for the music of his own part of the world.
Bátiz once rhapsodized about the Hispanic embrace of the primitive side of life, so it's hardly surprising that "primitive" strong rhythms and bright colors dominated the interpretations of Mexican music he set to disc for ASV through the early '90s. In these recordings, one could correctly guess that Bátiz was once a child prodigy pianist who idolized Vladimir Horowitz, for Bátiz adapts Horowitz's hard brilliance to the orchestra. The tendency may be inherent to this conductor's personality. Some musicians in the Mexico City Philharmonic complained that Bátiz verbally abused them in rehearsal. And like other temperamental conductors, Bátiz channeled his aggression into a performance style that favored incisive attacks, firm accents, and fleet tempos. This is not to imply that Bátiz is always a speed demon; his very broad version of the Brahms Symphony No. 2 recorded for RCA shows an entirely different side of the conductor. Bátiz is far less concerned with setting down a performance for the ages than with documenting a performance of the moment, something fluid and evolving, caught in an aural snapshot.
© TiVo
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Rodrigo: Concertos
Klassik - Erschienen bei Warner Classics am 16.01.2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rodrigo / Ponce / Abril: Guitar Concertos
ORT - Orchestra Della Toscana, Enrique Batiz, Edoardo Catemario
Klassik - Erschienen bei Arts Productions Ltd am 04.07.2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Prokofiev: The Love Of Three Oranges
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Enrique Batiz
Klassik - Erschienen bei imp am 01.01.1983
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Liadov: The Enchanted Lake; 8 Russian Folk Songs; Kikimora
Orquesta Filarmónica de la Ciudad de México, Enrique Batiz
Klassik - Erschienen bei Decca (UMO) am 01.01.1989
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Famous Symphonic Poems, Vol. 2
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Stephen Gunzenhauser, Enrique Batiz, Ondrej Lenárd
Klassik - Erschienen bei Naxos am 20.10.1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ginastera: Harp Concerto; Estancia; Piano Concerto
Nancy Allen, Oscar Tarrago, Orquesta Filarmónica de la Ciudad de México, Enrique Batiz
Klassik - Erschienen bei Decca (UMO) am 01.01.1989
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Latin American Classics
Mexico Festival Orchestra, Enrique Batiz
Klassik - Erschienen bei Naxos am 08.08.1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Albeniz: Iberia and Suite espanola
The State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Enrique Batiz
Klassik - Erschienen bei Decca (UMO) am 23.08.1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Respighi: Symphonic Poems
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Enrique Batiz
Klassik - Erschienen bei Naxos am 01.01.1991
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Musica Mexicana Vol. 3: Halffter, Moncayo, Ponce, Revueltas
Henryk Szeryng, Alfonso Moreno, Enrique Batiz
Klassik - Erschienen bei Decca (UMO) am 01.01.1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Fauré: Violin Concerto; Berceuse; Elégie; Masques; Nocturne; Pelléas
Rodolfo Bonucci, Orquesta Filarmónica de la Ciudad de México, Enrique Batiz
Klassik - Erschienen bei Decca (UMO) am 01.01.1989
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rodrigo: The 3 Guitar Concertos - Concierto de Aranjuez; Fantasía para un Gentilhombre; Concierto para una Fiesta
Alfonso Moreno, The State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Enrique Batiz
Klassik - Erschienen bei Decca (UMO) am 01.01.1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Sheherazade / The Tale of Tsar Saltan
David Nolan, Philharmonia Orchestra, Enrique Batiz
Klassik - Erschienen bei Naxos am 01.01.1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Musica Mexicana Vol. 2
Klassik - Erschienen bei Decca (UMO) am 01.01.1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Borodin: Symphony No.2, Prince Igor excerpts
The State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Enrique Batiz
Klassik - Erschienen bei Decca (UMO) am 01.01.1984
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Musica Mexicana Vol. 7
The State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Enrique Batiz
Klassik - Erschienen bei Decca (UMO) am 01.01.1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Prokofiev: Romeo & Juliet
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Enrique Batiz
Klassik - Erschienen bei imp am 01.01.1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Musica Mexicana
Enrique Batiz, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
World Music - Erschienen bei Decca (UMO) am 01.01.1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ponce: Concierto del Sur; Piano Concerto; Violin Concerto
Jorge Federico Osorio, Alfonso Moreno, Henryk Szeryng, The State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Enrique Batiz
Klassik - Erschienen bei Decca (UMO) am 23.07.1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Musica Mexicana Volume 6
Jorge Federico Osorio, The State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Enrique Batiz
Klassik - Erschienen bei Decca (UMO) am 01.01.1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Turina
Enrique Batiz, London Philharmonic Orchestra, David Nolan
Klassik - Erschienen bei imp am 01.01.1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo