Julian Orbon (1925-1991)

Started by vandermolen, March 16, 2011, 12:28:51 PM

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vandermolen

Any other fans of this Spanish composer? I recently discovered a great Naxos CD with three very fine works, especially the Concerto Grosso for SQ and Orchestra and the very catchy Three Symphonic Versions. The style is reminiscent of Copland at times (Orbon's teacher) but also characteristically South American (Orbon lived in Cuba for much of his life). I keep playing the CD over and over again. If you like Copland or Chavez this might appeal although the style is original.  The middle movement of the Concerto Grosso has great depth.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Orb%C3%B3n-Orchestral-Works-Juli%C3%A1n/dp/B000111BXI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300307381&sr=1-1
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

bhodges

Quote from: vandermolen on March 16, 2011, 12:28:51 PM
Any other fans of this composer? I recently discovered a great Naxos CD with three very fine works, especially the Concerto Grosso for SQ and Orchestra and the very catchy Three Symphonic Versions.

Thanks, Jeffrey! I'm very happy to know about this, since coincidentally, I just heard the latter piece for the first time last October, on a concert with Gustavo Dudamel and (believe it or not) the Vienna Philharmonic.  :o  (I think that was the first time I'd ever heard this group, live or on record, do any Latin American music.)

Anyway, I loved the piece, and would be eager to hear it again.

--Bruce

vandermolen

Quote from: Brewski on March 16, 2011, 12:34:28 PM
Thanks, Jeffrey! I'm very happy to know about this, since coincidentally, I just heard the latter piece for the first time last October, on a concert with Gustavo Dudamel and (believe it or not) the Vienna Philharmonic.  :o  (I think that was the first time I'd ever heard this group, live or on record, do any Latin American music.)

Anyway, I loved the piece, and would be eager to hear it again.

--Bruce

My pleasure Bruce (glad to see the Russianisation of your Forum name!). The Naxos CD is worth getting.

Best wishes

Jeffrey
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vandermolen

Quote from: Brewski on March 16, 2011, 12:34:28 PM
Thanks, Jeffrey! I'm very happy to know about this, since coincidentally, I just heard the latter piece for the first time last October, on a concert with Gustavo Dudamel and (believe it or not) the Vienna Philharmonic.  :o  (I think that was the first time I'd ever heard this group, live or on record, do any Latin American music.)

Anyway, I loved the piece, and would be eager to hear it again.

--Bruce

Extraordinary that the Vienna Phil played it - I'd never have expected that.  There are a couple of CD recordings including the Naxos.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

bhodges

Quote from: vandermolen on March 16, 2011, 12:46:00 PM
Extraordinary that the Vienna Phil played it - I'd never have expected that.  There are a couple of CD recordings including the Naxos.

Believe me, I was quite surprised. Here is my review of the concert, which was one of the best things I heard in 2010.

--Bruce

Mirror Image

I own several recordings, which feature Orbon's music and, overall, I don't find his music all that interesting or at least when compared to other Latin Americans like Villa-Lobos, Ginastera, Revueltas, Chavez, and Piazzolla.

Luke

All I have is that Dorian disc with the de Falla Harpsichord Concerto/Psyche/Retablo - and I must say that the Orbon pieces partnering the Falla are perfect choices. They are really the only music I've heard with that dry but spicy, sweetly, brittly moorish-medieval and yet neo-classically artificial sound of the Falla, and they're most impressive (the gorgeous, pungent performances don't hurt, either). I've never explored further, though I've thought of it at times, because I find it hard to imagine that outside this very precise area of composition Orbon can ever impress me as much as this, and I don't want that to happen! Stupid logic, I know...

Mirror Image

Quote from: Luke on March 16, 2011, 01:04:45 PM
All I have is that Dorian disc with the de Falla Harpsichord Concerto/Psyche/Retablo - and I must say that the Orbon pieces partnering the Falla are perfect choices. They are really the only music I've heard with that dry but spicy, sweetly, brittly moorish-medieval and yet neo-classically artificial sound of the Falla, and they're most impressive (the gorgeous, pungent performances don't hurt, either). I've never explored further, though I've thought of it at times, because I find it hard to imagine that outside this very precise area of composition Orbon can ever impress me as much as this, and I don't want that to happen! Stupid logic, I know...

Perhaps I was a bit hasty with my judgement of Orbon, Luke you make the music sound so inviting that it's hard NOT to give it a second chance. :D

Luke

Ha! I adore that disc, as I was saying a few days ago on the Falla thread. You already have it, I think you said...

Mirror Image

Quote from: Luke on March 16, 2011, 01:08:09 PM
Ha! I adore that disc, as I was saying a few days ago on the Falla thread. You already have it, I think you said...

What recording are we talking about? I own all of Eduardo Mata's recordings of Latin American music, but I don't recall Orbon being paired with Falla.

Luke

Quote from: Mirror Image on March 16, 2011, 01:13:52 PM
What recording are we talking about? I own all of Eduardo Mata's recordings of Latin American music, but I don't recall Orbon being paired with Falla.

This was my post on the Falla thread, with picture of the disc:

Quote from: Luke on February 20, 2011, 01:19:39 AM
This is the de Falla disc I listen to most often. Given that in the grand scheme of things de Falla is not a composer who figures much in my mind, however much respect I have for the pieces i just mentioned, it's surprising how much time this one gets in my CD player, and that says a lot, I think (the Orbon pieces are fabulous too, an inspired coupling, operating in that same Spanish-Moorish-Medieval zone with music of great force and character - wonderful stuff, a joy to listen to)


Underneath that post you said 'I have a copy of this opera somewhere. I think it's the performance by Mata on Dorian. I'll have to listen to it' so I assume that's the same disc as the one I posted, with the Orbon couplings. Or does it exist in another incarnation I haven't seen?

Mirror Image

Quote from: Luke on March 16, 2011, 01:20:36 PM
This was my post on the Falla thread, with picture of the disc:

Underneath that post you said 'I have a copy of this opera somewhere. I think it's the performance by Mata on Dorian. I'll have to listen to it' so I assume that's the same disc as the one I posted, with the Orbon couplings. Or does it exist in another incarnation I haven't seen?

Oh, okay, sorry I had a complete blonde moment. Yes, I have that recording, but I don't even think I've heard it yet.  :-\ So much music, so little time.

vandermolen

Quote from: Mirror Image on March 16, 2011, 01:52:49 PM
Oh, okay, sorry I had a complete blonde moment. Yes, I have that recording, but I don't even think I've heard it yet.  :-\ So much music, so little time.

Try the Concerto Grosso if you don't know it. In my opinion it contains very fine music,
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Mirror Image

Quote from: vandermolen on March 16, 2011, 02:07:54 PM
Try the Concerto Grosso if you don't know it. In my opinion it contains very fine music,

I've heard this work on a Mata recording I own, which came in the Latin America Alive set and I remember not liking it at all and I've already heard it about four or five times already. I suppose his style just isn't to my liking. When I think about it, and I've read about the Copland comparisons, there's a lot of Copland's music that I don't like either. Some of Copland's music just sounds so cliche to me, but I don't want to say that he's a terrible composer or that Orbon is a terrible composer, because this is a far from the truth. When I hear Latin American music, I suppose I want music that is a bit more raw and rough around the edges. When I listen to Ginastera, Chavez, Villa-Lobos, or Rrevueltas, I hear these qualities immediately. I know every composer is different and feels different things, but as a listener, I know what I like in this music.

vandermolen

Quote from: Mirror Image on March 16, 2011, 02:15:58 PM
I've heard this work on a Mata recording I own, which came in the Latin America Alive set and I remember not liking it at all and I've already heard it about four or five times already. I suppose his style just isn't to my liking. When I think about it, and I've read about the Copland comparisons, there's a lot of Copland's music that I don't like either. Some of Copland's music just sounds so cliche to me, but I don't want to say that he's a terrible composer or that Orbon is a terrible composer, because this is a far from the truth. When I hear Latin American music, I suppose I want music that is a bit more raw and rough around the edges. When I listen to Ginastera, Chavez, Villa-Lobos, or Rrevueltas, I hear these qualities immediately. I know every composer is different and feels different things, but as a listener, I know what I like in this music.
Fair enough and I respect your views. I'm a great fan of Copland and Chavez, which may be why I liked the Orbon CD so much - although I do think that he has an original style. Maybe not great music but very enjoyable I think.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).