Villa-Lobos: Do Brasil

by Wilhem Latchoumia

Overview

This album of Villa-Lobos' piano music contains works that may be well known in Brazil but are hardly familiar elsewhere, and for most listeners, they will be real finds. The centerpiece is the group of ten excerpts from the set Cirandas ("Round Dances"), which are almost like a Brazilian version of Bartok; they are rooted in folk music but diverge into concise little statements exploiting the motivic and harmonic possibilities they represent. Almost everything here, as the album's title suggests, is Brazilian in flavor, but never in the usual ways; New York Skyline Melody (1939) is only a possible exception. The album ends spectacularly with the Liszt-level virtuosity of Rudepoema, whose title suggests "Savage Poem" rather than rudeness. This fascinating work is a musical portrait of Artur Rubinstein, and when that pianist pointed out the meaning of the name, Villa-Lobos responded enthusiastically, "Yes! We are both savages!" The work is an excellent addition to the virtuoso repertory, and pianist Wilhem Latchoumia handles it confidently. Throughout, he has praiseworthy control over a wide variety of material that illuminates many strands of Villa-Lobos' musical personality. The La Dolce Volta label contributes excellent sound from the Metz Arsenal on an album that may well become one of the sleeper hits of the 2023 holiday season. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	10/20/2023
Label:	La Dolce Volta
UPC:	3770001905136
Rank:	80287

Tracks

1. Chôro no. 5 (Brazilian Soul) W205
2. Chôro no. 2 W198
3. Ondulando, estudio (Undulating, étude) Op. 31 W82
4. Cirandas W220~No. 3. Senhora dona Sancha (Madame Sancha)
5. Cirandas W220~No. 6. Passa passa gavião (Go Away, Go Away, Hawk)
6. Cirandas W220~No. 15. Que lindos olhos (What Beautiful Eyes!)
7. Cirandas W220~No. 10. O pintor de Cannahy (The Painter of Cannahy)
8. Cirandas W220~No. 9. Fui no Tororó (I Went to Tororó)
9. Cirandas W220~No. 4. O cravo brigou com a rosa (The Carnation Quarrelled with the Rose)
10. Cirandas W220~No. 2. A condessa (The Countess)
11. Cirandas W220~No. 8. Vamos atrás da serra, Calunga (Let's Go to the Other Side of the Mountain, Calunga)
12. Cirandas W220~No. 5. Pobre cega (Toada da rede) (Poor Blind Woman - Net Song)
13. Cirandas W220~No. 16. Có-Có-Có (Cheep, Cheep, Cheep)
14. La caixinha de música quebrada W256 (The Little Broken Music Box)
15. Nenê vai dormir W53 (Baby's Going to Sleep)
16. New York Skyline Melody W407
17. Rudepoêma W184 (Savage Poem)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Wilhem Latchoumia   Primary Artist,Piano

Technical Credits

Carolin Krueger   Liner Note Translation
Heitor Villa-Lobos   Composer,Transcription
Lyodoh Kaneko   Photography
Charles Johnston   Liner Note Translation
Kumiko Nishi   Liner Note Translation
Jean-Marc Laisne   Engineer,Artistic Director,Editing
Remi Jacobs   Liner Notes
Stephane Gaudion   Graphic Realization