Fiesta

Recorded live at the Centro de Acci¢n Social por la M£sica, Sala Sim¢n Bol¡var, January 2008. An album everyone has been waiting for! Gustavo Dudamel and the SBYOV have stunned audiences worldwide with their explosive Latin-American showpieces. Now they deliver this repertoire on record, from a searing live concert in Caracas earlier this year. No other conductor or orchestra in the world could deliver a recording like this. Passion and excitement are guaranteed! "It's all about dance, about rhythm," says Dudamel, and his orchestra responds in kind, swaying and bending to the music, conveying utter joy and excitement in the music of their Southern hemisphere. The recording juxtaposes contrasting showpieces such as the Stravinsky-esque rhythmic drive of Revueltas's Sensemaya, the expansive lusciousness of Danz¢n no. 2 by Arturo Marquez and the vibrant ballet suite Estancia by Ginastera. The concert concludes with a sizzling performance of Mambo from Bernstein's West Side Story. The dynamic cover art displays the moment when the musicians are revealed dressed in their national colors - now a well known signature of the SBYOV, as is the blistering energy and exuberance with which they perform these pieces.

Gustavo Dudamel, the still-not-30 Venezuelan conductor is living up to his hype. After a couple of remarkably successful recordings of music by Mahler and Beethoven, he and his Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela now turn their attention to music of Latin America (with a bow to Leonard Bernstein’s Mambo from West Side Story) and the result is absolutely joyful. The emphasis, as you might guess, is on dance and rhythm, although there are some introspective moments as well. Revueltas' angular, somewhat sinister "Sensemayá" fascinates, while Estevez' "Mediodia en el Liano" is like a poem to Venezuelan nature. "Danzon no. 2" begins in a relaxed, reflective manner, but composer Arturo Marquez surprises with growing, passionate dance rhythms. This isn’t a "dance party" CD, it's a collection of infectious, exciting, energetic pieces that happen to be dances as well. Dudamel’s SBYO obviously love this music and offer it up in sizzling performances. Some of this music was written for festivals, and you can feel the enthusiasm. Bernstein's "Mambo," will, in fact, make you want to mambo – you can practically see the orchestra members dancing. In short, this recording is unique and vastly entertaining. -- Robert Levine