Chávez: Sinfonia India, Sinfonia de Antigona & Sinfonia Romantica

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This is composer Carlos Chávez himself who conducts these recordings of his own works, made in 1958 with the New York Stadium Orchestra. This is an orchestra “for the occasion”, gathering without any doubt the best musicians from the various New York orchestras, which is confirmed by the list of conductors that were at its helm: Stokowski mainly, Bernstein sometimes. This is thus one of these extraordinary concert and studio orchestras, and it must be said that these Chávez sessions are truly exceptional: the composer instills his incredible vital rage to these musicians, in his first (Sinfonia de Antigona, 1932), second (Sinfonia India, 1936) and fourth (Sinfonia romantica, 1952) symphonies. The titles have been coined by Chávez, and it should be made clear that “India” actually applies to the pre-Columbian civilizations from which come singular ritual or folk chants, perpetuated by the Ancients, up to and including during our time: nowadays we would probably talk about “pre-Hispanic” or “Native American” symphony. These historical recordings have of course been subject to a superb remaster, so that them being around sixty years old really doesn’t show. A must-hear. © SM/Qobuz