Born in Avilés,
Orbón left Spain with his father
in 1940 and both settled in Cuba where
he started his musical studies and composed
his earliest works such as his Symphony
in C of 1945. That same year,
he was awarded a grant to study in Tanglewood
with Aaron Copland. Back in Cuba, he
came to disagree with the Castro régime
and went into voluntary exile, first
in Mexico and later in the States. He
died in Miami in 1991.
Orbón’s musical
progress roughly falls into three different
periods. His early music certainly reflects
optimism, and remains tonal, colourful
and often folk-inflected under de Falla’s
influence. The middle period, to which
these three pieces belong, is that of
maturity. His music, now rather written
under Copland’s shadow, is less overtly
tonal and its emotional scope considerably
widens. The final period is that of
disillusionment, and the music becomes
more austere and introspective.
Tres visiones
sinfónicas and Danzas
sinfónicas, that are
roughly contemporary, have much in common.
The music is colourful, often energetic,
rhythmically alert; and very often displays
Copland’s influence, as in the second
movement Gregoriana of Danzas
which turns a plainsong-like tune into
a Coplandesque hoe-down or in Pavana
(the first movement of Tres versiones)
in which a pavan by Luis de Milan is
turned into another Copland romp. The
slow movements in both works, however,
are generally more personal in expression,
be it in the powerful Declamatoria
(in Danzas) or the
beautiful, meditative Organum (in
Tres versiones). Both
sets conclude with virile, colourful
dances.
The Concerto
Grosso (for string quartet and
orchestra) is undoubtedly a major and
substantial work for which I retain
an undiminished affection for it is
the first Orbón work I ever heard
(in Mata’s recording on Dorian DOR-90178).
This mighty piece in three sizeable
movements is clearly the peak of Orbón’s
middle period. If Copland’s influence
is still to be heard, especially in
the outer movements, one is also sometimes
reminded of Martinů’s sprung rhythms
permeating much of the melodic
material. The slow movement is again
a most personal utterance, a long slow
processional, often of modal flavour
and not without grandeur. It contains
some of the most beautiful music ever
penned by the composer.
Some years ago, Mata
recorded both the Concerto Grosso
(Dorian DOR-90178) and Tres versiones
(Dorian DOR-90179) in fine, beautifully
recorded readings. The present orchestra
may not be in the same class as Mata’s
Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of
Venezuela; but I must say that I really
enjoyed Valdés’ committed, urgent
readings which serve the music well.
I urge you to listen
to this most welcome and worthwhile
release which will hopefully soon be
followed by another all-Orbón
disc by the same forces, for this still
underrated composer unquestionably deserves
serious consideration. Recommended.
Hubert Culot
Asturias Symphony Orchestra/Maximiano Valdés
