SINFONIA INDIA
as performed by
UCLA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
as performed by
UCLA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
SINFONIA INDIA
composed by Carlos Chavez (1936)
conducted by Bruno Nascimiento
performed by the UCLA SYMPHONY
3/13/19 at Schoenberg Hall at UCLA in Los Angeles, CA
INTRODUCTION by CONDUCTOR BRUNO NASCIMIENTO
03:22
SINFONIA INDIA performed with substitute western percussion instruments
16:43
SINFONIA INDIA performed with indigenous percussion instruments of Mesoamerica/Mexico
This marks the first time that SINFONIA INDIA was performed twice in the same evening with the same orchestra but with different percussion instruments Carlos Chavez specified indigenous instruments of Mesoamerica/Mexico to be used in the percussion section,
but also understood that most orchestras would not have access to these instruments and notated substitute instruments in their place.
For that reason most orchestras continue to perform this piece with "substitute" western instruments,
but with the advent of the internet, orchestras are finding that
1) not only do the instruments exist,
2) but that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of instrumentalists that own the instruments,
which are usually used in traditional, as opposed to, symphonic settings.
BACK STORY
The Sinfonía India was begun in December 1935, during Carlos Chavez first tour of the United States as a conductor, and finished early in the following year. It was premiered under Chávez's direction in a radio performance by the Columbia Broadcasting Orchestra on 23 January 1936, and given its first concert performance by the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by the composer on 10 April 1936.
The Mexican premiere took place in the capital on 31 July 1936 (Slonimsky 1945, 234). below are the substitute instruments
NOTES FROM THE ORIGINAL SCORE BELOW
The percussion section was in great part written originally by the composer for a group of indigenous Mexican Indian instruments, but since they are not absolutely essential, they have been replaced by their equivalents in common use of by easily obtainable replicas.
PERCUSSION l
YAQUI DRUM for INDIAN DRUM:
CLAY RATTLE for MARACA:
YAQUI METAL RATTLE for ordinary Metal Rattle
PERCUSSION ll
WATER GOURD for Tenor Drum
TENABARI - a string of Butterfly Cocoons) for Soft Rattle:
2 TEPONAZLIES for XYLOPHONE
PERCUSSION lll
Grijutian(a string of Deer Hoofs) for RATTLING STRING
PERCUSSION IV
TLAPAN HUEHUETL for BASS DRUM
RASPADOR YAQUI for RASPING STICK
However, if the original indigenous Indian instruments should happen to be available, they are as follows:
PERCUSSION
1 Indian Drum
Maraca (just one) Metal Rattle Suspended Cymbal
PERCUSSION ll
Tenor Drum, snares off
Soft Rattle (made out of a thin pasteboard)
Claves (large) Xylophone
PERCUSSION lll
Snare Drum, snares off
Rattling Strings (a string of hard, wooden beads)
Guiro
PERCUSSION IV
Bass Drum
Rasping Stick
so very THANKFUL to UCLA conductor NEAL STULBERG for the suggestion to have the orchestra perform it twice and for UCLA PROFESSOR STEVEN LOZA for suggesting that Christopher Garcia be contacted and giving the percussion section a few hours at his studio and at UCLA to play these instruments
in real time in preparation to get the "feel" of the instruments under
their hands,
fingers,
sticks
mallets
eyes
ears
minds
and hearts
to Bruno Nascimento for pulling the whole thing off
and for the orchestra AND the audience for their willingness to SIT AND LISTEN to hear the difference
between the composers original INTENT and how audiences have gotten used to hearing the piece with substitute instruments
composed by Carlos Chavez (1936)
conducted by Bruno Nascimiento
performed by the UCLA SYMPHONY
3/13/19 at Schoenberg Hall at UCLA in Los Angeles, CA
INTRODUCTION by CONDUCTOR BRUNO NASCIMIENTO
03:22
SINFONIA INDIA performed with substitute western percussion instruments
16:43
SINFONIA INDIA performed with indigenous percussion instruments of Mesoamerica/Mexico
This marks the first time that SINFONIA INDIA was performed twice in the same evening with the same orchestra but with different percussion instruments Carlos Chavez specified indigenous instruments of Mesoamerica/Mexico to be used in the percussion section,
but also understood that most orchestras would not have access to these instruments and notated substitute instruments in their place.
For that reason most orchestras continue to perform this piece with "substitute" western instruments,
but with the advent of the internet, orchestras are finding that
1) not only do the instruments exist,
2) but that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of instrumentalists that own the instruments,
which are usually used in traditional, as opposed to, symphonic settings.
BACK STORY
The Sinfonía India was begun in December 1935, during Carlos Chavez first tour of the United States as a conductor, and finished early in the following year. It was premiered under Chávez's direction in a radio performance by the Columbia Broadcasting Orchestra on 23 January 1936, and given its first concert performance by the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by the composer on 10 April 1936.
The Mexican premiere took place in the capital on 31 July 1936 (Slonimsky 1945, 234). below are the substitute instruments
NOTES FROM THE ORIGINAL SCORE BELOW
The percussion section was in great part written originally by the composer for a group of indigenous Mexican Indian instruments, but since they are not absolutely essential, they have been replaced by their equivalents in common use of by easily obtainable replicas.
PERCUSSION l
YAQUI DRUM for INDIAN DRUM:
CLAY RATTLE for MARACA:
YAQUI METAL RATTLE for ordinary Metal Rattle
PERCUSSION ll
WATER GOURD for Tenor Drum
TENABARI - a string of Butterfly Cocoons) for Soft Rattle:
2 TEPONAZLIES for XYLOPHONE
PERCUSSION lll
Grijutian(a string of Deer Hoofs) for RATTLING STRING
PERCUSSION IV
TLAPAN HUEHUETL for BASS DRUM
RASPADOR YAQUI for RASPING STICK
However, if the original indigenous Indian instruments should happen to be available, they are as follows:
PERCUSSION
1 Indian Drum
Maraca (just one) Metal Rattle Suspended Cymbal
PERCUSSION ll
Tenor Drum, snares off
Soft Rattle (made out of a thin pasteboard)
Claves (large) Xylophone
PERCUSSION lll
Snare Drum, snares off
Rattling Strings (a string of hard, wooden beads)
Guiro
PERCUSSION IV
Bass Drum
Rasping Stick
so very THANKFUL to UCLA conductor NEAL STULBERG for the suggestion to have the orchestra perform it twice and for UCLA PROFESSOR STEVEN LOZA for suggesting that Christopher Garcia be contacted and giving the percussion section a few hours at his studio and at UCLA to play these instruments
in real time in preparation to get the "feel" of the instruments under
their hands,
fingers,
sticks
mallets
eyes
ears
minds
and hearts
to Bruno Nascimento for pulling the whole thing off
and for the orchestra AND the audience for their willingness to SIT AND LISTEN to hear the difference
between the composers original INTENT and how audiences have gotten used to hearing the piece with substitute instruments
Garcia was able to provide the following instruments for the rehearsals and performances
TLAPAN HUEHUETL
(MAYA/AZTEC vertical drum)
indigenousinstrumentsofmexicomesoamerica.weebly.com/huehuetl.html
TEPONAZTLI
(horizontal drum)
indigenousinstrumentsofmexicomesoamerica.weebly.com/-teponaztli.html
BAA WEHAI
(water drums)
indigenousinstrumentsofmexicomesoamerica.weebly.com/baa-wehai.html
YAQUI RASPADOR
(Rasp)
indigenousinstrumentsofmexicomesoamerica.weebly.com/baa-wehai.html
TANABERI
(butterfly cocoons)
RATTLES
Made with wood and metal and skin
DEER HOOVES
grijutian (string of deer hooves)
played with hands, sticks, fingers, mallets, etc.,
The conductors and percussionists were able to come to my studio for a few hours 3/9/19
and experience and play the instruments and discover the different shades of color and timbres possible
and again at UCLA on 3/11 and 3/12 in preparation for the concert
(Instruments which first appeared in murals radio carbon dated 790 A.D.,
in THE AMERICAS and still played by hundreds of modern day practitioners
throughout the Americas, Europe and Australia)
This is the 5th time I have been invited to provide the indigenous instruments
and work with the percussion sections for symphonic performances for a few
hours to prepare them for a performance. They were really great at getting in
there and trying different ways to play each instrument, wish we had more time.
THANKS to Professor Steven Loza of UCLA for letting them know
that the instruments exist and possible to get a hold of.
This particular performance was especially interesting as the UCLA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
actually performed it twice at the behest of the conductor on the same evening.
The first time, the pieces was performed using the substitute instruments with the percussionists in their
usual positions and then immediately performed again with the indigenous instruments with 2 percussionists standing on each side of the Conductor Bruno Bastos do Nascimento across the front of the stage.
All of this took some getting used to as the percussion section is not accustomed to hearing the orchestra behind them and the orchestra is not used to hearing the percussion section in front of them.
THANKS to conductor Neal Stulberg of UCLA for suggesting it and to Bruno and to each and every member of the orchestra for being willing to perform it twice in the same evening and THE AUDIENCE for wanting to hear it with its original intention by the composer.
A definite first in my (personal) experience and as far as I know, never been done before at a performance.
So 83 years after the original premiere by the Columbia Broadcasting Orchestra a new template has been
laid down by an orchestra, much the way VARESE IONISATION is played twice at a performance.
Everyone did a great job and the standing room only audience showed their approval
at the end of the performance by giving the performance a standing ovation.
VIVA LA VIDA
VIVA LA GENTE
Christopher Garcia
