The Night of the Mayas
{{short description|1939 film by Chano Urueta}}
{{Infobox film
| name = The Night of the Mayas
| image =
| caption =
| director = Chano Urueta
| producer = Francisco Cabrera
Mauricio de la Serna
| writer = Archibaldo Burns
Alfredo B. Crevenna
Antonio Mediz Bolio
Chano Urueta
| narrator =
| starring = Arturo de Córdova
Stella Inda
Isabela Corona
| music = Silvestre Revueltas, with Mayan tunes contributed by Cornelio Cárdenas Samada
| cinematography = Gabriel Figueroa
| editing = Emilio Gómez Muriel
| distributor = Fama Films
| released = {{Film date|1939}}
| runtime = 101 minutes
| country = Mexico
| language = Spanish
| budget =
| gross =
}}
The Night of the Mayas (Spanish: La noche de los mayas) is a 1939 Mexican film directed by Chano Urueta. The film, which is called a "Mexican tragedy" set in the times of the Mayas, is remembered today for its musical score by the Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas.
Cast
- Arturo de Córdova as Uz
- Stella Inda as Lol
- Isabela Corona as Zev
- Luis Aldás as Miguel
- Miguel Ángel Ferriz Sr. as Yum Balam
- Rodolfo Landa as Taz
- Daniel (Chino) Herrera as Apolonio
- Rosita Gasque as Pil
- Max Langler as H‐Men, hombre sabio
- Jacoba Herrera as Nuc, anciana
- Ch. Sánchez as Chumín
Music
{{Further|La noche de los mayas (Revueltas)}}
Revueltas' music is best known in arrangements for the concert hall, although the composer did not live to make such an arrangement himself.
=Concert suites=
In 1946 the German composer Paul Hindemith made a visit to Mexico where he met Rosaura Revueltas, sister of Silvestre. This led to his concert arrangement in two movements.{{cite web|url=http://www.excelsior.com.mx/expresiones/2014/03/24/950235|title=Graban y publican la versión sinfónica de La noche de los mayas|accessdate=9 March 2019|last=Talavera|first=Juan Carlos|website=excelsior.com|date=24 March 2014|language=Spanish}}
There is a later arrangement by {{ill|José Limantour|es|José Yves Limantour (músico)}} (1919–1976) in four movements. It is scored for larger forces than Hindemith's version and includes a large percussion section.{{Cite web|url=https://bachtrack.com/review-stravinsky-saint-saens-revueltas-de-la-parra-thomas-hamburg-philharmonic-december-2018|title=Women in the driving seat at the Elbphilharmonie|last=Hall|first=Alexander|date=16 December 2018|access-date=12 April 2020|publisher=Bachtrack}}Kolb Neuhaus, Roberto. "[http://www.sibetrans.com/trans/public/docs/15-trans-2014_1.pdf La noche de los mayas: crónica de una performance de otredad exótica]". Trans (Revista Transcultural de Música), no. 18 (October 2014) {{ISSN|1697-0101}} (accessed 16 July 2017).
=Recordings=
The version by Hindemith was recorded by the Tempus Fugit Orquesta conducted by Christian Gohmer, and released by Quindecim Records in 2014.Silvestre Revueltas: La noche de los Mayas: versión de Paul Hindemith; Juan Trigos: Concierto no. 2 (Hispano): para guitarra y orquesta, Raúl Zambrano (guitar), Tempus Fugit Orquesta, Christian Gohmer (cond.); recorded at Sony Music, Mexico City 10–12 June 2013. CD recording. Quindecim
CDQP239. Mexico: Quindecim Recordings, 2014.
Limantour was recorded conducting the Orquesta Sinfónica de Guadalajara.Silvestre Revueltas, Musica para charlar; La noche de los Mayas. Orquesta Sinfónica de Guadalajara; José Yves Limantour (cond.). Musart MCD 3022 (LP). Mexico City: Discos Musart. Later recordings include one by the Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, which was released on Deutsche Grammophon in 2010.[http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/cat/4778775 Rite: Stravinsky/Revueltas]. Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, Gustavo Dudamel (cond.) CD recording. Deutsche Grammophon 0289 477 8775 4.
References
Further reading
- Lienhard, Martin. "La Noche de Los Mayas: Indigenous Mesoamericans in Cinema and Literature, 1917–1943", translated by Peter Cooke and Philip Derbyshire. Journal of Latin American Cultural Studies 13, no. 1 (2004): 35–96.
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=0031729|title=La noche de los mayas}}
- [https://archive.today/20130411042102/http://www.hoycinema.com/sinopsis/noche-los-Mayas-1939.htm La noche de los mayas at Hoycinema.com] {{in lang|es}}
{{Films directed by Chano Urueta}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Noche de los Mayas, La}}
Category:Films scored by Silvestre Revueltas
Category:1930s Spanish-language films
Category:Films directed by Chano Urueta
Category:Mexican black-and-white films
Category:Spanish-language drama films
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