Customer Reviews

Alberto Ginastera: Panambí (Ballet, 1937) / Estancia (Complete Ballet, 1941) - London Symphony Orchestra / Gisčle Ben-Dor

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Unfortunately, Alberto Ginastera is a composer who has been largely neglected in the past years, and this is a shame, for not only did he write music that was characteristic of his homeland, but he wrote music which was accessible to all people; even those who listen to very little classical music. The Estancia Ballet Suite is one of the most fascinating pieces of ballet music I've heard in a long time. It weaves the colorful rythmes of South American music with the lush orchestration that could only come from Ginastera. The percussion section of the LSO outdoes itself with a thrilling display of tonal power set on a fabric of intense rhythms. Altogether, this CD is a perfect addition to your collection.

I had the pleasure of seeing Gisele Ben-Dor herself (who directs the LSO in this recording) conduct the suite from "Estancia" live. At the time I had never even heard of Ginastera, but nonetheless emerged from the concert hooked for life. So picture this: take "Bolero" and "The Rite of Spring" and mash them together, and you bascially get "Estancia". Trust me, its a real knockout.