Miami's Cultural Diversity Celebrated in New Concerto

Romantico Sharon Isbin, guitar. Orchestra of St. Luke’s/Enrico Lopez-Yanez Carter Brey, cello. Peggy Kampmeier, piano. Javier Diaz, Victor Pablo Garcia-Gaetan, Mariana Ramirez-Alvarado, Rolando Morales-Matos: Latin Percussion KL 2 Recordings KLM 026 Total Time:  25:46 Recording:   ****/**** Performance: ****/****

Romantico is a new collection of Latin-inspired pieces by New York composer Karen Le Frak.  The all-too brief release (essentially designed for streaming) features three world premieres of her work performed by the impeccable guitarist Sharon Isbin.

The Miami Concerto was premiered by the Miami Symphony with Sharon Isbin.  The three movements of the work are all cast in folkloric-inspired music representing the diverse cultural history of the city and region.  The opening “Bailamos” is a delightful rumba and is followed by a a slow tango (“Romantico”).  Afro-Cuban culture comes to the fore in the thrilling final movement, “Festivo”, with its Latin percussion adding great color.  Isbin is quite an expert on these styles from her many recordings and concert career and here she has a chance to introduce audiences to a new, quite gorgeous, and very accessible new concerto.  The lighter nature of the music communicates very well and is gorgeously captured in this recording.  Isbin’s guitar is front and center with the light touches of the orchestra working well to add additional color.  This could easily be programmed in lighter, pops-like concerts as it is quite appealing.  The whole work is around 18 minutes in length with the outer movements balancing the longer central one.  

Isbin also recorded a couple of shorter pieces to help fill out the album here.  These are all nice filler-type works that continue in the same vein as the concerto.  Habanera Nights adds cello and piano with Latin percussion for a more laid-back piece.  The Urban Tango wraps things up well with a more urban groove.  Both are quite accessible, though the latter has a more modernist feel. 

The concerto is quite engaging and worth returning to.  Hopefully Isbin will record this again with some additional standard repertoire to help raise awareness of the work, but for now, track down this delightful release of Latin-inspired music.