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
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.
There is a later arrangement by José Limantour (1919–1976) in four movements. It is scored for larger forces than Hindemith's version and includes a large percussion section.
Recordings
The version by Hindemith was recorded by the Tempus Fugit Orquesta conducted by Christian Gohmer, and released by Quindecim Records in 2014.
Limantour was recorded conducting the Orquesta Sinfónica de Guadalajara. Later recordings include one by the Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, which was released on Deutsche Grammophon in 2010.
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
- La noche de los mayas at IMDb
- La noche de los mayas at Hoycinema.com (in Spanish)
