Release Date: 12 January 2005
Label: Naxos - Nxc / Naxos Classics
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 747313254224
Genres: Classical
Composer/Series: RAMIREZ
Description
Ariel Ramirez (b.1921): Navidad Nuestra Misa Criollaarr. Guido Haazen (20th century): Missa LubaLike the Misa Criolla, Ariel Ramirez composedNavidad Nuestra (Our Nativity) in 1964. For the sixepisodes of this Creole tableau with Spanish texts byFelix Luna (b.1925), the composer availed himself ofdances and songs of Argentine musical traditions thatare indicated in the score. From the characteristicmelodic 6/8 rhythms in the dance types chamame inLa Anunciacion and the chaya riojana in Los Pastores,to the gracious lyricism of the huella pampeana inLa Peregrinacion and the vidalas from Catamarca inEl Nacimiento, Ramirez evokes a wide range ofexpressions from traditional Argentine music. Luna'ssix poems narrate the universally known episodes of theChristmas story from the annunciation through the birthto the flight to Egypt from Herod's sacrifice of children.Far from the original Bethlehem, Luna locates the storyin the north of his native Argentina, alluding inparticular to the moon of the Rioja in the poem aboutthe adoration by the shepherds. The text, in Castilian,interpolates words in the indigenous guarani language;in La Anunciacion, for example, the Virgin Mary isdescribed as la mas bonita cunatai (the most beautifulof all maids) and the angel Gabriel arrives cate whichtranslates roughly as 'sharp-looking'. Other nativeelements in the text portray the country people to whomthe work is dedicated. Telling examples are the offeringby the Three Kings of a poncho blanco de alpaca real(a white poncho of the finest alpaca) and the referencesto local instruments such as the cajas, guitars andbombo leg??ero. As well, there are three references todrinks made from the algarrobo blanco tree - aloja(beer), anapa (a non-alcoholic beverage) and arrope(a thick, sweet syrup).Ramirez's original instrumentation includesharpsichord or piano, guitar, bongos, tenor and baritonesolos, chorus, jingle bells or cascabeles, high drumswith sticks and low drums with hands. The arrangementfor this recording incorporates two violins in the firsttwo movements, three guitars, percussion and bassthroughout, three tenors in the first, fourth and sixthmovements with Jose Sacin singing the solo in the thirdmovement, and a featured performance in the fourthmovement by Carmen de Vicente, one of the world'sonly concert castanet performers.In 1954 Father Guido Haazen, a missionaryestablished in the Belgian Congo, now DemocraticRepublic of Congo, created the chorus Les troubadoursdu Roi Baudouin. Four years later, based on theperformances of these African singers, Haazen arrangedMissa Luba from their improvisations. Thiscomposition adapted traditional Congolese melodiesand rhythms to the five movements of the ordinary ofthe Mass (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and AgnusDei) with the text in Latin.Missa Luba is scored for tenor soloist, mixedchorus, and three percussionists playing the Africannative drums djembe, congas, and ngoma drum. Theguiro replaces the gourd or African sakasaka in
Tracklisting
Dariia Lytvishko
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; Marin Alsop
Alice Di Piazza; Basel Sinfonietta; NDR Bigband; Titus Engel
Anna Alas i Jove; Miquel Villalba
David Childs; Black Dyke Band; Nicholas Childs
Yaqi Yang; Margarita Parsamyan; Robynne Redmon; Minghao Liu; Frank Ragsdale; Kim Josephson; Kevin S
Vilmos Csikos; Olivier Lechardeur; Manon Lamaison
Tomas Cotik; Martingale Ensemble; Ken Selden
