Alberto GINASTERA (1916 - 1983)
Estancia Op.8 (extended suite) [14:20]
Suite de Danzas Criollas Op.15 (1946, orch. Shimon Cohen) [9:16]
Panambí Op.1 (extended suite) [12:33]
Ollantay Op.17 (1947) [12:31]
Popol Vuh Op.44 (1975/1983) [24:12]
London Symphony Orchestra (Estancia, Panambí); Jerusalem Symphony
Orchestra (Suite de Danzas Criollas); BBC National Orchestra
of Wales (Ollantay, Popol Vuh); Gisèle Ben-Dor
rec. Abbey Road Studios, London, 23-24 May 1997 (Estancia, Panambí);
The Jerusalem Theatre, Henry Crown Hall, Israel, 2 November 2006 (Suite
de Danzas Criollas) and BBC Broadcasting House, Llandaff, Cardiff, 26-27
June 2001 (Ollantay, Popol Vuh)
NAXOS 8.570999 [72:51]
Let it be said straight away: there are no such things as these so-called
extended suites from Panambí and Estancia.
These have been - so to say - assembled from the existing recordings of the
complete ballets once released on Koch and re-issued on Naxos
8.557582 that I reviewed here some time ago. They somewhat differ from
the existing suites made by the composer and are said to follow the chronology
of events in the ballet scores more closely.
Originally composed for piano and first performed by Rudolf Firkusňy
in Buenos Aires in 1947, the Suite de Danzas Criollas Op.15
is heard here in an orchestration by Shimon Cohen made at the request of Gisèle
Ben-Dor. Cohen did a fine job although I find that his scoring makes these
short dances larger than life. I for one will stick with the original version
available on Naxos 8.557911-2
that has been reviewed here too.
Although it has been recorded before the symphonic triptych Ollantay
Op.17 is still too little known, unjustly so, I think; this is one
of Ginastera’s most appealing works. It is based on the myth of Ollantay,
son of the Earth, who opposes Inca, son of the Sun. The latter declares war
on Ollantay who resists for a long time in his fortress but is eventually
killed. The first panel Paisaje de Ollantaytambo (“The Ollantaytambo
Landscape”) is a beautiful, though troubled nocturne. There follows
Los Guerreros (“The Warriors”), a powerful war dance. The
triptych ends with La Muerte de Ollantay in which Ollantay forecasts
the destruction of the Empire and the disappearance of the Sons of the Sun.
Popol Vuh Op.44 - Ginastera’s last major orchestral work
- was commissioned by the Philadelphia Orchestra who had just first performed
his large-scale choral orchestral Turbae ad Passionem Gregorianam Op.43.
Ginastera started sketching the piece almost immediately but for whatever
reasons laid his sketches aside resuming work in 1982. The bulk of it was
thus completed some time before the composer’s death but was actually
left unfinished at the time of Ginastera’s death. When Ormandy died
in 1985 the score was all but forgotten till the pianist Barbara Nissman drew
Leonard Slatkin’s attention to it. Both deemed it perfectly performable
as such so that Slatkin and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra gave the first
performance in 1989 and recorded it soon afterwards on RCA 09026 60993 2 (possibly
still available). The Popol Vuh or Council Book contains the mythological
Mayan narrative of creation. The various movements of the work thus trace
the creation of the world according to the Mayas from the original chaos to
the birth of man, subject of the missing final movement that should have been
scored for percussion only. It is perfectly viable as it stands. The music
is vintage Ginastera with its mix of primal brutality and of more reflective
or atmospheric stances. The opening movement La Noche de los Tiempos
grows from the depths of the orchestra with dark growling from bass instruments.
The impression of inchoate chaos is maintained throughout except for a short
violent outburst when the Divine Council decides to create the world. The
following movements El Nacimiento de la Tierra (“The Birth of
the Earth”) and El Despertar de la Naturaleza (“The Awakening
of Nature”) evoke the process of creation, at first from simple beginnings.
These progressively become engulfed in more dynamic elements, the whole leading
into the short violent El Gritto de la Creación (“The
Cry of the Creation”). But the gods are not satisfied with what they
have created and La Gran Lluvia (“The Great Rain”) sweeps
everything away so that the Gods may start again. This allows for the creation
of mankind in the form of La Ceremonia Magíca del Maiz (“The
Magic Ceremony of Corn”), another powerful dance. The final movement
evokes the creation of the sun, the moon and the stars in a slow crescendo
culminating in heroic fanfares (El Amanecer de la Humanidad - “The
Dawn of Mankind”). The incomplete Popol Vuh remains an
impressive score in its own right. It will not fail to make its mark on the
attentive and sympathetic listener. Incidentally there is still another recording
of Popol Vuh available on Neos 10918, a most desirable release
for all lovers of Ginastera’s music because it is coupled with the impressive
and very little known Cantata para América Mágica Op.27
for soprano and percussion.
Gisèle Ben-Dor is clearly on familiar ground here and she conducts
vital, committed and convincing readings of all the works. All three orchestras
respond superbly with playing of the highest quality. The recorded sound is
excellent throughout.
There is actually very little to complain about with this generous release.
There is one small caveat which I touched on when beginning this review.
I still believe that the so-called extended suites from Panambí
and Estancia might have been dispensed with to allow for the
inclusion of some hitherto unrecorded works such as Estudios Sinfónicos
Op.35 and Iubilum Op.51, but I hope that these will
appear in some forthcoming release.
Hubert Culot
A generously filled release with fine performances
Information Received
I disagree with the reviewer on the issue of the Suites. There is not, factually, and has never been, any other CD including the selections in this latest CD. The only suites available are the very short ones published from the start, and always including the same pieces. I seem to be one of the very few conductors even playing some of the unplayed selections in public concerts . ( The Panambi Suite in this release is completely different from the usual and only one, practically in its entirety.“Dawn” and “The Sprites” ,for example, are never played. In Estancia, there are “La Doma” and “Idilio Crepuscular”, which are never included in any suite). The recording he mentions (Naxos 8.557582) is my own recording of the full ballets, which Naxos reissued!
Gisele Ben-Dor