Brazil’s most celebrated classical composer wrote some two hundred works for piano, many of which sadly languish in the wilderness. This disc will do much to advocate his appealing musical personality. The collection begins with the suite “As Tres Marias,” a trio of movements lasting barely ... Read review
At last, a replacement for Roberto Szidon's long-deleted recording of Cirandas! This is ... more
one of Villa-Lobos's most delightful works, a long piano suite (41:46 in this recording) of folk-flavoured pieces that progress from one charming idea to another and never outlast their material. The Baby's Family, the first of two suites, is also charming music, made popular by Artur Rubinstein. The Chopin tribute is one of those crocks of musical dishwater Villa-Lobos stuck his hands into when his mind was on something else, but it is brief and comes at the end of the disc. Brazilian pianist Sonia Rubinsky plays with stylistic insight and gorgeous piano tone, very well captured by Naxos in a recording that sat in the can for almost five years before it was finally issued. --Leslie Gerber
Postage & Packaging:Free! Availability:Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Advantages: Hugely enjoyable music, fresh and free of pretence Disadvantages: Unfamiliarity?
Brazil’s most celebrated classical composer wrote some two hundred works for piano, many of which sadly languish in the wilderness. This disc will do much to advocate his appealing musical personality. The collection begins with the suite “As Tres Marias,” a trio of movements lasting barely three minutes. Based on the stars of Orion’s belt, it is one of Villa-Lobos’ most popular pieces, here played with great panache by the Canadian virtuoso Marc-Andre ... ...dedicated to Arthur Rubinstein, paints a completely different sound picture. It’s a concentrated work, powerful and uncompromising, and perhaps surprisingly it delves into the world of polytonality as realised by Milhaud in the same decade. It takes several listens to fully appreciate the larger scale that Villa-Lobos is working on, and Hamelin responds by giving a barnstorming performance of virtuosity and musicality. Not one for the faint-hearted, ... more
Brazil’s most celebrated classical composer wrote some two hundred works for piano, many of which sadly languish in the wilderness. This disc will do much to advocate his appealing musical personality. The collection begins with the suite “As Tres Marias,” a trio of movements lasting barely three minutes. Based on the stars of Orion’s belt, it is one of Villa-Lobos’ most popular pieces, here played with great panache by the Canadian virtuoso Marc-Andre Hamelin. The closing Rudepoema, a fiercesome score from the 1920s dedicated to Arthur Rubinstein, paints a completely different sound picture. It’s a concentrated work, powerful and uncompromising, and perhaps surprisingly it delves into the world of polytonality as realised by Milhaud in the same decade. It takes several listens to fully appreciate the larger scale that Villa-Lobos is working on, and Hamelin responds by giving a barnstorming performance of virtuosity and musicality. Not one for the faint-hearted, but rewarding for those of you who might previously have considered Villa-Lobos to be an unadventurous composer. This is perhaps his darker side.
In between we have two children’s suites, “A Prole De Bebe,” delightfully characterised and coloured by Hamelin. There are several gems here - try the sparkling “O Polichinello” (Punch) or the fireworks of “O Camundongo De Massa” (The Little Papier-Mache Mouse) in the second suite. Pianistically we hear occasional echoes of Debussy, or Stravinsky’s Petrushka. The first suite, “The Dolls”, is a set of miniature treasures, whilst the more substantial second, “The Little Animals,” is more concentrated but highly effective. Hyperion deserve many plaudits for an enthralling disc of piano repertoire slightly off the beaten track, brought spectacularly to life by Hamelin. Do give it a try.
