Life Affirming Exuberance

El Sistema, the music scheme for young people that has as its' flagship the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, is beginning to show the way for similar such schemes around the world. The Simon Bolivars under conductor Gustavo Dudamel are without doubt a very good orchestra. Whether they deserve the major label releases for core repertoire that have been afforded them is a matter for debate perhaps but this disk, Fiesta, featuring their speciality Latin American programme is a constant delight and a wonderful feelgood disk in every way. It features very pleasant orchestral showpieces from fellow Venezuelans Inocente Carreno, Antonio Estevez, Aldemaro Romero and Evencio Castellanos. The orchestra obviously have a great patriotic pride concerning these pieces but I think that it is undeniable that the outsatanding music on the disk and what makes it special are the works by the non Venezuelans. There are two works by Mexicans. Revueltas's Sensemaya is decribed with some justification as a latin Rite of Spring. Danzon No 2 by Arturo Marquez is almost the orchestra's signature tune, a melody that gets right under the skin. The other standouts are the perennial encores. Argentinian Alberto Ginastra's dances from the ballet Estancia are irresistable especially the dynamic Danza Final ( Malambo ) which is accompanied live by flowing movements and showmanship from the band. The disk finishes as do many performances with Bernstein's Mambo from West Side story. A great disk and fine souvenir for anyone who has seen them live. I just wonder how they manage to move away from the expectation that every concert will end with these showpieces and how they overcome any disappointment when they fail to perform their "greatest hits". But the squeals from the obviously very young audience at the end of Mambo which comes from a live concert recording are evidence of their ability to bring new audiences to classical music.