CARLOS CHÁVEZ (1898-1978): Piano Concerto, Meditación for Solo Piano, JOSÉ PABLO MONCAYO (1912-1958): Muros Verdes for Piano, SAMUEL ZYMAN (b.1956): Variations on an Original Theme for Piano.

Description: It's hard to believe that there is no recording currently available of this monumental 20th century concerto but Chávez, after a burst of popularity in the 60s and 70s, is apparently sliding into obscurity. Highly virtuosic, viscerally exciting, immensely complex and brilliantly orchestrated, with a gargantuan 20-minute first movement of devastating power, this 1938 masterpiece (the gestures and language European but the sources of the music always from Mexico's indigenous cultures) is joined here by an early Chávez solo piece from 1918 with highly imaginative rhythms and a hint of Debussy. The Moncayo (1951) relates to a park and forest preserve in Mexico City and Zyman's 16-minute set of variations is a post-romantic tour de force using a variety of techniques which make great demands on the pianist. Jorge Federico Osorio (piano), Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de México; Carlos Miguel Prieto.