Recorded live at the Centro de Acción Social por la Música, Sala Simón Bolívar, January 2008. An album everyone has been waiting for! Gustavo Dudamel and the SBYOV have stunned audiences worldwide with their explosive Latin-American showpieces. Now they deliver this repertoire on record, from a searing live concert in Caracas earlier this year. No other conductor or orchestra in the world could deliver a recording like this. Passion and excitement are guaranteed! "It's all about dance, about rhythm," says Dudamel, and his orchestra responds in kind, swaying and bending to the music, conveying utter joy and excitement in the music of their Southern hemisphere. The recording juxtaposes contrasting showpieces such as the Stravinsky-esque rhythmic drive of Revueltas's Sensemaya, the expansive lusciousness of Danzón no. 2 by Arturo Marquez and the vibrant ballet suite Estancia by Ginastera. The concert concludes with a sizzling performance of Mambo from Bernstein's West Side Story. The dynamic cover art displays the moment when the musicians are revealed dressed in their national colors - now a well known signature of the SBYOV, as is the blistering energy and exuberance with which they perform these pieces.

Customer Rating:
Summary: no beat
Comment: I am not an orquestra player, but I would not play this at my next party.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Fiesta CD
Comment: This is an excellent CD showcasing the work of a brilliant young
director. Anyone not familiar with this new talent will be very
pleasantly surprised. The music is exciting and the direction superb.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Latin american Clasic Music at its best
Comment: This interpretation of many jewels of the latinamerican classical music is a must to understand and enjoy the music south of the border.

The Venezuelan Youth Orchestra plays this music masterfully and you can sense their enjoyment while doing so.

I recommend this recording to anybody interested in clasical music.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Vibrant Entertainment
Comment: Vibrant energy with strikingly mature clarity. Beautiful latin music that swings moods from mellow to dramatic. Dudamel knows how to get the best from this youth orchestra (a somewhat misleading characterization for such a professional sound)!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Fun from Venezuela
Comment: This may not be the greatest music, but the orchestra sounds terrific. Most important, under the wunderkind Dudamel, the players convey a joyful sense of engagement and appropriately controlled abandon. A real winner!

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