Carlos Miguel Prieto’s recent appearance conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl showcased the breadth of music by Mexican composers and his intimate knowledge of all of it. The program combined familiar works with three pieces the orchestra had not previously played, including two by living composers. Significant contributions by the Ballet Folklórico de Mexico de Amália Hernández added to the festive feel of the evening.

The concert started with the composition the LA Phil has been playing the longest, if somewhat infrequently. Carlos Chávez wrote his Symphony No. 2, “Sinfonía India,” in 1936 and former Music Director Alfred Wallenstein led the first LA Phil performance in 1952. Mr. Prieto’s interpretation was incisive, providing an ideal start to the evening.

The next two pieces were by living composers. The first, Mariachitlán by USC Thornton grad and current professor Juan Pablo Contreras, was an unabashed crowd pleaser. The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra played it in 2021 for the first post-pandemic concerts at Walt Disney Concert Hall in an arrangement for smaller ensemble, and the exuberance of the piece matched the palpable sense of celebration to hear music in public after many months of quarantine. This first-ever LA Phil performance may not have shared the same sense of occasion as that reopening of WDCH, but Mariachitlán was successful on its own terms, and that fact reinforced the high quality of the work.

Consciously inspired by mariachi music, Mariachitlán manages to evoke the spirit and feeling of that genre yet never devolves into mere caricature. In my review of that 2021 LACO performance, I described it this way: “Think Bartok or Mahler downing shots of Red Bull and mezcal while partying with Vicente Fernández, and you’re approaching the right ballpark.” I stand by that assessment. Kudos to trumpeters Tom Hooten and Jeff Strong for their blazingly in-your-face playing that fit the mariachi style perfectly. Much respect as well to Assistant Concertmaster Akiko Tarumoto for impressive solo violin work (more about her below).

Rounding out the pre-intermission set was the LA Phil premiere of Gabriela Ortiz‘s Antrópolis. Ms. Ortiz has been a frequent collaborator with the orchestra during Mr. Dudamel’s tenure. Her music is interesting if sometimes challenging, and she often seems to be trying to force the orchestra to play against type. In contrast, Antrópolis is direct, channeling the nightclub-ish dance music on which its name is based. Mr. Prieto commissioned the compact work and conducted the 2017 world premiere at Carnegie Hall by the Louisiana Philharmonic, the orchestra for which he is Music Director. He led a persuasive performance, with Assistant Principal Timpanist David Riccobono getting well-deserved acknowledgement for his prominent role.

The second half of the program featured the Ballet Folklórico dancing various traditional styles with appropriate music as accompaniment. Sensemayá by Revueltas, a veritable soundtrack to a Nicolás Guillén poem about ritualistic snake killing, featured dancers with pre-Columbian inspired costumes and movement. Danzón No. 2 by Marquez provided the backdrop for a sultry pair of dancers who were eventually joined by the larger ensemble. Danzones de Lara continued the theme, with an even wider range of dance styles from the company. Throughout it all, the Ballet Folklórico dancers gave excellent renditions of the various forms for which they are known. I only wish that the ensemble work was more consistent and precisely synchronized.

Huapango by Moncayo was the evening’s official finale, with Mr. Prieto making a point to mention how central this music is to his heart and to Mexican musicians in general. The LA Phil may not have as close an association to the piece as the conductor, but they are also no strangers to Huapango, and it showed by the fluidity and cohesion in their playing. Together, conductor and orchestra gave a rousing performance while the Ballet Folklórico cycled through a rich tapestry of costumes and dance styles. It was the evening’s best combination of dance and music.

With such a generous program, musicians and dancers surprised by offering an encore: Toussaint’s Popurrí de Mambos de Perez-Prado. Mr. Prieto implored the audience to dance themselves and some actually did. After the final chords were played and steps danced, the audience errupted in the biggest applause of the night, enthusiastically expressing their gratitude for a truly enjoyable night.

Random other thoughts:

• The affable Mr. Prieto narrated much the concert, though choosing to speak primarily in Spanish before reiterating some of it English himself. Still, si no entendiste español — or brought a friend who did and could translate for you — you were bound to miss good chunks of his commentary.
• One word to describe Mr. Prieto’s take on the Star-Spangled Banner: stately.
• As mentioned above, Akiko Tarumoto, the orchestra’s Assistant Concertmaster, sat in the first chair throughout the concert. For those of you who don’t know, Ms.Tarumoto is a phenomenal violinist who also happens to be married to Nathan Cole, the LA Phil’s First Associate Concertmaster (aka #2 violinist in the orchestra) who was recently announced as the Boston Symphony’s new Concertmaster. When Mr. Cole joins the BSO in Fall 2025, Ms.Tarumoto and family will be moving to Boston as well, and I’d guess it’s only a matter of time before Ms. Tarumoto wins a seat in the BSO if she wants one. The first week of the Bowl season reminded everyone why we’ll miss Mr. Cole, and these concerts certainly did the same for Ms. Tarumoto. Enjoy them while you can, people. (Or pray that they miss LA and decide to come back before accepting tenure in New England).
• Playing guest principal flute for this concert was Brandon Patrick George, Grammy Award winner and member of the Imani Winds.
• After having attended three Bowl concerts so far this summer, I’m less than impressed with the sound this season. The soundstage is shallow, with everything sounding too closely mic’d (miked? micced?) and the dials turned up way too much. I’m sad I missed the recent Mozart concert, it would’ve been a drastic difference in instrumentation compared to the other concerts. Hoping the Prokofiev/Shostakovich concert on Aug 6 conducted by Ryan Bancroft will be better.

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• REVIEW: violinists Augustin Hadelich and Nathan Cole impress with LA Phil at Hollywood Bowl (July 18, 2024)
• Comings and goings at the LA Phil (Summer 2024 edition, pt. 1): which conductors new CEO Kim Noltemy could — and should — consider as Music Director candidates (July 9, 2024)
• REVIEW: Jaime Martin and LA Chamber Orchestra dazzle and inspire in their two-concert return [featuring Mariachitlán by Juan Pablo Contreras] (July 3, 2021)

Los Angeles Philharmonic: July 19, 2024; Hollywood Bowl
Carlos Miguel Prieto, conductor
Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández (Salvador López López, general director, Viviana Basanta, artistic director)

• Chávez: Symphony No. 2, “Sinfonía India,”
• Contreras: Mariachitlán
• Ortiz: Antrópolis
• Revueltas: Sensamaya
• Marquez: Danzón No. 2
• Lara: Danzones de Lara (arr. Ferrer)
• Moncayo: Huapango

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Photo credits: Elizabeth Asher, courtesy of the Los Angeles Philharmonic