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| Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras (Complete) | 
 enlarge | Artist: The Nashville Symphony
Creators: Cynthia Estill, Anthony La Marchina, Heitor Villa-lobos, Andrew Mogrelia, Kenneth Schermerhorn, Erik Gratton, Nashville Symphony, Jose Feghali, Rosana Lamosa
Label: Naxos
Category: Music
List Price: $26.99
Buy New: $16.99
You Save: $10.00 (37%)
Buy New/Used from $16.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  (6 reviews)
Sales Rank: 13335
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 3
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 4.9 x 0.9
MPN: 8557460-6.2
UPC: 747313246021
EAN: 0747313246021
ASIN: B000BK53DI
Release Date: November 15, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
Disc 1
| • | Introducao - Embolada | | • | Preludio - Modinha | | • | Fuga - Conversa (Conversation) | | • | Preludio - O Canto Do Capadocio (Scamp's Song) | | • | Aria - O Canto Da Nossa Terra (Song Of Our Lamb) | | • | Danca - Lembranca Do Sertao (Rememberance Of The Bush) | | • | Toccata - O Trenzinho Do Caipira (The Peasant's Little Train) | | • | Preludio (Ponteio) | | • | Fantasia (Devaneio) (Digression) | | • | Aria - Modinha | | • | Toccata (Picapu) |
Disc 2
| • | Preludio (Introducao) | | • | Coral (Canto Do Sertao) (Song Of The Bush) | | • | Aria (Cantiga) | | • | Danca (Miudinho) | | • | Aria (Cantilena) | | • | Danca (Martelo) | | • | Aria (Choro) | | • | Fantasia |
Disc 3
| • | Preludio (Ponteio) | | • | Giga (Quadrilha Caipira) (Country Quadrille) | | • | Toccata (Desafio) (Joust) | | • | Fuga (Conversa) (Conversation) | | • | Preludio | | • | Aria (Modinha) | | • | Toccata (Catira Batida) | | • | Fuga | | • | Preludio (Vagaroso E Mistico) | | • | Fuga (Poco Apressado) |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
This is a three-CD set that includes all of Villa-Lobos' moody Bachianas Brasileiras. The best known is the fifth, for soprano and eight cellos (well performed here), but there is a wealth hidden among the others. There are dance movements galore; the second builds to a wonderfully percussive and powerful final movement; the eighth, despite an upbeat old folk dance as its centerpiece, has a melancholic warmth that is irresistible. The flute and bassoon duet that makes up No. 6 is rich and expressive, and the solo pianist has his work cut out for him in No. 3. All of them show a use of counterpoint that is truly skillful, and these performances--the only complete, modern set, not to mention at a bargain price--bring out all of the delicacies in the music. A real find. --Robert Levine
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...
Brazilian Music Extraordinaire January 26, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Jose Feghali is a Brazilian pianist, and interprets this music with great artistic flair! The whole recording was a pleasant surprise, since I didn't expect a high level of playing from the Nashville Symphony. I highly recommend this recording as an especially good value for the price.
rare gem January 4, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Villa-Lobos is a Brazilian composer of the 20th century who deserves more attention. There are relatively few recordings of his works. This complete recording of the 9 Bachianas Brasileiras is a rare pleasure. The Bachianas are considered some of the lighter and easier works of Villa-Lobos and are based on Bach's music. Still, they can't be considered easy listening at first. After a few hearings, however, the music grows on you and you come to realize their beauty.
The best introduction to Villa-Lobos available July 22, 2006
19 out of 19 found this review helpful
The Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) was very prolific, composing 12 symphonies, 5 piano concertos, 17 string quartets, 14 "Choros," numerous ballets and other orchestral works, and 9 "Bachianas Brasileiras." Although Villa-Lobos' style is firmly nationalistic, his individual works are highly varied, with some pieces being highly structured while others are virtually improvisatory. Likewise, the forces employed by Villa-Lobos vary substantially. For instance, compare the 9 minute Bachianas Brasileiras No. 6 scored for flute and bassoon against the half hour long Bachianas Brasileiras No. 3 for piano and orchestra. However, the scoring of Bachianas is more uniform and the style more traditional in comparison to, say, the Choros, making them a good entry point for those unfamiliar with this composer.
You may ask "What exactly is a Bachianas Brasileiras?" Well, a Bachianas Brasileiras is a multi-movement musical form developed by Villa-Lobos in which the harmonic and contrapuntal traits of Bach are combined with elements of Brazilian music. Each Bachianas can be thought of as a Baroque suite, with each movement containing two titles; one signifying a Baroque form, such as "Toccata" or "Fugue," and a second title borrowed from Brazilian music, such as "Picapu" or "Modhinha." This combination may seem a little strange, but Villa-Lobos combines the two elements naturally. For Villa-Lobos the combination was almost logical, as the traditional music of Brazil is itself very contrapuntal.
What makes the Bachianas attractive are their consistent high level of inventiveness and variety. The tunes are memorable, while the counterpoint and orchestral coloring are highly distinctive. One of my favorites is the second Bachianas, the final movement of which is a depiction of a train chugging through the forests of Brazil. This Bachianas also features some highly memorable trombone and saxophone solos. Yet, undoubtedly the composer's favorite instrument is the cello. The first Bachianas is scored for "an orchestra of cellos" and the fifth (the most popular) is scored for soprano and eight cellos. The composer's characteristic use of this instrument throughout the set creates a sensuous atmosphere.
These works are filled with other interesting tidbits, such as the composer's incorporation of bird calls into several movements (the woodpecker in toccata of No. 3, the blacksmith bird in the chorale of No. 4, with various birds emulated by the soprano in No. 5). The movements of the works range from exciting dance pieces to lamenting arias. The aria of No. 4 is especially lovely. Another favorite is the toccata of No. 7, with its exotic sounding percussion and aggressive orchestral playing representative of improvised singing contests Villa-Lobos heard on the streets of Brazil, with a Bach-like violin line emerging from the texture.
What makes this set, in particular, a must have is the great playing by the Nashville Symphony Orchestra (especially the strings), the Naxos price, and the fact that this release constitutes the complete Bachianas. But, this isn't the only set out there. I can mention that the sound quality here blows the (very poor) sound quality of Villa-Lobos' recordings of certain of these works (dating from the 1950's) clear out of the water. The second, third and fourth Bachianas have been recently recorded by the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra on the BIS label. That recording is very good, and some of the playing by that orchestra slightly cleaner, although I would recommend the Naxos recording over that one, as a starting point, on the basis of completeness.
Fans of twentieth century orchestral music need not hesitate. These colorful, immediately accessible, works will give you years of listening pleasure. Get it.
CD 1: 73:10
CD 2: 40:42
CD 3: 62:22
A Wonderful New Recording of the Great Cycle June 15, 2006
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
How wonderful it is to have a fresh, new, all-digital interpretation of the great 9-piece cycle of the Bachianas Brasilieras of Villa-Lobos. We so often hear just the highlights -- the 5th, with soporano and eight cellos, and the "Little Train" of the second -- but here is a thoughtful performance of all these unusual and creative compositions combining the discipline and chromatic transitions of Bach with the untempered wildness and melodic exuberance of Brazil.
While I enjoyed the earlier recording by Alfonso Moreno and the Orquestra Filharmonica de la Ciudad de Mexico on EMI, that recording seems to have all the notes, but not all of the music -- in places it sounds heavy, mechanical, and not imbued with deep understanding of the music. This new recording is a great effort, and it's a shame that this music is so seldom programmed by the major symphony orchestras.
There are a few items I could quibble with -- I don't like the wide vibrato of soprano Rosana Lamosa in the fifth, and the bassoon sound of the unattributed player in the sixth is somewhat muffled, as if played in the French style. But these are really minor points when considered in the light of the overall performance cycle. You have the wonderful cello sound of the Modinha (2nd movement of No. 1 -- "one long sigh" as one reviewer has called it); the excellent trombone solos in the 2nd; an accurate playing of the "Little Train," not a caricature, and still perhaps the best "train" image in music; and I could go on and on.
But let's just stop here and say that this is a really wonderful addition to the Villa-Lobos literature, as well as to all music, and let's hope that others will become aware of the marvelous music of this most prolific Brazilian composer.
A Glowing Performance of the Entire Cycle of Bachianas Brasileiras December 16, 2005
24 out of 25 found this review helpful
Heitor Villa-Lobos is probably best known for this cycle of works under the title 'Bachianas Brasileiras' and while certain of these enchanting pieces are standard repertoire ('Toccata - O Trenzinho Do Caipira' and the luxuriously gorgeous 'Cantilena' for soprano and eight celli), the remainder of this startlingly fine composition is rarely heard.
Fortunate we are, then, that Kenneth Schermerhorn and the Nashville Symphony made this complete set. The individual works are varied and disparate in orchestration, sort of a 'Concerto for Chamber Orchestra'! Each piece is never less than fascinating in rhythmic detail and structure and there are some very beautiful melodies strung throughout the cycle.
The total of twenty-nine pieces are comfortably spaced over three discs and the recorded sound is rich and warm. This is an important recording and priced at the level that it is generally affordable! Highly recommended on all levels. Grady Harp, December 05
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