El Economista Newspaper, Mexico. 2007
Allegro Molto – Triumph for José Areán

The fourth programme of the Minería Symphony Orchestra (OSM), which
took place last Saturday before an audience that filled the
Nezahualcóyotl Hall, was yet another triumph in the long concert
career of Jorge Federico Osorio.
(…) But a bigger triumph still was José Areán's, Associate Conductor
of the OSM (…)
In the first work of the programme, Stravinsky's Second Suite for
small orchestra, Areán exalted the playful character of this delicious
music, seemingly unimportant, but worthy of the immense genius of the
composer. Nevertheless, he gave the true proof of his mastery on the
podium with Beethoven's Third Symphony, the Eroica.

This work, so often performed in our concert halls to the degree of
running the danger of provoking boredom, was conducted with such
renewed dramatic character, that this critic felt momentarily to be
listening to it for the first time. The pianissimi were a whisper; the
forti, electrifying.

Were one to highlight a moment of exceptional excellence on the part
of the players, this critic would mention the imitative horn passage
of the third movement, Scherzo: allegro vivace.

The given encore set a contrast to the vibrating symphony: "Last
Spring" by Grieg, that Norwegian composer with a melodic vein
reminiscent of Tchaikovsky. Even in the selection of this piece was
José Areán fortunate (…) this conductor has still his hands full of
surprises.

José Alfredo Páramo
aparamo@gmail.com