They State Their Cases With Passion

Ben-Dor commands her massive forces with strong control and a sense of dramatic continuity in Villa-Lobos’ engaging 10th Symphony (there were 12 total). But the work resists a monumental overview, being mostly fragmentary and noncumulative. It moves from place to place and emotion to emotion, but does not gather much substance. Folk elements dominate Villa-Lobos’ five-movement, hourlong canvas, which breaks down into a dozen parts and utilizes differing musical styles representing indigenous, European and mixed elements as well as languages. The entirety resembles more a mosaic of miniatures, however, than an achievement of synthesis. Solid contributions come from the large orchestra, three enthusiastic choruses (the Santa Barbara Choral Society, the UC Santa Barbara Chamber Choir and the Donald Brinegar Singers) and soloists Nmon Ford-Livene, Carlo Scibelli and Carla Wood.

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