Review: Carlos Chávez's Complete Columbia Recordings--Who Knew?

[@glennportnoy1305]

This release is a godsend for me. I had the original LP set of the symphonies. I waited and waited for a release on CD. Finally my patience gave out. I bought the Vox set with I believe Eduardo Mata. A few weeks ago I got a notice from Archiv Music about the Columbia release and ordered it . immediately. Yay!

[@davidoberg6989]

While in college, as a double bassist, Carlos Chavez conducted two concerts with Copland's Music for a Great City, Schumann's Piano Concerto with Philippe Entremont, and his Symphony No. 5 for Strings. The slow movement of the symphony has the double bass section play an extended soli passage with notes beyond the finger board. To play this passage, we had to pull G string to the left. The section sweated blood. However, I believe it was an effect that Chavez wanted as he seemed please. I also attended a master class with him the day after the concerts. A memorable week.

[@bbailey7818]

Oy! I recently paid a pretty fair amount for the Columbia complete Chavez symphony box in its stereo LP incarnation via eBay because I thought there was no way it would get to cd! As you said, who knew? India and Antigona were also conducted by Chavez with the NBC Symphony which I hope to hear some day. I just ordered this box. It will disappear muy presto.

[@vinylarchaeologist]

Happy to finally (kinda) hear Sean‘s voice. Lovely, and thanks for another great video.

[@jorgereynosopholenz2865]

The Vox set of Chavez´s complete symphonies was conducted by Eduardo Mata, one of Chavez´s students. The first CD of this new box is the soundtrack of the exhibition "Twenty Centruies of Mexican Art" presented by MoMA in 1940, a cultural expression of the Roosevelt´s "Good Neighbor Policy", It contains the first version of Blas-Galindo´s "Sones de Mariachi", a curiosity abroad, but a kind of "Third National Anthem" in Mexico, after our official one and Moncayo´s "Huapango". Later on, Marquez´s "Danzon Number 2" became as popular.

[@christopherjohnson2422]

This looks fascinating. When my mother was a teenager, she bought the MOMA Mexican music album in shellac. In the 1960s, I got interested in classical music, and my grandparents let me play the old 78s-including, mixed in with the Rachmaninoff and Beethoven stuff, the Chavez set! A few years later, my local public library acquired the CBS Chavez symphony cycle in its mono edition. So yes, I knew about a lot of this material. I might note that I used to own the Everest disc in a crummy but serviceable early 70s pressing and owned the Mata cycle in a cutout-bin cassette set. I also recall borrowing the Eugene List Westminster version of the Piano Concerto, with Chavez conducting presumably befuddled Viennese forces; as best I recollect, it wasn’t too bad. I still have my copy of Mata conducting the Piano Concerto, and yes, it’s exciting, despite mediocre sonics.

[@christopherjohnson2422]

Another interesting Chavez fact: I once stumbled upon an old photograph of Carnegie Hall that included, in the background, a poster advertising a concert conducted by Chavez that featured the Sibelius 4th. You wouldn’t think there would be much affinity for Sibelius on the part of Chavez-but then again, Chavez was just as much an international Modernist as he was a Nationalist. I have no idea if his interpretation of the Sibelius 4th was ever recorded in an aircheck or an unauthorized tape.

[@jimcarlile7238]

That Ambrosian Singers Lp was all over the place in the early 70s. So this Columbia stuff was around, yes, but it's been 50 years!

[@christopherjohnson2422]

Sony also has in its vaults a nice recording of the Toccata for Percussion, conducted by Henri Temianka. This 1963 release is a good account, recorded in very extreme stereo separation. I found a copy while crate digging. The copy used to belong to the Tennessee Tech library. It wasn’t in that great shape, but I only paid $1 for it, so I’m not complaining.

[@josephromance3908]

Thanks for this -- totally new to me and I am intrigued. Your enthusiasm for Chavez is infectious.

[@classicalduck]

One of the great sorrows of my life is a missed opportunity, or rather, an opportunity that fate took away from me. As a graduate student at San Francisco State University, I was scheduled to study conducting with Chávez beginning in September 1978. As you know from his biography, he died in August 1978. Laszlo Varga cancelled his sabbatical (which was the reason that Chávez was to have been brought in as an Adjunct Professor), and I learned a lot from this great musician (who also had my classmate and friend Kent Nagano as a conducting student). But I imagine Chávez could have taught me at least as much, and perhaps could have opened doors for my pursuit of a career in conducting. Sad though Chávez' death was for me, I'm sure it was a devastating loss to his family, his colleagues, and all those who respected him. So here I am, fixing computers and crunching numbers for a living.

[@nicholasjschlosser1724]

Thank you for the nice review. I was delighted when I saw this set pop up. I knew about the violin concerto and four suns recordings, but had no idea Chavez also recorded all his symphonies (I thought Mata's was the only complete cycle) I really wish an adventurous conductor would take on Chavez's works; seems like his orchestral works would be a great series for a label like Naxos.

[@hiphurrah1]

The expression on your face is so often epic😂

[@kenjohnson1305]

Thanks for this alert! And thanks to Shaun/Shawn for keeping you hydrated so you can keep up with your recording!

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

You're welcome. It's Shawn.

[@ericl9875]

Oh yeah, getting this for the Violin Concerto (but also excited about hearing many of the other works I am not familiar with). I think this is the first time the VC has been officially available in digital. The LP recording is rare and long out of print. I have a copy of it made by a friend from an LP transcription. I have had the box set by Mata of the six symphonies for a long time and recordings of a few other of his works. Recently heard the 4th symphony live here in Kansas (of all places). Looking forward to getting this set. Thank you, David for reviewing this and bringing it to my attention.

[@wzdavi]

We love you. Keep up the good work.

[@alanmcginn4796]

Wonderful review. I do have the complete symphonies by Mata. Which are wonderful. Now Sony. Let’s get going and do a complete slatkin set. By the way. Anybody any idea as to when we can expect the stereo Ormandy box?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

10/17 or thereabouts. It's listed on Amazon now, if you look hard enough.

[@alanmcginn4796]

@@DavesClassicalGuide oh I just saw it....very cool

[@leekramer5710]

Sounds lovely. Looking forward!

[@HankDrake]

I am loving this set! But then I'm married to a Latino (though not of Mexican parentage).

[@johnmontanari6857]

Streamers awake, a Vox (set of symphonies) is calling, if you want. But this set is also available as separate releases, complete with the original Columbia and Odyssey covers (yay!), but without notes (boo!).

[@charlespowell9117]

Thanks, Dave---have to order this. And congrats on 27k subscribers! Keep up the good work!

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Thanks, will do!

[@gomro]

I took all of those out of the county library back in the mid-70s and put them on cassette tape, scratched and crackly as they were. Didn't care. I was on a Chavez binge, having discovered him through the Toccata for Percussion on PBS one night. And I'll definitely pick this set up.