Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Villa-Lobos Digital Project at the ABM


Here's an exciting project from the Academia Brasileira da Música.
Villa-Lobos is considered the greatest Brazilian composer of all time and, undoubtedly, one of the world greatest geniuses of music in the twentieth century.  
A controversial artist, but widely respected and admired, his compositions are part of great artists’ repertoire and are performed in the most important concert halls around the world. His monumental orchestral work - which includes symphonic poems, concertos, ballets, symphonies, suites, operas, famous “Bachianas Brasileiras”, the “Choros”, the “Forest of the Amazon” and many others -, lacked a revised orchestral edition to do justice to what Villa-Lobos represents for the Brazilian and world culture. For a long time Dr. Marisa Gandelman (former attorney of the ABM - Brazilian Academy of Music) cherished the complex and difficult to achieve dream to transform this lack in reality.
Many performing rights of Villa-Lobos works belong to foreign publishers, especially Max Eschig, from Paris. The first and most difficult step was to obtain the permission of these companies to produce BAM own editions. The second step was to invite Sarau Agência de Cultura Brasileira, a renowned company in the cultural market, to develop a management and fundraising project required to achieve this goal. 
Therefore, the Digital Villa-Lobos project has as its main goal to provide Villa Lobos scores and orchestral material, in a high-level edition, stimulating and making possible the performance of Villa Lobos symphonic works.  
When we were invited to take the Project’s artistic direction we decided to create, under our presidency, a commission formed by academics Luther Robinson, Henrique Morelenbaum, Ricardo Tacuchian and Turibio Santos, to set the parameters of future issues and have the collaboration of professionals signing several works reviews.
Sarau's work bore fruit, the sponsorship came. Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional, moved by the Project’s significance, was receptive to provide the necessary funds to the first part, that is the editing of the first fifteen works. Shortly after, the Consul Company aware of the importance of a better dissemination of Villa-Lobos works came to meet us to offer the sponsorship of another stage. The work began. There are still other important works to be edited. New sponsors are expected to honor and promote the one who was and still is the biggest name of Brazilian music.
Here are the scores to be published in the first stage of the project:
  • Alvorada na Floresta Tropical
  • Choros #06
  • Momoprecoce
  • Danca Frenetica
  • Danca dos Mosquitos
  • Introducao aos Choros
  • Guitar Concerto
  • Mandu-Sarrara
  • Madona
  • O Naufragio de Kleonicos
  • Bachianas Brasileiras #9 (orchestral and choral versions)
  • Symphony #06
  • Fantasia for Cello and Orchestra
  • Genesis
  • Choros #10
  • Choros #07
  • Harp Concerto
  • Magnificat-Alleluia
  • Dancas Africanas
  • Rudepoema (orchestral version)
  • Amazonas

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Yerma from Manaus


In April of 2010 Villa-Lobos's opera Yerma was performed at the famous Opera House in Manaus. The Amazonas Filarmônica is directed by Marcelo de Jesus, and the production is directed by Allex Aguilera.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Villa-Lobos: Uma Vida de Paixão Trailer



Here's a trailer for the outstanding film by Zelito Viana, Villa-Lobos: Uma Vide de Paixão (2000). The trailer-hype for this one is on the mark: "Passional, Exagerado, Revolucionario, Grandioso." Just like the composer himself.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Concert from the 2010 Festival Villa-Lobos

You can listen to a podcast of this concert from Radio MEC's program A Grande Música (June 18, 2011).

Festival Villa-Lobos: cantores


Obras do compositor interpretadas por Licio Bruno, Verushka Mainhardt, Jaime Vignoli, Nilze Carvalho e Maria Tereza Madeira
A apresentação de cantores populares e líricos no evento realizado no Espaço Tom Jobim, no Jardim Botânico, durante o Festival Villa-Lobos. Nesta edição, obras para canto de Villa-Lobos são interpretadas por cantores populares com acompanhamento fiel à partitura original, e por cantores clássicos com arranjos populares.
Seleção musical
Abrideira pro Villa – Jaime Vignoli
De Heitor Villa-Lobos:
Lundu da Marquesa de Santos – João Cavalcanti, voz
Viola Quebrada – Nilze Carvalho, voz
Canção do Poeta do Século XVIII – Veruschka Mainhard, soprano
Remeiro de S. Francisco – Lício Bruno, barítono
Canção da Folha Morta – Nilze Carvalho, voz
Modinha – Nilze Carvalho, voz
Saudades de Minha Vida – Veruschka Mainhard, soprano
Na Paz do Outono – Veruschka Mainhard, soprano
Redondilha – Lício Bruno, barítono
Serenata – Lício Bruno, barítono
Cantiga do Viúvo – João Cavalcanti, voz
Realejo – Maria Tereza Madeira; R. Alvim; Luis Barcelos; Nilze Carvalho
Ária – Veruschka Mainhard, soprano
Melodia Sentimental – J. Cavalcanti; N. Carvalho; V. Mainhard; L. Bruno