David Cozy <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>As one who loves Mexican music, I'm intrigued.  Has anybody heard any of
>Revueltas's music?  Reactions?

According to the mythology, an appalling life inspires works of
stupefying genius....

In real (appalling) life, it mostly generates nothing but self-indulgent
mush; but Reveultas comes as close as anyone i know who really makes the
cliche ring true.  A perpetually young composer (died in his late 30s if i
remember rightly, from advanced OH group intake), his inspirations remain
obvious throughout his career (basically:  early Stravinki neoclassicism
crossed with Mexican or Mayan popular dance); but these influences are
fused with an under the volcano intensity which is pretty literally
incomparable...  much as i like (& admire) Ives, he simply isn't playing in
the same (emotional) minefield.  Through thick & thin, Ives remained a New
England transcendentalist, exploring cosmic visions & ideals in music;
while the short but never sweet Reveultas oftens seems to be sketching (a
word chosen very carefully here:  like a good caricaturist, Reveultas can
capture an extraordinary breadth of vision in a few short lines) new maps
of hell....

_Sensemaya_ (subtitled _Chant to Kill a Snake_) is probably the
composer's best known work: a showcase for orchestra with clear echos of
the _Bolero_, in a good performance the result is as nightmarish a dance
as anything the conventional classical repetroire. I'm not sure Salonen
really gets to grips with the terror in the piece (there are a number
of good Mexican versions of the piece which give the impression that
everyone was on some strange halucinogenics... the set "Night of the
Maya, Day of the Dead" released on the (defunct?) Point label remains
the best recommendation overall); but as an intro to this underknown
composer, his set isn't bad....

All the best,

Robert Clements <[log in to unmask]>
<http://www.ausnet.net.au/~clemensr/welcome.htm>