Episode 365. Flying Down to Rio

Episode 365. Flying Down to Rio (Latin American Orchestral Song II)

Today is the second part of my tribute to Latin American orchestral song. Last week we explored Villa-Lobos and Revueltas; today we devote ourselves to Argentina, and primarily two composers: Alberto Ginastera, and Osvaldo Golijov, in settings by writers as varied as Emily Dickinson, Rosalía de Castro, Manuel Mujica Lainez, David Grossman, Mercedes de Toro, Alejandro Casona, and Franz Kafka; performed by Hina Spani, Phyllis Curtin, Dawn Upshaw, Nadine Sierra, Virginia Tola, Mónica Ferracani, and Miriam Khalil, among others, alongside three artists (Rayanne Dupuis, Christopher Dylan Herbert, and Ilana Davidson) who happen to be friends and colleagues of mine. The episode begins with memorial tributes to iconic writer Edmund White and beloved French singer Nicole Croisille, both of whom died this week.

RECORDINGS HEARD IN THIS EPISODE

Jacques Demarny, Henri Djian: Si l’on pouvait choisir sa vie. Nicole Croisille, arranged Jean Musy [live 1977]

Floro Melitón Ugarte: Dia de fiesta (Baladas Argentinas, No. 2). Double quintet of the Conservatorio Milano [1930]

Carlos López Buchardo, Gustavo Caraballo: Canción del carretero (Seis canciones al estilo popular, No 5). Hina Spani, Gino Nastrucci, Double quintet of the Conservatorio Milano [1930]

Alberto Ginastera, Aurora Natola: Preludio y Canto a la Aurora (Cantata para América Mágica, Op. 27). Raquel Adonaylo, Henri Temianka, Los Angeles Percussion Ensemble [1963]

Alberto Ginastera, Aurora Natola: Canto para la partida de los guerroros (Cantata para América Mágica, Op. 27). Rayanne Dupuis, Stefan Asbury, Bugallo-Williams Piano Duo, Ensemble S [Schlagzeugensemble der Musikhochschule Köln] (2013)

Alberto Ginastera, Alejandro Casona: Sinfonía Don Rodrigo, Op. 31 [excerpt]. Mónica Ferracani, Christian Baldini, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional [live Buenos Aires 15.VII.2022]

Alberto Ginastera, Manuel Mujica Lainez: Canto II. La búsqueda del amor (Cantata Bomarzo, Op. 32). Christopher Dylan Herbert, Julian Wachner, Novus NY [live New York 06.IV.16]

Alberto Ginastera, Franz Kafka: Canta II. De las cartas (Milena, Op. 37/4). Phyllis Curtin, Brian Priestman, Denver Symphony Orchestra [1973]

Osvaldo Golijov, Emily Dickinson: How Slow the Wind (Three Songs for Soprano and Orchestra, No. 3). Dawn Upshaw, Robert Spano, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra [2004]

Osvaldo Golijov, Rosalía de Castro: Lúa Descolorida. Nadine Sierra, Robert Spano, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra [2018]

Traditional Sephardic, arr. Osvaldo Golijov: Una madre comió asado (Ayre). Miriam Khalil, Against the Grain Ensemble [Joanne Wu, Juan Gabriel Olivares, Gabriel Radford, Dave Burns, Elmer Ferrer, Krastian Toczko, Alexander Sevastian, Jeremy Flower, Carol Gimbel, Raphael Weinroth-Browne, Roberto Occhipinti [live Toronto XI.2016]

Melchiorre Murenu, Francesco Ignazio Mannu, arr. Osvaldo Golijov: Tancas serradas a muru (Ayre). Ilana Davidson, Todd Palmer, Alexander Sevastian, Dan Wions, Barbara Allen, Kathe Jarka, Jonathan Bagg, Laura Gilbert, James Baker, Jered Egan, Jeremy Flower [live Electric Earth Concerts 15.VIII.2015]

Osvaldo Golijov, David Grossman: Night Messengers (Falling Out of Time). Wu Tong, Biella Da Costa, Silkroad Ensemble [Johnny Gandelsman, Mazz Swift, Kayhan Kalhor, Shawn Conley, Karen Ouzounian, Wu Man, Dan Brantigan, Jeremy Flower, Shane Shanahan, Nicholas Cords] [2020]

Alberto Ginastera, Franz Kafka: Cantus finalis. Del infinito(Milena, Op. 37/6). Virginia Tola, Gisèle Ben-Dor, Santa Barbara Symphony [2016]