A Scaloneta in the Liberty Palace: 28 technicians, an orchestra of 110 musicians, and the rescue of Alberto Williams's 9 symphonies

In a significant cultural undertaking, Argentina's National Symphony Orchestra is embarking on an ambitious project to record and film the complete nine symphonies of Alberto Williams, a pivotal figure in the nation's musical history. This initiative, coinciding with the orchestra's 80th anniversary, seeks to honor Williams, who not only founded the first classical music teaching institution in Argentina but also shaped its national musical identity as a composer, conductor, and pianist. His influence extended beyond music; he was also the father of renowned modernist architect Amancio Williams. Maestro Pablo Boggiano, the musical director of this endeavor, describes the project as having "unprecedented historical value." The symphonies themselves are substantial works, with some, like the second, "La bruja en las montañas" (The Witch in the Mountains), and the third, "La Selva sagrada" (The Sacred Jungle), demanding large orchestral forces. Boggiano explains that the sheer scale of these compositions, influenced by Romantic composers like Berlioz, Strauss, Mahler, and Wagner, requires an orchestra of considerable size, including extensive brass sections and strings, which differs from the standard instrumentation needed for more commonly performed works by composers like Brahms or Tchaikovsky. The project also involves the Secretariat of Culture and the National Stable Ensembles, utilizing the technical resources of the Palacio Libertad, underscoring the national importance placed on preserving and promoting Williams's legacy. The material, thankfully, was well-preserved by the composer's family, with his grandson, Pablo Williams, having digitized the manuscripts.

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unprecedented historical value