|
Revueltas Festival
The Artists
Gisèle Ben-Dor — Artistic Director
Gisèle Ben-Dor, the Artistic Director of the Revueltas
Festival, is the Music Director of the Santa Barbara
Symphony and the Boston Pro-Arte Chamber Orchestra.
A long time champion of Latin American composers, her
performances and recordings have received wide critical
acclaim.
Her vision of a festival of Silvestre Revueltas' music
to celebrate his 100th anniversary originated several
years ago. Most recently, she conducted the Santa Barbara
Symphony in Sensemaya and La Noche de los Mayas, and
the orchestra's highly praised first recording includes
the world premiere of Revueltas' final work, La Coronela,
as well as Itinerarios and Colorines. Born and raised
in Uruguay, Ms. Ben-Dor frequently appears as guest
conductor with major orchestras worldwide, and has recorded
several world premieres of Alberto Ginastera for BMG
and Koch.
Tambuco
Noted by many as one of the 20th Century's most original
composers, Silvestre Revueltas is frequently compared
to Manuel de Falla, Charles Ives and Aaron Copland,
but he has long been relegated to the pantheon of tragic
cult figures. Born in Mexico on December 31, 1899, Revueltas
died on October 5, 1940, following a prolific decade
of creativity and compositional activity.
Revueltas' music reflects his genius, passion and the
modernism and nationalism of that period in the Americas,
also exemplified by composers such as Alberto Ginastera
in ARgentina and Heitor Villa-Lobos in Brazil. The Mexican
composer's dynamic music is deeply inspired by the folklore
and instruments of Latin America, but it is universal
in scope, and expresses the individual voice of a unique
artistic personality.
Drawing on Mexican folk-song without actually quoting
it, Revueltas' mature works weave folk-type melodies
into a gaudy instrumental fabric. His music is also
ripe with bold, vigorous rhythms, counterpoint and rich
undercurrent of sardonic humor, often combined with
soul-searching melodies.
Revueltas led an equally rich, though ultimately tragic
personal life. An active violinist, he toured Spain
during the Civil War. As a conductor he led the orchestras
of Mexico City, San Antonio, Texas and Mobile, Alabama.
Composer and novelist Paul Bowles called Revueltas the
"Mexican Falla" in that both managed to incorporate
the music of the streets and taverns and dress it for
the concert hall with little of the purity lost.
Revueltas' significance is perhaps likened to that
of Mexican artist Diego Rivera. Embodied in his music,
reaching beyond himself or Mexico, are the struggles
of any nation and the spirit of the human condition.
Espiral Puppet Theatre
The Esprial Puppet Theatre is an award-winning puppet
troupe of Mexico. It was founded by children's author
and teacher, Mireya Cueto, who was born in Mexico City
in 1922. An admirer of Silvestre Revueltas, she wrote
scripts and librettos to some of his music. She and
her son, Pablo, founded Tinglado, the puppet and actors'
theater company in Mexico.
Musically Speaking
Professor Roberto Kolb-Neuhaus, renowned Revueltas
scholar at the University of Mexico, lectures on Revueltas'
first major orchestral piece, Cuauhnahuac of 1930, and
his musical score for the 1935 film, Redes. Professor
Kolb-Neuhaus has lectured around the world and has written
numerous academic papers and books on the extraordinary
Mexican composer.
|
|
|
|
