Silvestre Revueltas’ “La noche de los Mayas” (“The Night of the Mayas”)
Notes by TŌN cellist Elvira Hoyos Malagon
When Silvestre Revueltas composed La noche de los Mayas (The Night of the Mayas) in 1939, he not only created a soundtrack for the cinema, but captured the soul of Mexico. This work, originally written as a film score, has transcended its cinematographic context to emerge as a vibrant musical statement about the cultural richness of the ancient Mayans.
Born in Santiago Papasquiaro, Mexico, in 1899, during a period of revolutions and modernization, Revueltas embraced these changes in his music. His compositions capture both the brutality and the beauty of life in Mexico, integrating indigenous traditions into a musical language that is both modern and direct. Through his work, Revueltas sought to reflect the spirit of his nation.
La noche de los Mayas comprises four movements. The first movement is solemn and mysterious. The music seems suspended in an unknown dimension, with strings and winds tracing melodic lines as echoes of a lost antiquity. The second movement opens as an explosion of life and celebration. Inspired by popular Mexican dances, the rhythm is festive and cheerful, an authentic manifestation of vitality. The third movement introduces a melancholic lyricism, reflecting the shadows and history of the ancient peoples of Yucatán. While Revueltas employs a modern harmonic language, the connection with the ancestral language remains present. The final movement is full of energy, with a vast percussion assembly that evokes a ritual ceremony. The frenetic rhythms and orchestral climaxes culminate in a catharsis that transports the listener to the experience of an ancient Mayan ritual.
Revueltas makes use of an enormous percussion section, especially in the fourth movement. This massive instrumentation gives La noche de los Mayas its distinctive rhythmic texture and its almost visceral energy, particularly during the ritual moments.