Notes and Editorial Reviews
A good time will be had by all.
Ignacio Cervantes was a sort of Cuban Scott Joplin, a twilight-of-the-1800s composer of enormous swathes of tuneful piano dances. His music bears, on a light tropical breeze, the sounds of Cuban folk styles, Caribbean dance rhythms, and African rhythmic gymnastics. If you like the piano music of Louis Moreau Gottschalk or Ernesto Nazareth, you’ll love hearing this.
It seems churlish to give this pleasure of an album a short review, but there’s very little to say: these are Cuban dances from the late 1800s which sometimes sparkle with merry wit, sometimes play for soft tears, sometimes strike up a loud raucous dance, and sometimes feel like an afternoon sipping cocktails on
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the beach. Don’t expect depth or heavy emotion or compositional wonders; there are a few touching moments (“Fusión de almas,” or “Union of souls,” for instance) but this is mostly a breeze. Cervantes’ titles often give the game away: “La carcajada” translates to, simply, “laughter,” one tune adopts the title “Cold Showers,” and the naughty “Picotazos” means “Lovebites”! There’s even a dance here called “¡Pst!” We have evocations of petticoats rustling, a church at prayer, a jealous lover, and somebody getting punched in the face. “Soledad” (track 19) was written when Cervantes was 9.
It’s all a lot of merry fun, and Álvaro Cendoya is a marvelous caretaker for the (very rare) music, with a cheerful disposition and the ability to bring out all the diversity and complexity of the Afro-Caribbean rhythms. This may be an album of trifles, but it’s a lovely one at that, and comes with a quality booklet note, excellent clear sound, computer database info which supplies multiple translations for some tracks, and one of my very favorite Naxos cover designs (by the usually abstract Paolo Zeccara). It’s not exactly Chopin, then, or even Moszkowski, but a good time will be had by all.
-- Brian Reinhart, MusicWeb International
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Works on This Recording
1.
Un recuerdo by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: Cuba
2.
Soledad by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: Cuba
3.
Los tres golpes by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
4.
Invitación by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
5.
Interrumpida by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
6.
Duchas frías by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
7.
Amistad by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
8.
Zigs-Zags by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
9.
Vuelta al hogar by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
10.
Tiene que ser by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
11.
Soledad by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: Cuba
12.
Siempre Si! by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
13.
Pst! by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
14.
Picotazos by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: Cuba
15.
No bailes más by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
16.
Mensaje by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
17.
La encantadora by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
18.
La celosa by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
19.
La carcajada by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
20.
Improvisada by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
21.
Illusiones Perdidas by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: Cuba
22.
Homenaje by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
23.
El velorio by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: Cuba
24.
Cri-Cri! by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
25.
Amén by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
26.
Adiós a Cuba by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: Cuba
27.
La glorieta by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: Cuba
28.
Almendares by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
29.
No llores más by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
30.
No me toques by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: Cuba
31.
Gran señora by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
32.
Se fué y no vuelve más by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: Cuba
33.
Fusion de almas by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
34.
Intima by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
35.
Lejos de tí! by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
36.
Porqué, eh? by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1895; Cuba
37.
Ilusiones Perdidas by Ignacio Cervantes
Performer:
Alvaro Cendoya (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Sound Samples
Los tres golpes (Three knocks): Los Tres Golpes (The 3 Blows)
La cortesana (Lady in waiting): Cortesana (The Courtesan)
El velorio (The wake): El Velorio (The Wake)
La encantadora (The charmer): La Encantadora (The Enchantress)
Adios a Cuba (Farewell to Cuba)
Vuelta al hogar (Return home): Vuelta al Hogar (Coming home)
Cri-cri: Cri-Cri (Rustling of Petticoats)
Ilusiones perdidas (Lost illusions): Ilusiones Perdidas (Lost Dreams)
La carcajada (The hearty laughter): La Carcajada (Laughter)
Homenaje (Homage): Homenaje (Hommage)
La glorieta (The gazebo): La Glorieta (The Carousel)
No bailes mas (Dance no more): No Bailes Mas (Dance No More)
Mensaje (The message): Mensaje (Message)
Picotazos (Pecking gossip): Picotazos (Lovebites)
Un recuerdo (Reminiscence): Un Recuerdo (A Memory)
Interrumpida (Interrupted)
La celosa (The jealous one): La Celosa (The Jealous Woman)
Siempre si (Forever yes): Siempre Si (Yes Forever)
Tiene que ser (It must be): Tiene Que Ser (It Has To Be)
No llores mas (Weep no more): No Llores Mas (Weep No More)
Duchas frias (Cold Showers): Duchas Frias (Cold Showers)
No me toques (Don't touch me): No Me Toques (Don't Touch Me)
Gran senora (Grand lady): Gran Senora (Grand Dame)
Lejos de ti! (Far away from you!): Lejos De Ti (Far Away From You)
Se fue y no vuelve mas (Gone, never to return): Se Fue y No Vuelve Mas (Gone Never To Return)
Fusion de Almas: (Spiritual Union)
Te quiero tanto (I love you dearly): Te Quiero Tanto (I Love You So)
Porque eh? (Why? Eh?): Por Que, Eh? (Why, Huh?)
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