tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31752062008-05-21T15:24:16.451-06:00Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comBlogger156125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-84041060926402505222008-05-21T09:10:00.009-06:002008-05-21T15:24:16.536-06:00

There's an exciting series of Villa-Lobos concerts coming in the fall of 2008 to concert halls across the U.S. According to the tour publicity, Marsalis Brasilianos is a celebration of the music of Heitor Villa-Lobos, featuring Branford Marsalis and members of the Philarmonia Brasilera (Gil Jardim, Conductor). This fascinating new project commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the revered

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-21026584421843542262008-05-21T09:00:00.004-06:002008-05-21T09:05:52.840-06:00

The important International Villa-Lobos Conference in Richmond VA held in March 2008 was a great success. Lee Boyd has sent a detailed report from Richmond, which I've posted on the Villa-Lobos Website. Thanks, Lee!

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-19035150712111481182008-05-14T09:11:00.004-06:002008-05-14T09:37:16.199-06:00

I've been putting together information on the Marsalis Brasilianos project. I'll be posting about this exciting project soon. In the meantime, I came across this note about the concert in Birmingham AL: Free Prelude Musical Discussion @ 6 p.m. Enjoy a tasting of Brazilian wines prior to the show. A very long time ago, before my life as a librarian, I used to work in the wine business. Since

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-10839870060426537442008-05-03T08:58:00.007-06:002008-05-09T20:01:24.696-06:00

A March 2008 Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra concert featuring Bach and Villa-Lobos will be played on CBC Radio 2 on Sunday, April 4th, on Bill Richardson's "Sunday Afternoon in Concert", beginning at 1 p.m. EDT. I was really sorry to miss this concert, just down Highway 2 from my home in Red Deer. Conductor Roberto Minczuk [above, in a CBC picture from the concert] put together an excellent

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-73892701260721563542008-04-30T10:47:00.003-06:002008-04-30T10:58:49.427-06:00

Amarilis de Rebua is professor of voice at the Federal University of Paraíba, and an amazing singer to boot. She shows off the latter in a concert at Roxy Grove Hall, on the campus of Baylor University, on April 30th. And as professor, she'll be giving a lecture the following day: On Thursday, May 1, Rebua will discuss the works of 20th-Century composer Heitor Villa-Lobos as a part of the

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-16960157779980306772008-04-29T18:39:00.002-06:002008-04-29T18:51:53.430-06:00

Here are Villa-Lobos performances upcoming on Cultura FM from Sao Paulo. Listen here on the Internet. Times are local Sao Paulo times, one hour ahead of EST. May 1: 12:00 CONCERTOS DO MEIO-DIA com o Maestro Walter Lourenção: Chôros n° 9 de Heitor VILLA-LOBOS com o maestro Kenneth Schermerhorn e a Orquestra Filarmônica de Hong Kong. May 24: 10:00 CIRANDA - Academia Brasileira de Música: VILLA

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-54833634969630469392008-04-29T13:14:00.004-06:002008-04-29T13:22:42.068-06:00

It was nice to come across the website of the Quarteto de Brasilia, a group established in 1986. The site isn't especially up-to-date, so there's no information about upcoming concerts, but the discography section shows the significant recording history of the group over the years. As a small bonus, there are short MP3 clips from each disc, including the 1st and 17th quartets of Villa-Lobos.

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-74301588535194092772008-04-23T14:18:00.003-06:002008-04-23T14:27:36.767-06:00

Here's a project that demonstrates the importance of Villa-Lobos to the musical life of Brazil today. It's called Sonora Brasil: Heitor Villa-Lobos, and it's a project of the Orquestra do Estado de Mato Grosso. The project will bring concerts built on the music of Villa-Lobos to 78 cities in 22 states. Music will include Bachianas Brasileiras #4 and 9, Choros #5, Danças Características

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-21493326832013699792008-04-01T09:46:00.006-06:002008-04-01T10:03:09.684-06:00

Director Jules Dassin died yesterday at the age of 96. Dassin, who is better known today as a Hollywood director (and Hollywood Blacklist victim) than a Broadway director, directed the Villa-Lobos Broadway Musical Magdalena in 1948. My favourite films of Dassin are Rififi, Topkapi, and The Naked City.

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-38650186072808570722008-03-31T11:16:00.002-06:002008-03-31T11:19:07.994-06:00

It's nice to see that conductor Raymond Harvey has included Villa-Lobos as one of three featured composers (along with Debussy and Rachmaninoff) in the "World of..." concerts in the coming season's Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra programme. The World of…Villa-Lobos Sunday, April 5 (2009) – 3pm Light Fine Arts Center (Kalamazoo College Campus, corner Academy & Thompson) Raymond Harvey, Conductor

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-11778781615775406472008-03-24T12:46:00.000-06:002008-03-24T12:53:49.996-06:00

Villa-Lobos scholars are heading to the Southern U.S. in the week after Easter. Richmond VA: Virginia Commonwealth University will host an International Villa-Lobos Conference from March 27 to March 29. This is a big deal, both for its scholarly papers and the performances by such great performers as the Cuarteto Latinoamericano, saxophonist Albert Regni, and pianist Sonia Rubinsky. Watch for

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-77300451677425566462008-03-24T12:45:00.002-06:002008-03-24T12:52:41.588-06:00

Here are Villa-Lobos performances upcoming on Cultura FM from Sao Paulo. Listen here on the Internet. Times are local Sao Paulo times, one hour ahead of EST. April 12: 10:00 CIRANDA - Academia Brasileira de Música: André MEHMARI - Variações Villa-Lobos. Opus Brasil Ensemble. /Edino KRIEGER - Choro Manhos./ Choro Seresteiro. Alexandre Dossin (piano). / VILLA-LOBOS - Bachianas Brasileiras no. 7.

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-91795916124151128022008-03-07T16:20:00.002-07:002008-03-07T16:24:55.644-07:00

Here's something I've wanted to see for a very long time - it's from Humberto Mauro's 1937 film "O Descrobrimento do Brasil": There's a second part out there on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJmJ0UKQSFA&feature=related. Unfortunately, though, no DVD or VHS available, or not that I could track down on the web. This is superb music, a very interesting subject, and an interesting

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-30314415893517420612008-03-07T11:18:00.004-07:002008-03-07T11:32:11.814-07:00

I received this comment on my last post: Bartok Radio (Hungary) Mar 8th 22:36 Villa-Lobos concert with Emmanuel Krivine conducting Orchestre National de Lyon Bachianas Brasileiras No 2 Guitar Concerto (Roberto Aussel) Amazonas broadcast on the web. Bartok Radio is a really interesting station that has a variety of web streams. Click here for the current playlist. Here are the streams: 80

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-84291477478833159492008-03-04T08:32:00.003-07:002008-03-04T08:40:36.394-07:00

Gotta love the Internet - there are market niches out there you never would have thought of. A Portuguese-language blog on Zeppelins? Naturally! A while ago on Tumbling Villa-Lobos I posted a small story on Villa-Lobos's Zeppelin trip across the Atlantic in 1936, coming home from the Congress for Musical Education in Prague. Now here's a story on the same topic: Dirigível no Brasil, from

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-88819980075742861812008-03-03T21:47:00.003-07:002008-03-03T21:54:01.182-07:00

There's lots happening in Rio de Janeiro this week, in celebration of the Dia da Música Clássica. Classical Music Day is celebrated on Villa-Lobos's birthday, March 5th. There's a complete list at the Portal VivaMúsica, or check out all the concerts on the Villa-Lobos Website. By the way, Happy Birthday, Villa! He's 121 years old on Wednesday.

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-77769478636660151132008-02-29T14:17:00.005-07:002008-03-03T14:23:36.642-07:00

Though their concert is called "Graçias a la Vida - The Gift of Spanish Song," the Victoria Scholars, a Toronto-based choral group, are fully aware of Villa-Lobos's Brazilian nationality. They'll be performing the Missa São Sebastião, an amazing but rarely-heard choral work by Villa-Lobos, on Sunday March 2, 2008 at 7:30pm, at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Toronto. If you don't know this work,

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-56252105105780792312008-02-26T13:56:00.014-07:002008-02-27T09:31:39.202-07:00

I'm enjoying listening to the new BIS Choros CD , with pianist Cristina Ortiz, and John Neschling conducting the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra. This is the first disc in a projected BIS series of the complete Choros. Some people think that the series of 13 Choros (or 14 or 15 or 16) is Villa-Lobos's greatest group of works. I'm inclined to think so, myself. This is my second post on this CD this

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-49576722216646036752008-02-25T20:51:00.003-07:002008-02-25T21:09:56.183-07:00

Here are Villa-Lobos performances upcoming on Cultura FM from Sao Paulo. Listen here on the Internet. Times are local Sao Paulo times, one hour ahead of EST. Though the station that most consistently plays Villa-Lobos inexplicably misses out on Villa's March 5th birthday, there are some gems this month. There's a live concert from Sao Paulo on the 22nd (repeated on the 26th). And, on the 29th,

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-2111685603047630492008-02-25T14:15:00.004-07:002008-02-25T14:28:56.107-07:00

This excellent New York Sun review of a recent New York City concert introduced me to the marimba virtuoso Makoto Nakura. The Villa-Lobos Etudes and Preludes for guitar sound like excellent candidates for transcription to this fascinating instrument. Unfortunately, they're not included in any of Nakura's CDs so far. Let's hope that's coming soon, though! In the meantime, if you're close to

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-6200549769042729362008-02-15T08:54:00.007-07:002008-02-15T17:56:45.998-07:00

The Dia da Música Clássica - Classical Music Day in both the city and the state of Rio de Janeiro - is celebrated (naturally) on March 5th, Villa-Lobos's birthday. This year, the Museu Villa-Lobos will present "Villa-Lobos e Eu" - conversations with people who met Villa-Lobos. They are, in this case, bassoonist Noel Devos, conductor Nelson Nilo Hack, and flutist Odette Ernst Dias. The Sala Bidú

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-34495893322419518292008-02-14T10:33:00.011-07:002008-02-25T15:19:11.807-07:00

Here's an exciting new series coming on CD, from BIS: it will include all of the Choros series, and will feature musicians from Brazil. The first disc, due to be released March 3rd, includes a great selection from this amazing series: #5 for piano (with Cristina Ortiz), #7 for winds, violin & cello, and #11 for piano (Ortiz) and orchestra (the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, conducted by John

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-43821244361407084122008-02-09T08:48:00.000-07:002008-02-09T09:02:17.793-07:00

There's an excellent story in this morning's Wall St. Journal, "Villa-Lobos, Composer Without Borders," by Barrymore Scherer, author of the fine book A History of American Music. It's written on the occasion of The Villa-Lobos Event: Encounters With Brazil, in New York, which takes place this evening, February 9. Besides the great picture, by Ismael Rodan, there are perceptive quotes from

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-86412900304719406362008-02-08T13:28:00.000-07:002008-02-08T15:28:33.927-07:00

BBC Music Magazine, one of my favourite periodicals, has revamped its Review database. Of the 20,000 records included (every review in every issue since the magazine began in 1992), there are 40 by Villa-Lobos. That's only 2/10s of one percent - not a lot. Still, these are usually pretty perceptive reviews, though some are quite terse. They include catalogue information, and you might find some

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3175206.post-88017213793606873732008-02-01T21:48:00.000-07:002008-02-01T23:01:00.008-07:00

Just in time for this year's (very early) Carnival, it's South America Week on BBC Radio 3, Feb. 3-10. There are quite a few works by Villa-Lobos scheduled, including a few that are rarely programmed. Amazonas, a large work for orchestra, was written in 1916 and first performed in Paris in 1929. Performance on 3 7 February 2008 BBC Symphony Orchestra Thursday 7 February 2008 19:00-20:45

Deanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648812085016268727noreply@blogger.com