Conciertos Romanticos Mexicanos (Ricardo Castro and Manuel M.Ponce)

Conciertos Romanticos Mexicanos

Ricardo CASTRO (1864–1907)

Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 22

Solo works:

Berceuse 

Canto de amor 

Plainte Op. 38, No. 2 

Manuel Maria PONCE (1882–1948)

Piano Concerto No. 1 “Romantico”

Solo works

Arrulladora mexicana

Gavota 

Romanza de amor 

Intermezzo

Jorge Federico Osorio (Piano) 

Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería

Carlos Miguel Prieto

Celebrated Mexican-born pianist Jorge Federico Osorio, “one of the most elegant and accomplished pianists on the planet” (Los Angeles Times) performs Romantic-era concertos and solo pieces by Mexican composers Ricardo Castro and Manuel María Ponce.

A recipient of the prestigious Medalla Bellas Artes, the highest honor granted by Mexico’s National Institute of Fine Arts, Osorio is joined for the concertos by Mexican conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto, Musical America’s 2019 Conductor of the Year, and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería.

The works on this recording exemplify the highest point of the romantic musical language in vogue in Mexico at the end of the 19th century, which later initiated the musical Nationalist movement brought on by the Mexican Revolution.

Both Castro and Ponce made significant contributions to the development of classical music in Mexico, and their music reflects a synthesis of Mexican and European traditions, with influences from Chopin, Liszt, and Debussy.

Castro’s Piano Concerto in A minor exemplifies true romanticism with lavish and spectacular orchestral lines. Serving as companion pieces to the concerto, Osorio performs three of Castro’s charming and expressive solo works: Berceuse, Canto de amor, and Plainte.

Ponce’s Piano Concerto No. 1 “Romantico” simultaneously exhibits themes of great brilliance for the soloist, lyricism, introspection, virtuosity and beauty. Osorio also performs four of Ponce’s short solo piano pieces including one of his most popular works, Gavota, which captures the romantic nostalgia of Mexican society before the Revolution.

Conciertos Románticos is produced by the Grammy-winning team of James Ginsburg (producer) and Bill Maylone (engineer). The concertos were recorded August 1 and 8, 2022 at the Sala Nezahualcóyotl in Mexico City (Bogdan Zawistowski, session director); the solo works were recorded November 11, 2022, at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago.