FIESTA MEXICANA

posted by James Reel

On Thursday, Sept. 16, we celebrate Mexico's bicentennial with a full day of Mexican music. In most cases, that means music by Mexican composers, but there are a couple of tourists along for the ride, most notably Aaron Copland with his El Salon Mexico.

There was no trouble scheduling the full period from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. with music of Mexico, except that the recording catalog is dominated by just a handful of composers, with a smattering of attention given to all the others. So you're going to hear the names Carlos Chavez, Silvestre Revueltas and Manuel Ponce again and again, because lots and lots of their music has been recorded, whereas there's far less available from the likes of Ricardo Castro Herrera and Miguel Bernal Jimenez.

One overall highlight of the day: We'll be showcasing a new two-disc Sony set from Alondra de la Parra and the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas (apparently a pickup group in New York). It includes a lot of new-to-the-catalog items, as well as a few old favorites, like "Over the Waves" and "Huapongo."