ROBERTO SIERRA (b.1953): Triple Concierto for Piano Trio and Orchestra, Loíza for Orchestra, Cantares for Chorus and Orchestra.

Description: Sierra’s refined compositional voice is subtly combined with contemporary musical techniques and his Puerto Rican heritage in the three works recorded here. Cantares, commissioned by the Cornell University Chorus and Glee Club to celebrate the university’s sesquicentennial anniversary, evokes ancient Peruvian, Aztec and Afro-Caribbean voices lost in time. The virtuoso triple concerto transforms the popular Caribbean rhythms of salsa, bolero and merengue into complex contemporary expressions, while the polyrhythmic layers of Loíza conjure a Puerto Rican town known for its strong African traditions. Spanish-English texts. Trío Arbós, Cornell University Chorus and Glee Club. Xalapa Symphony Orchestra; Lanfranco Marcelletti.