New BIS recordings of the Villa-Lobos Symphonies

There was an exciting announcement from the Swedish recording company BIS this afternoon. They'll be recording a new series of the complete Symphonies of Villa-Lobos, with Isaac Karabtchevsky conducting the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra (OSESP). The recordings will be released according to this schedule:

• 2011 – Sinfonia nº 3, “A Guerra” & Sinfonia nº 4, “A Vitória”
• 2012 – Sinfonia nº 6, “Sobre a linha das montanhas do Brasil” & Sinfonia nº 7
• 2013 – Sinfonia nº 10, “Ameríndia”
• 2014 – Sinfonia nº 1, “O Imprevisto” & Sinfonia nº 2
• 2015 – Sinfonia nº 8, Sinfonia nº 9 & Sinfonia nº 11
• 2016 – Sinfonia nº 12 + Uirapurú & Mandú-Çarará

The same recording company and orchestra (though with a different conductor, John Neshling) won the Diapason d’Or de l’Année in 2009, for their recording of the complete Choros of Villa-Lobos.  Today's announcement also included the very good news that Criadores do Brasil will be releasing new editions of the scores, which are badly needed. 

This is great news for Villa-Lobos lovers.  There is certainly nothing wrong with the excellent cpo series with the Stuttgart Radio Symphony conducted by Carl St. Clair.  But after many years of hearing how poor (and how atypical) these works were, it will be great to experience another cycle, and perhaps take a new look at all of Villa's orchestral works.  And though it will be a long wait (2016!), we've long needed a new recording of the great orchestral/choral work Mandú-Çarará.

Thanks to João Luiz Sampaio for this news, via Twitter and this article.