C¿¿sar Guerra-Peixe: Symphonic Su¿¿tes Nos. 1 and 2; Roda de Amigos

by Neil Thomson, Goias Philharmonic Orchestra

Overview

The Naxos label's series on Brazilian music, partly funded by the Brazilian government, has unearthed a good deal of music that's hardly known outside Brazil, and this release, devoted to music by Cesar Guerra-Peixe, is especially worthwhile. Guerra-Peixe started out as a strict serialist. After he began to study Brazilian roots music, his style grew a good deal more accessible, but it never lost its structural rigor and harmonic complexity. Consider the two Symphonic Suites on this release by the Goias Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Neil Thomson. They were written in the 1950s -- after Guerra-Peixe had become interested in folk music research -- and each one is influenced by the music of a certain region. The "Paulista" subhead of the Symphonic Suite No. 1 refers to Sao Paulo, while the second suite is rooted in the music of Brazil's northeast. Either work would greatly enliven any program devoted to the music of the Western hemisphere. Afro-Brazilian rhythms are clearly audible in the music, but their incorporation into an orchestral idiom is subtle. Sample the Tambu finale of the Symphonic Suite No. 1, where the rhythms begin in a kind of descant. The Symphonic Suite No. 2, pervaded by the fiery rhythms of the northeast, is the more stirring work, but both are well worthwhile, as are the musical depictions of Guerra-Peixe's Roda de amigos ("Circle of Friends") that serves as an entr'acte. The Goias Philharmonic plays with a sense of enjoyment and commitment. This recording was made in 2016, and it is good that someone at Naxos saw the project through to its release in 2022. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	07/08/2022
Label:	Naxos
UPC:	0747313392575
Rank:	162303

Tracks

1. Symphonic Suite No. 1 'Paulista'~I. Cateret¿¿
2. Symphonic Suite No. 1 'Paulista'~II. Jongo
3. Symphonic Suite No. 1 'Paulista'~III. Recomenda de almas
4. Symphonic Suite No. 1 'Paulista'~IV. Tambu
5. Roda de Amigos (Circle of Friends)~I. O rabugento
6. Roda de Amigos (Circle of Friends)~II. O teimoso
7. Roda de Amigos (Circle of Friends)~III. O melanc¿¿lico
8. Roda de Amigos (Circle of Friends)~III. O travesso
9. Symphonic Suite No. 2 'Pernambucana'~I. Maracatu
10. Symphonic Suite No. 2 'Pernambucana'~II. Dan¿¿a de cabocolinhos
11. Symphonic Suite No. 2 'Pernambucana'~III. Aboiado
12. Symphonic Suite No. 2 'Pernambucana'~IV. Frevo

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Neil Thomson   Primary Artist,Conductor
Goias Philharmonic Orchestra   Primary Artist,Orchestra
Raul Menezes   Flute
Felipe Arruda   Bassoon
Patrick Viglioni   Clarinet
Publio da Silva   Oboe

Technical Credits

Cesar Guerra-Peixe   Composer
Ulrich Schneider   Engineer,Producer,Editing
Rafaella Pessoa   Photography
Jose Francisco Borges   Cover Art
Marshal Gaioso Pinto   Liner Notes
Susannah Howe   Liner Note Translation