Music Reviews : Mexico City Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl

Maybe it’s true, maybe there really are only a handful of Mexican orchestral pieces worth exporting. That wasn’t always considered the case, but Thursday at Hollywood Bowl the native offerings on the Latin-accented program from the presumably authoritative Mexico City Philharmonic were all encores from the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s “Fiesta Mexicana” last season, itself no model of ear-opening originality.

Not only did Revueltas’ popular “Sensemaya” open both programs, it introduced the Mexico City Philharmonic in its local debut 11 years ago. Chavez’s “Sinfonia India”--most familiar of the composer’s seven symphonies, and performed twice last summer by our local Philharmonic--turned up again, as did Moncayo’s here-there-and-everywhere “Huapango.” Once more, con sentimiento.

Understand, these are strong, eminently rehearable pieces. But they are not fully representative of even their respective composers, and a feeling of cultural tokenism was hard to shake.

In any case, the Mexico City Philharmonic and its music director, Luis Herrera de la Fuente, gave the popular pieces the benefit of idiomatic, boldly colored performances. The orchestra was not one of extreme finesse, but it produced lots of seductive sound. Herrera focused his resources persuasively, with a particularly refreshed and lilting “Huapango.”

He elicited equally vivid and untidy results in Ravel’s “Rapsodie Espagnole” and a suite from Falla’s “El Sombrero de tres Picos.” There was a sinuous, kinetic grace in the playing--intermittently compromised by inconsistent articulation and intonational squalls--and characterful soloism.

The featured solo fell to guitarist Alfonso Moreno, also a soloist at the “Fiesta Mexicana” last year. His vehicle this time was Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez,” projected with affectionate, stylish sentiment and technical polish. Herrera and a much-reduced orchestra provided nimble accompaniment.

This summer many performers have been lucky to get enough applause to sustain one bow. Enough of the 12,230 officially numbered listeners remained at the concert’s end--most of them on their feet--this time to encourage two encores, the “Huapango” finale and “The Miller’s Dance” from the Falla Suite.