DISCUSSION: John Dante Prevedini leads a discussion about Improvisation in the classical world and beyond, including contributions from David Arditti, James Lewitzke, James Ross and Steve Vasta.
RESOUNDING ECHOES: From August 2022, Robert McCarney's regular series features little-known twentieth century classical composers.
Guacamaya. Songs & Chamber Music from Mexico
DCD34286 (Delphian Records, CD)
FIRST RELEASE (17 June 2023)
Playing time: 74'56"
Tracks: 19
Booklet pages: 24
℗ 2023 Delphian Records Ltd
© 2023 Delphian Records Ltd
Main country of recording: United Kingdom
Reviewer: Paul Sarcich
Review of Guacamaya. Songs & Chamber Music from Mexico published on 13 June 2023
Mr McFall's Chamber
Jamie MacDougall tenor (tracks 1, 3, 5, 10, 12 and 19)
María Grever (1885-1951):
1 Cuando vuelva a tu lado
Javier Álvarez (born 1956):
2 Metro Chabacano
María Grever:
3 Júrame
Joaquín Gutiérrez Heras (1927-2012):
4 Canción en el puerto for cello and piano
Agustín Lara (circa 1897/1900-1970):
5 Arráncame la vida
Manuel Ponce (1882–1948):
Cuatro danzas mexicanas (Four Mexican Dances) for piano
6 Vivo – Meno mosso, espressivo
7 Vivo – Più lento
8 Vivo – Meno mosso
9 Vivo – Poco meno
10 Por ti mi corazón
Arturo Márquez (born 1950):
11 Homenaje a Gismonti for string quintet
Agustín Lara:
12 Granada
Pablo Moncayo (1912-1958):
Sonata for Viola and Piano
13 Allegro moderato
14 Lento
15 Allegro
Silvestre Revueltas (1899-1940):
Tres piezas (Three Pieces) for violin and piano
16 Allegro
17 Lentamente
18 Allegro – Allegro vivace
Manuel Ponce:
19 Estrellita
Confessing to a thirty-year love affair with the music of Mexico, Scottish tenor Jamie MacDougall enthusiastically joins forces with Delphian regulars Mr McFall's Chamber, whose involvement in Latin American music goes back nearly as far. The resulting album of songs and chamber music covers the whole of the twentieth century, charting a journey through nationalist, modernist, folk and Aztec influences to the work of Arturo Márquez and Javier Álvarez, two of the most prominent and successful composers in Mexico today. At the heart of the programme are the classic songs whose writers grew up in the drawing-room culture as well as the bars and brothels of turn-of-the-century Mexico, a repertoire MacDougall reckons the equal of the American Songbook, that should be much better known and more widely heard.
Recorded 27-29 April 2022 in the Parish Church of St Cuthbert, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.