Culture Watch: Gabriela Lena Frank's 'Hilos'

Culture Watch: Gabriela Lena Frank’s ‘Hilos’

By Mark SwedClassical Music Critic

March 2, 2011 4:25 PM PT

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Gabriela Lena Frank: “Hilos” (Naxos)

Part Peruvian/Chinese, part Lithuanian/Jewish, born in Berkeley in 1972, Frank has selected a Latina identity, but with many obvious qualifications.

All the works on this disc are from the past 10 years and inspired by Latin America and Spain. Bartók is her model for using folk material.

But Frank’s colorful use of instruments and her melodic style are beginning to sound all her beguiling own.

-- Mark Swed

Culture Watch: Gabriela Lena Frank’s ‘Hilos’