Amazon.com
Carlos Chavez was, along with Silvestre Revueltas, one this century's two greatest Mexican composers. He was a good friend of Copland, whose music his first two symphonies strongly resembles. Unlike Revueltas, whose almost expressionistically frantic compositions reflect the composer's own wildly excessive (and short) lifestyle, Chavez enjoyed a calm and respectful existence as a composer and teacher. He composed six symphonies, all of them inspired by the folk music of Mexico, but like Bartók he integrated those influences into a wholly personal musical style. These performances are excellently played by what is in effect the New York Philharmonic, and the sound has held up very well.
--David Hurwitz
