{"product_id":"aguila-clocks-charango-capriccioso-presto-ii-salon-bueno","title":"Aguila: Clocks, Charango Capriccioso, Presto II, Salon Bueno","description":"Miguel del Aguila has for several years now been making quite                  a name for himself throughout the Americas. He has been a prize-winner                  of awards such as the Kennedy Centre Friedheim. He was Composer-in-Residence                  with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. However his music has                  hardly ever percolated beyond America. \u003cbr\u003e                  \u003cbr\u003e                  This is not the first CD to contain some of his music but I believe                  it’s the first to be devoted entirely to him. He has been                  described as a composer of “turbulent fantasy” and                  the anonymous booklet notes here comment that in his music there                  is “captivating interplay, even fertile tension, between                  Classical formal balance and Romantic excess”. I have to                  say that this Uruguayan composer is a typical example of cross-over,                  not though manufactured, but with a real living and genuine language                  so beloved of those for whom modern music normally takes too                  much concentration time. \u003cbr\u003e                  \u003cbr\u003e                  The opening work is infectious and clever. \u003cb\u003e“Charango                  Capriccioso”\u003c\/b\u003e is built gradually from a very still and                  quiet start to a manic climax via repeated and obsessive syncopated                  rhythmic patterns. It then peters out after massive chords to                  a thoughtful and forgiving coda. The recording seems a little                  choked when the music is at its most wild. Perhaps the volume                  is tricky to adjust at the beginning; nevertheless this piece                  creates a promising opening impression. \u003cbr\u003e                    \u003cbr\u003e                  The second work \u003cb\u003e‘Presto II’\u003c\/b\u003e is an enlarged                  version of the finale of his Second String Quartet which Aguila                  wrote whilst living in Vienna where the form is considered to                  be ‘sacrosanct’. Apparently its performance was reviewed                  as “not serious” by the local press. It is frenetic                  and spends most of its time in 7\/8 time. It finds time to take                  a bow towards 1920s Jazz. It also contains ‘col legno’ and ‘sul                  pont’ effects and ends with a shout from the players. Good                  fun. \u003cbr\u003e                  \u003cbr\u003e                  I have to describe \u003cb\u003e‘Life is a dream’\u003c\/b\u003e as a                  heroic failure, despite the fact that it is quite original and                  at times catchy. The composer has translated a poem by Pedro                  Calderon del Barca (1600-1681) about the meaning of life. This                  is narrated, practically twice - incidentally there are two narrators;                  the female not named - at varying points during the work’s                  progress. The “reality” is represented on stage but                  there is a “distant reality ... personified by the first                  violin who finlly joins the on-stage performers.” There                  is then a dance - “a dysfunctional jota” - with the                  evocation of guitars. There’s a flavour of Andalusia and                  the Phrygian mode present throughout old Spanish music is much                  in evidence. It is a complex tapestry of a work and one hearing                  I felt was probably quite adequate. However for the purposes                  of this review I listened again and, sadly, found it even less                  revealing. \u003cbr\u003e                  \u003cbr\u003e                    If you felt, as I did that Aguila is the musical grandson as                  it were of Astor Piazzolla then \u003cb\u003e‘Salon\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eBuenos                  Aires’\u003c\/b\u003e will add further ‘confirmation’.                  The first movement is a Samba, which in addition to the rich                  instrumental mix adds some (uncredited) disembodied, vocalising,                  and demonstrates what we are told in the booklet notes that “The                  three movements comprise a nostalgic musical portrait of 1950s                  Buenos Aires” which “springs from the composer’s                  childhood memories”. The middle movement grows from and                  ends in mist but builds to a powerful climax. This is a ‘Tango                  to Dream’ transition. Its thickly contrapuntal middle section                  would have benefited from more air around the players. In fact                  the recording as a whole is rather too close for comfort at times.                  This is the longest movement but we move on to an irritating                  - to this reviewer anyway - ‘Obsessed Milonga’. I                  should not have been surprised because the notes quote the newspaper                  the Wiener Zeitung as describing the composer as “of obsessive                  vitality”. A \u003ci\u003eMilonga \u003c\/i\u003eis incidentally an earlier                  Uruguayan tango form. The flute leads off manically with the                  melody and the other players repeat it in various keys for the                  next four minutes. \u003cbr\u003e                  \u003cbr\u003e                  If I have been a little luke-warm so far then all changes with                  the last work. \u003cb\u003e‘Clocks’\u003c\/b\u003e is for piano quintet                  and the composer might well have called it ‘A Clock Museum’.                  This is original, colourful and pleasing. It falls into six sections.                  The first 'Shelves of Clocks’ sets up a ‘tocking                  and a ticking’ with the use of a polyphony of very high                  pizzicatos and harmonics. There are sharp staccato piano notes.                  In movement two, ‘Midnight Strikes’ there are clangorous,                  resonant chords. The third is ‘The Old Clock’s tale’ which                  is romantic and generally slightly ‘Hollywood’ in                  effect. ‘Sundial 2000BC’ is great fun incorporating                  some rugged rather primeval vocal work with which we might associate                  Roman ritual. It features a 3+3+2 dance rhythm. ‘Romance                  of Swiss Clocks’ makes a fascinating contrast being rather                  twee and flecked with bon-bons. Finally there is the longest                  movement, the riotous ‘The Joy of keeping time’ based                  on various South-American dance rhythms. This ends with the clocks                  in an empty museum indulging in something near to a musical orgy. \u003cbr\u003e                    \u003cbr\u003e                  The whole disc is played with great enthusiasm. I’m not                  mad on the recording quality as mentioned above but the booklet                  is useful with photos and succinct musical asides. \u003cbr\u003e                  \u003cbr\u003e                  -- Gary Higginson, MusicWeb International","brand":"Bridge Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49704102134040,"sku":"090404930225","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1345576-2552935.jpg?v=1777826850","url":"https:\/\/hbdirect.com\/products\/aguila-clocks-charango-capriccioso-presto-ii-salon-bueno","provider":"HBDirect","version":"1.0","type":"link"}