The Latin Album

Alberto Ginastera (Composer), Astor Piazzolla (Composer), Agustin Lara (Composer), Aaron Copland (Composer), Alberto Dominguez (Composer), Cesar Villalobos L. (Composer), Jacob Gade (Composer), Camargo Guarnieri (Composer), Damaso Perez Prado (Composer), Rafael Hernandez (Composer), Jose Pablo Moncayo Garcia (Composer), Osman Perez Freire (Composer), Peruvian Traditional (Composer), Oscar Lorenzo Fernandez (Composer), Mexican Traditional (Composer), Keith Lockhart (Conductor), Boston Pops Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Boston Pops Orchestra
• Conductor: Keith Lockhart
• Composer: Alberto Ginastera, Astor Piazzolla, Agustin Lara, Aaron Copland, Alberto Dominguez, et al.
• Audio CD (September 26, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B00004WFO2
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #217,902 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Even their harshest critics can't accuse Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops of not trying to have fun. On The Latin Album, they tackle a repertoire that includes big-band favorites and compositions from Piazzolla, Perez Prado, and Aaron Copland (in the form of El Salon México). These are mostly dance tunes, filled with crashing percussion, Latin rhythms, and familiar melodies. To their credit, the Boston Pops get this fiesta right about half the time--opening with Alberto Ginastera's "Malambo," they set a furious, rollicking mood that's heavy on the percussion. They shine on Jacob Gade's "Jalousie" (an early hit for Lockhart predecessor Arthur Fiedler) and on the more atmospheric "Mi Cambio" by César Villalobos. Unfortunately, their arrangement of Piazzolla's "Oblivion" is about as subtle as the music found in soap operas (and about as exciting) and "Perfidia" is a disappointment, "smooth" but hardly sultry. Still, the Pops know how to play their brassy, rhythmic showpieces, and the recorded sound here is excellent. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Don't Bother!, April 15, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Latin Album (Audio CD)

I bought this CD at a stoop sale for one dollar, and then sold it at a stoop sale for a dollar or two. I am very glad that I did not pay full price (or even half price) for it. I did not think it was a bad CD, but a bland CD. Every track on it I have heard performed better elsewhere. They are like Muzak versions of great Latin works.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars OLE!, November 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Latin Album (Audio CD)

Keith Lochart and the Boston Pops Orchestra have hit pure gold with "Latin Album." It's a genuine treat to have so many semi-classical Latin favorites on one album. My only real complaint is the absence of anything from the prodigious pen of Cuba's Ernesto Lecuona; the inclusion of "Malaguena" or "Andalucia" would have more completely rounded out an otherwise exciting recording of music from or inspired by our American neighbors who reside "South of the Border."

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A mood-lifter!, March 28, 2001

By 

"mairemcg" (Euclid, OH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Latin Album (Audio CD)

Keith Lockhart, the Boston Pops, and the guest artists have a hit in this one! I can almost forget the snow outside when I listen to it. I loved "Jalousie!" And Mariachi Cobre stands out on "Granada" and "Son de la Negra." Five star tracks, both of them, with Steve Carrillo's great vocal work on "Granada" and the spirited interchange between the Pops and Mariachi Cobre's brass sections in "Son de la Negra." Purists may object to the combination of Latin music and an orchestra, but I think it's a treat!