Celebrate the music of the Americas with two distinctly American works by Bernstein and Copland alongside a pair of pieces by Mexican composers Carlos Chávez and Salvador Contreras, all led by dynamic Mexican conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto. Few, if any, 20th century musicians left as important and enduring a heritage for their native country as Carlos Chávez has in Mexico. “Sinfonía india” is emphatically in the composer’s Mexican style, with irregular and cross-rhythms, syncopations, and stunning instrumental colors contributing to a driving, folklike energy that will come alive under the baton of Maestro Prieto.
Chichester Psalms is Bernstein’s most important sacred score, combining six Psalms set in Hebrew with a hint of West Side Story, showcasing the versatility and power of the Colorado Symphony Chorus. Known as the “Dean of American Composers,” Copland’s Third Symphony stands between his abstract works and the more accessible ballet and film music, offering an emotional journey from the uneasy tranquility of the opening movement to the heroic optimism of the finale which incorporates elements of his famous Fanfare for the Common Man.
