Roberto Sierra: Symphony No. 6; Sinfonietta for String Orchestra; Two Pieces for Orchestra

by Domingo Hindoyan, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Overview

The orchestral works of Roberto Sierra, kinetic and energetic, have been programmed by many U.S. orchestras. They may now find comparable success in Britain, thanks to this release by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and its new conductor, Domingo Hindoyan. The works on the album span a 25-year period, ending with the newly commissioned Sinfonia No. 6, which Sierra sees as a kind of contemporary counterpart to Beethoven's similarly numbered "Pastoral" Symphony. Sierra is perhaps at his best in shorter works, which perhaps take Copland as a point of departure. Sample the irresistible Fandangos, based on a harpsichord piece by Antonio Soler. Sierra expands the pattern kaleidoscopically, and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic steps up with crisp brass and percussion work. The opening Alegria (Joy) lives up to its name, and the Sinfonietta for string orchestra, a pandemic-era work, shows Sierra's ability to graft Latin influences onto a traditional structure without percussion. It is an economical piece that deserves wider exposure. This release could certainly serve as an introduction to Sierra's music and its considerable virtues. Listeners can make up their own minds about the Sinfonia No. 6; Sierra's "Huracan" may seem a pale shadow of Beethoven's thunderstorm, but rare will be the listener who can resist the Fandangos. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	04/28/2023
Label:	Onyx Classics
UPC:	0880040423225
Rank:	195725

Tracks

1. Alegria
2. Dos piezas para orquesta (Two Pieces for Orchestra)~I. Como un lamento, con profunda expresión
3. Dos piezas para orquesta (Two Pieces for Orchestra)~II. Animado
4. Sinfonietta for String Orchestra~I. Ritmico
5. Sinfonietta for String Orchestra~II. Expresivo
6. Sinfonietta for String Orchestra~III. Vivo
7. Sinfonietta for String Orchestra~IV. Rapido
8. Fandangos
9. Sinfonia No. 6 (Symphony No. 6)~I. Memoria Urbana
10. Sinfonia No. 6 (Symphony No. 6)~II. De noche
11. Sinfonia No. 6 (Symphony No. 6)~III. Huracán
12. Sinfonia No. 6 (Symphony No. 6)~IV. Final

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Domingo Hindoyan   Primary Artist,Conductor
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra   Primary Artist,Orchestra

Technical Credits

Andrew Cornall   Editing,Mastering,Recording Producer
Virginia Sierra   Photography
Chris Christodoulou   Photography
Ian Watson   Editing,Mastering
Matthew Cosgrove   Executive Producer
Matthias Lehmann   Liner Note Translation
Christopher Tann   Engineer
Elisa De La Torre Castejon   Liner Note Translation
Roberto Sierra   Composer,Liner Notes