Customer Reviews

Carlos Chávez: The Complete Symphonies

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Carlos Chavez wrote 6 wonderful symphonies which have struggled to hang on to the fringes of the repertoire. When conductor Mata recorded this set, it was only the second complete rendition of the pieces (after a gritty but imperfectly played set led by the conductor).

There has not been another complete set since Mata's so that and the cheap price are good reasons for getting this. The playing and performances are clean and colorful, but I have the feeling that the London orchestra was not completely comfortable with the idiom. There is a certain stiffness and control to their playing which stifles the music a bit. Still, this set warrants 5 stars because we aren't likely to get an new set any time soon.

A word about the music itself. Chavez explored Mexican (& Aztec) folk music and the results of that research inform his symphonies to varying extents. The Symphony No. 2 positively revels in the rhythms and sounds of the land, but the folk influence is much more subdued elsewhere.

Chavez knew the great 19th century symphonies and his carry on that tradition in a distinctive way. Thus, these pieces use older forms (including a Passacaglia to end the 6th symphony a la Brahms' 4th) and counterpoint abounds. However, Chavez's spare yet original orchestral palette (combining unlikely sonorities) and edgy (but not atonal) harmonic sense rewrite the romantic symphony in a new way. Don't expect the warm, lush sound of Brahms, even in Chavez's so-called Romantic symphony. Instead, expect pieces that meld colorfulness (but not impressionism) with a certain severity. It's an odd mix, but Chavez makes it work and it produces music that is very distinctive.

This is very high quality music and it should be in your collection. Still, I hope some enterprising young conductor will take up Chavez's cause soon and give us another cycle (along with recording of Chavez's various concerted works). He deserves to be heard.

Chavez - Complete Symphonies

For years I was convinced that I knew exactly what the music of Carlos Chavez would sound like, without hearing a single note. To me it seemed obvious that any Mexican composer would automatically be a nationalist and base most of his music on the folk music of his country. That, plus Chavez's closeness to Copland in the 20s and 30s convinced me that his music would be a rather wan "Mexicana" copy of Copland's more successful Americana material. Then a few years ago I actually listened to the music of this composer and was completely blown away. Chavez was quite simply a brilliant modernist composer who just happened to be Mexican. And a more unjustly neglected composer is hard to imagine.

Chavez's six symphonies are a substantial addition to the form in modern times. They are diverse in form and mood and beautifully crafted. Though the composer was primarily self-taught, his command of modal counterpoint and 20th century harmony is impressive in the extreme. Each symphony is distinctive musical entity. The First and Second Symphonies are the shortest works, both in a single compact movement, but that's just about all they share. The First Symphony was developed from material that Chavez has written for a production of Antigone. This is the most uncompromisingly modernist music in the set. The piece is one slow movement, with material based on Greek modes accompanied by tense dissonances. It is austere, but powerfully tragic music. The Second Symphony couldn't be a greater contrast. The Symphony, called the Sinfonia India, is one of the best examples of Chavez's forays into musical nationalism. Based on mestizo music from Chavez's childhood as well as including a massive array of native percussion, this is one of the most impressive and accessible pieces in the composer's repertoire, the only work really that approaches a permanent place in the repertoire. The piece begins with a vibrant melody in wildly changing meters, contrasted with a lovely slower pentatonic melody. The piece has an austere middle section based on a haunting modal melody which climaxes and leads to a repeat of the opening material. Then, the final section of the work accelerates and introduces a new, rollicking theme, which is repeated almost verbatim over and over. The only changes are to the instrumentation, as more and more instruments and a greater battery of percussion drive the work to a rousing finale.

The third symphony is the first fairly traditional work in the cycle, written in three movements. The first is a typical sonata allegro with a jaunty main theme. The second is a charming scherzo and the final movement begins as a slow movement, but morphs into a faster finale as it goes. The work is beautifully crafted, as is the one movement 4th symphony, subtitled the Romantic Symphony. The Fifth symphony is almost neoclassical, and scored in two movements for strings alone. The Sixth symphony is also neoclassical, but with romantic overtones. It concludes with a stunning Passacaglia, perhaps the most effective since the Brahms 4th Symphony. It's a wonderful end to a truly impressive symphony cycle.

There is almost no competition for the Third, Fifth and Sixth Symphonies. The only other recordings are old vinyl releases with the composer conducting, and they have never made it to CD. The First, Second and Fourth symphony are presented on a competing disc conducted by Enrique Batiz and the State Symphony of Mexico. This latter disc also includes music from Chavez's ballet The Daughter of Colchis and the tone poem Baile, both wonderful works as well. The Second Symphony also appears on a wonderful disc of Latin American music by Leonard Bernstein in the best performance I've heard of the work. Between the Batiz disc and this one by Eduardo Mata the choice is harder. Batiz is a much less inspired conductor than Mata, but his orchestra plays with more color and fire than the LSO under Mata. On the other hand, this Vox set is the only way to get all six symphonies and it IS laughably cheap...you can buy it and still decide to get the Batiz CD later if you wish. Trust me...you'll want that one too, if only for the other Chavez material, because once you discover this unsung composer, I'm sure you'll be wanting more of his wonderful music. I know I do!

From start to finish these two CDs are simply incredible. Chavez' music is so complex, so emotionally intense that one must make a concerted effort to fully assimilate it. Yet it is work that is well rewarded. This is, simply put, some of the best 20th century orchestral music out there. I most wholeheartedly recommend it.

In many ways, this is a very difficult set to review. Not knowing anything about this music, I purchased the symphonies of Carlos Chavez (1899-1978) out of curiosity. Many sources indicate that Silvestre Revueltas and Chavez were the two leading twentieth century Mexican composers. Despite the apparent importance of these two composers, recordings are relatively few (the music of Mexican composers seems to be somewhat of a dark territory, at least in comparison to other countries). In fact, (as of the date of this review) this is only the complete set of Chavez's symphonies available.

I wish I could say that these symphonies immediately won me over and should be played by every orchestra in North America. Unfortunately, even after repeated listening of these works, I am still a little perplexed by this complex music.

Despite composing a "Sinfonia India" (Symphony No. 2), based on actual Huichol and Yaqui Native American themes, Chavez should not be considered a nationalist composer. Chavez was a self taught modernist, although he independently studied the works of Beethoven and Brahms. His style is organic in nature and based on the use of recurring motives. Other than the above mentioned Symphony No. 2, his music is not immediately accessible. Dissonances are the norm here. Much of the compositional output of Chavez could be considered sparse in terms of melodic content, as well as orchestral texture. Although I indicated that Chavez should not be considered a nationalist composer, there are small, yet detectible, elements of folk / native music sprinkled throughout these pieces. The most striking element of this music to me is the characteristic writing for the woodwinds.

Here is a brief summary of the symphonies:

Symphony No. 1 - Sinfonia Antigona (12 minutes): A single movement work based on the Greek modal system

Symphony No. 2 - Sinfonia India (13 minutes): Chavez's most popular work. This single movement work uses actual Native American themes and percussion instruments. This is perhaps the only symphony which features a prominent part for the guiro.

Symphony No. 3 (31 minutes): The four movement symphony is most traditional of the set. I find the "Allegro" second movement to be somewhat gallant, and the quirky third movement scherzo to be interesting in a comical way. Despite the interesting inner movements, the terse outer movements of this work make it somewhat difficult to get a handle on.

Symphony No. 4 - Sinfonia Romantica (22 minutes): Another single movement work. The first half of the work is slow and murky, while the second half is lively and spirited. If it wasn't for the first half of this work, I think there could be some potential for the symphony to obtain more widespread popularity. The final section of this work features a rollicking syncopated melody, and is probably my favorite part within the six symphonies.

Symphony No. 5 (23:43): This symphony, scored for strings only, is neoclassical in nature. The string writing here reminds me a bit of Einar Englund's fourth symphony (Chavez's symphony came first though). The work concludes with a propulsive finale.

Symphony No. 6 (34:28): Concluding with a monumental passacaglia, some consider this to be Chavez's masterpiece. The passacaglia theme is initially presented by a tuba, which is followed by 34 (!) variations, then a set of two more variations within a fugal structure. The work concludes with a set of six more variations, followed by a coda in which Chavez, somehow, makes a C major chord sound ominous. All of this sounds interesting in theory, but the casual listener will definitely find himself or herself lost in Chavez's orchestral writing in this long (17 minute) movement.

So what does all this mean? Well, I liked the second symphony and I liked parts of the third and fourth at first listen. For these, I am glad I purchased this set. After repeated listening, some of the material in the fifth and sixth symphonies is yielding some pleasure. Additionally, this is an important release, given it represents the only complete set of Chavez's symphonies. And, how about that bargain price - it's tough to regret an eleven dollar purchase. Yet, in conclusion, I have come across so much fantastic music by virtually unknown composers, which is both immediately accessible and wholly characteristic, that this set in comparison, seems just a bit mediocre. For those new to Mexican classical music I would recommend starting with the less modern music of Revueltas ("less modern" is used in a relative sense here). For those who know and enjoy the style of Chavez, this set is wholly recommendable, given the price, the completeness, the detailed program notes, as well as the good playing by the LSO, although I am sure an orchestra which is more familiar with these works could add just a bit more excitement.

CD 1 - 63:58
CD 2 - 71:03

Let me first say that I'm a fan of Chavez's music, but this collection, recorded for the Vox label, is not a first-choice purchase for those interested in Chavez's music. One of the first problem lies with the London Symphony Orchestra. This orchestra, while obviously world-renowned, are not committed to this music. There's almost no energy or intensity being generated from their playing in this set. The second problem lies with Eduardo Mata. He has actually turned in much better accounts of Chavez on the Dorian label. His performances on the Dorian recordings are so good they will make you think what was he thinking with these performances? These two problems are what makes these performances uninspired and unenjoyable for me. The last problem is with the overall audio quality. It simply is subpar and doesn't even compare to Mata's Dorian recordings.

The unfortunate part in all of this is that this is the only complete modern Chavez symphony set available on the market. I'm not sure why. The music is very good and deserves better, more committed performances. That said, there are better recordings of Chavez's music available elsewhere for purchase:

Musica Mexicana: This 8-CD set collects a lot of Chavez's music, but it only contains three of the symphonies but the performances are much better than those found on the Vox set. The performances are also more committed and enthusiastic. The conductor for this collection is Enrique Batiz who is a strong advocate of Mexican classical music. All of these performances were originally released on the now-defunct ASV label.

Latin America Alive: This 6-CD set collects a few of Chavez's compositions like "Sinfonia India" and the seldom heard ballet "Horse Power Suite." Eduardo Mata conducts the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orch. of Venezuela in this survey of Latin American music.

These two box sets should keep you busy for awhile. There have been several recordings of Chavez's "Sinfonia India" outsite of the Vox and the recordings I recommended:

Tangazo: Music of Latin America: A great collection of Latin American music led by Michael Tilson Thomas. This Argo release is now out-of-print, but has been re-released under the Decca Eloquence label under the title of "Latin American Classics."

Latin American Fiesta: This recording is out-of-print, but it can be purchased as a download, it is worth it just to hear how Bernstein plays "Sinfonia India." Truly a spectacle to behold.

As you can see, there are plenty of high quality recordings of Chavez's music outside of this medicore Vox set. My suggestion, if you want to hear Chavez done right, is to seek out the recordings I recommended and pray that someone like Gustavo Dudamel records a complete cycle of Chavez's symphonies.

Not all of these symphonies are pleasant on the ears. You might be under the impression (because of Bernstein's advocacy of the Sinfonia India) that this music is all lush and exotic orchestration and exciting rhythms. But it isn't. Most of it is spiky, and some of it is meandering.

The best symphonies here are Nos. 1, 2, 4, and 5. But even Nos. 4 and 5 are harder than most other symphonies. The technical inventiveness is here, but it's the accessibility that's the problem. Chavez's style is quite hard to get used to.

If you're one to go for complete sets, this is the only one out there. And it's a great one in respect to artistic performances. The LSO and Eduardo Mata make a great team in playing this music for all it is worth.

This is very recommendable release of some very interesting music in good (if not ideal) performances and good presentation - despite the "cheapish" look of the set, it contains an interesting and extensive essay and notes on the music. The music of Carlos Chavez isn't as easy and straightforwardly approachable as the music of his contemporary Revueltas - it is grittier and heavier, toying with atonality and dense polyphony, but at its best it is almost intoxicating, and always interesting. Chavez's style is heavily based on traditional Mexican music, but to a large extent material of pre-Hispanic origin arranged into the opulent sound-world of a large, late-romantic orchestra (but there is nothing romantic, really, about this music). The resulting style doesn't really sound like anyone else I can think of. There are elements of Villa-Lobos, perhaps, and perhaps even more elements of modern composers such as early Varese, Bartok and Stravinsky, but the game of identifying influences is not one that immediately suggests itself upon hearing this music. Structurally, these symphonies also depart in significant ways from traditional Western forms - perhaps contributing to the relative "difficulty" of this music and its lack of general international recognition. The second symphony, the Sinfonia India, is the only one that is relatively well known, and it isn't completely representative, lacking as it does the symphonic sweep of the other symphonies (working more on the level of a dramatic, highly effective tone poem). It exists, for instance, in a blistering performance under Bernstein - and that comparison is the main reason why this set does not receive a top score from me. While the performances are in general, as already mentioned, good, the Bernstein one is on a different level altogether and strongly suggests that there is even more fire and intoxicating drive and power in this music than the LSO under Eduardo Mata is able to find.

The first symphony (there is an early, unnumbered symphony as well, which is not included in the set) dates from 1933 and is subtitled "Sinfonia de Antigona". It is a rather austere work, generally solemn and slow, densely polyphonic and gorgeously scored - somewhat Stravinskian in conception though with a spirit of its own. It is not the easiest work in the set, but one that ultimately rewards concentrated listening - the contrast to the fierily vibrant second (from 1935) is striking. The third dates from 1951 and is a gnarly, resolute score opening with a burst of rage giving way to a more tempered, impatient austerity until hope finally dawns in the finale.

The last three symphonies appeared in relatively short order. The fourth (Sinfonia Romantica) is perhaps the least satisfying of the set, trying too hard to incorporate some crowd-pleasing melodic material without really succeeding. The work is polyphonic and dense, and the "Romantica" nomer unclear - it is a tad more lyrical, perhaps, than his other symphonies, and the final part is stridently cheerful. The fifth has elements of a concerto grosso. It is scored for strings alone, but that does not prevent the work from coming across as a massive, colorful boulder of a work. It is still one of the most inventive of the symphonies and is full of imaginative touches, patterns and rhythmic tapestries. The sixth is also a very rewarding work espousing some of the open-air qualities of Copland's music but always within the (wide) confines of Chavez's personal style. It opens broadly and optimistically, but its crowning glory is the vast and imposingly mighty Passacaglia finale which developes into a bracingly muscular fugue; a major achievement of striking, smoldering, even volcanic power.

In short, the repertoire here is overall very rewarding, but also surprisingly varied - even though the compositional voice remains consistent throughout. It is, again, definitely not easy music, gritty and rocky and eruptively fiery, often densely polyphonic in a manner that almost reminds one of Milhaud's bitonality at its most strident - but still always full of colors and atmospheric shadings. The performances are, as mentioned, good to very good; Mata certainly had a thorough understanding of this music, and the orchestral response is idiomatic and spirited. But there is still a level of ferocity and forward momentum that is sometimes missing, however. Yet it would be a mistake to overlook this set for that reason (chances that some even more brilliant set of performances are going to come along are relatively slim, I suspect). The sound quality is a little dry, but generally very good - well-balanced and clear. A firm recommendation, then, if not quite the final word.

This 2-CD set containing the six symphonies of 20th century Mexican composer Carlos Chavez is essential for fans of 20th century symphonic music. One reviewer here asks what those who are not Chavez fans should do with this set. Well, in my opinion, one doesn't have to be a Chavez fan to appreciate this music. These symphonies are not any harder on the ears than the symphonies of Shostakovich and Prokofiev. (Think about the former's Eight Symphony and the latter's Second Symphony.) Chavez may well be deemed "the Mexican Shostakovich" just as Gramophone Magazine once called Roy Harris "the American Sibelius." Chavez's symphonies span the spectrum of quiet, almost entrancing music, to loud, explosive passages full of fury. His sounds can be sparse and hard or full and thrillingly exciting. The most famous is No. 2, which has been recorded by Leonard Bernstein. Most have only been recorded one or two other times and this is the ONLY complete set of the symphonies available. (The only other complete set to have been recorded is one conducted by Chavez himself, now out-of print, but the small Mexican orchestra he worked with is no match for the London Symphony Orchestra, nor is his analog sound a match for the full digital sound of this set, even if the sound of this Vox set isn't as amazing as ASV's always outstanding sound.)

As for these performances by Eduardo Mata and the LSO, I respectfully disagree with the most recent reviewer who says they are sub par. It is true that Enrique Batiz's performances of nos. 1, 2, and 4 on ASV are great but, interpretively, they are not better than Mata's. Mata was Chavez's foremost disciple and he knows this music better than anyone else. The LSO, while perhaps not as at home here as in more "standard" reportoire, gives very confident and convincing performances of all six symphonies. Both MUSIC WEB INTERNATIONAL and GRAMMOPHONE Magazine praised the performances by the LSO in this Chavez set. The standout symphonies to me are (besides the famous No. 2) Nos. 3, 4, and 6. (No. 5 is a string symphony, and while it sure has its moments, I don't enjoy it as much as the others. No. 1 is really good from about 5 minutes in until the end, but the first few minutes are really sparse and acerbic.) No. 3 has some really good climaxes and a really playful scherzo and it is an undiscovered masterpiece. No. 6 may be the best of the lot, a big work set in an epic canvas, with a finale that is sort of a 20th counterpart to the finale of Brahms' Fourth Symphony.

Even at full price, this set would be essential for fans of 20th century symphonic music. At the price of 2 CDs for less than one full-priced CD, this Vox set is a steal. Get it while you can!

Chavez was definetely not really influenced by the "nationalist" school in music. On the contrary, his music is modern, dense, complex, often atonal, but ultimately worth listening to. I immediately liked the First symphony. It is sparse, but intense. The Second symphony is more easy to understand, and the use of folk-like material more obvious. The Third and Fourth are built on motifs, which are treated unequally, and are freely varied. They need to be listened to a number of times to be rewarding, although some listeners with a musical background may think otherwise. The remaining symphonies have a neo-clasical feel with a clearer couterpoint.
This is highly original music for the most part, and the only qualification I found is the playing of the LSO, while satisfying in ensemble, they seem less "free" than they could be in this music. For the price, this set is worth considering, especially for those who want to get off the beaten track.

The only work of Chavez I knew before buying this CD set was his Toccata for percussion instruments. Now after exploring his symphonic music I don't really find that ''nationalistic'' inspiration most people relate him to but a rather more eclectic orientation as a 20th century composer he was. In these symphonies there's that mesmeric mixture of thesis that seem more acceptable to form a more modernist style, a thing I don't doubt on him now that I know he was a self-taught composer. It is Chavez' sense of orchestration what makes his musical language interesting, I specially liked the 1st, 2nd and 5th of these symphonies. I don't doubt Chavez is among the best composers of 20th century's changing classical music. I think it was worth buying this 2-CD set but let me say I've heard better interpretations of Chavez symphonies by other world orchestras.