LA CIUDAD CELESTE AND OTHER IMPORTANT CHORAL WORKS BY JUAN ORREGO- SALAS

This collection includes premiere recordings of the choral works of composer Juan Orrego- Salas, founder and first

director of Indiana University's Latin American Music Center.  Born in Chile in 1919, Juan Orrego-Salas studied with

Domingo Santa Cruz, Randall Thompson and Aaron Copland, becoming one of the most important Latin American

composers of the 20th-century. The disc includes the world-premiere of his cantata La Ciudad Celeste for baritone,

chorus and orchestra, conducted by Carmen Helena Tellez , and featuring baritone Benjamn Eley. Based on texts

from Revelation, it was commissioned to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Evangelization of America in 1992,

and  is distinguished by it dazzling colors and  declamatory verve.  Another important work in the collection is the

Cánticos Sagrados for chorus and instrumental ensemble, conducted by Jan Harrington , a great example of

Orrego-Salas's devotional lyricism. The virtuosic Madrigales for chorus a cappella showcase Orrego-Salas unique

brand of modernism, in contrast to the lovely set of early works in neoclassical style based on Spanish Golden-Age

poems. The CD features the Indiana University Singers, Contemporary Vocal Ensemble and Chamber Orchestra.