Return to Mexico

Carlos Chávez was both a rebel and an educator. Born in a Mexico on the brink of revolution, he would go on to single-handedly revolutionise Mexican music and culture, filling his compositions with indigenous Aztec stories and sounds. Many cite Aaron Copland as an influence on Chávez, but the truth may have been the reverse. While Copland was championing American music in the States, Chávez was fighting for it in Mexico, educating the next generation of Mexican composers. He may have shaped American music more than any other - yet his legacy is little known. Odaline de la Martinez joins Donald Macleod to explore his life and work.

In today's programme, Chávez returns to his homeland. Placed in charge of Mexico's first permanent orchestra and appointed director of the National Conservatoire, the composer is no longer locked outside the establishment. He doesn't waste time tearing up the curriculum and turning music education on its head.

Soli I
Southwest Chamber Music
Jeff von der Schmidt, conductor

Soli II
Southwest Chamber Music
Jeff von der Schmidt, conductor

Sinfonia India
Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra
Eduardo Mata, conductor

Xochipilli
Tambuco Percussion Ensemble
Eduardo Mata, conductor

Toccata for Percussion Instruments
Manhattan Percussion Ensemble
Los Angeles Contemporary Music Ensemble
Paul Price, conductor

Produced by Alice McKee for BBC Audio Wales and West