O Descobrimento do Brasil with live orchestra

This would be great to see live: a showing of the classic 1937 film by Humberto Mauro O Descobrimento do Brasil, with a live orchestra playing Villa-Lobos's score. This short feature shows Roberto Duarte talking about the April 2016 performances of the film with the Orquestra Sinfônica Nacional da UFF.

I see that back in 2005 the L’Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse did the very same thing. It would be cool if this became more common, like live orchestral performances of The Hobbit or Star Wars or the great What's Opera, Doc? cartoon with Bugs Bunny. Villa's Descobrimento music is outstanding, and I know Mauro is touted as a pioneer of Brazilian film, but one has to make allowances for both the relatively primitive cinematic technique and the attitudes of the day. I wonder if the full orchestra might overpower the screen image. Still, I'd love to see and hear this!

Orquesta Filarmónica de Buenos Aires

Orchestras are becoming more adventurous when it comes to programming Villa-Lobos works. It's not just about the Guitar Concerto, a couple of the Bachianas Brasileiras, and the Saxophone Fantasia any more.

Two great Villa-Lobos conductors, Enrique Arturo Diemecke and John Neschling, will be conducting some really interesting works with the Filarmónica de Buenos Aires this season.

Neschling has included Choros #06 in the program of his May 14, 2009 concert (along with Camargo Guarnieri's Encantamiento, and works by Haydn and Sibelius). Of course, Neschling is quite an expert on the Choros series, with his amazing recordings on the BIS label.

Diemecke, who is the Music Director in Buenos Aires, has included two works that are very rare in concert: Uirapuru on July 2, and The Discovery of Brazil on August 6.

[Photo: Miguel Micciche - OFBA. Archivo fotográfico del Teatro Colón]

O Descobrimento do Brasil

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 film overall.

Experiencing Villa-Lobos Schedule

The schedule for the international Experiencing Villa-Lobos Conference in Richmond VA has been published on the conference website. Besides the paper presentations, which I'm sure will be fascinating, here are some highlights:

• March 27, 2008, 8:00pm – Opening Concert featuring VCU faculty, alumni, and guest artists in Concert Hall (pianist Sonia Rubinsky will perform on this concert).
• March 28, 2008, 9:30-11:00am – Sonia Rubinsky piano master class in Concert Hall.
• March 28, 2008, 8:00pm – VCU Symphony Concert in Concert Hall featuring saxophonist Albert Regni.
• March 29, 2008, 1:30pm – 3:00pm – String Master Class featuring members of Cuarteto Latinoamericano in Concert Hall.
• March 29, 2008, 3:30pm – 5:00pm The Brazilian Guitar – from Villa-Lobos to the Present, featuring VCU faculty/alumni/students/guest artists in Concert Hall.
• March 29, 2008, 8:00pm - Closing concert by Cuarteto Latinoamericano in Concert Hall.
  

The Villa-Lobos credentials of Sonia Rubinsky and the Cuarteto Latinoamericano are really solid - I've posted many times about both over the years. I wasn't familiar with the work of saxophonist Albert Regni, but learned lots more from this excellent Sons of Sound website. Nice to put a face to one of the people involved in the Twin Peaks music I love. Regni is Principal Saxophonist with the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, and New York City Ballet Orchestras, and also Professor of Saxophone at The College of New Jersey.

Villa-Lobos wrote beautiful things for saxophone, and not just his 1948 Fantasia for soprano or tenor saxophone and chamber orchestra (which I assume Regni will perform with the VCU Orchestra in Richmond). There are also these important chamber works featuring the saxophone:

• the Sextuor Mystique, for flute, oboe, saxophone, harp, celesta and guitar (1917/1955)
• Choros #7 for flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, bassoon, violin, and cello, with tam-tam ad lib. (1924)
• Choros #3 for clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, 3 horns, trombone, or for male chorus, or for both together (1925)
• the Nonetto, scored for flute/piccolo, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, bassoon, celesta, harp, piano, percussion, and a mixed chorus (1923)

And you can find many, many amazing bits for saxophone in the orchestral works. One of my favourites is in the first suite from the Descobrimento do Brasil (1938).

New Villa-Lobos/Milhaud CD from CBC Records

As promised, here are the details on a new CD from CBC Records.





SCARAMOUCHE


Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra
Hans Graf, conductor

SMCD

TRACKING

Heitor Villa Lobos: Descobrimento do Brasil (The Discovery of Brazil) Suite #2 - 11:16

1. I. Impressao Moura 3:04
2. II. Adagio sentimental 6:04
3. III. Cascavel 2:08

Heitor Villa Lobos: Descobrimento do Brasil (The Discovery of Brazil) Suite #3 - 16:41
4. I. Impressao Ibertica 10:22
5. II. Festa mas selvas 3:42
6. III. Valaloce 2:37

Darius Milhaud: Scaramouche: Suite for Saxophone & Orchestra - 9:01
( Jeremy Brown, saxophone )

7. I. Vif 2:56
8. II. Modere 3:40
9. III. Brazileira 2:25

Darius Milhaud: Saudades do Brazil - 24:56

10. Overture :44
11. I. Sorocaba 1:45
12. II. Botofago 2:02
13. III. Leme 2:43
14. IV. Copacabana 2:42
15. V. Ipanema 2:11
16. VI. Gavea 1:40
17. VII. Corovado 2:11
18. VIII. Tijuca 2:14
19. IX. Sumare 1:49
20. X. Paineras 1:18
21. XI. Larenjeiras 1:11
22. XII. Paysandu 1:42
23. Reprise: Overture :44

TOTAL 61:54

CREDITS

Project Producers: HAROLD GILLIS
Recording Producer: KAREN WILSON
Recording Engineer: GEOFF ROWLAND
Technical Assistance: BOB DOBLE, PETER COOK
Digital Editing & Mastering: PETER COOK
Production Coordinator: PAULETTE BOURGET
Cover Design: CAROLINE BROWN

RECORDED AT JACK SINGER HALL, CALGARY, ALBERTA – SEPTEMBER 9, 10, 2001.

*****

The CD will be officially released next Tuesday, May 28. You can buy it directly from the CBC Records website, or from Amazon.com.

New CD from Calgary

A very interesting, and very welcome message from down Highway 2 a piece:

"I thought you might be interested to know that last fall the Calgary Philharmonic recorded music by Villa-Lobos for CBC Records. The works are his Suites #2 & 3 from his film score for The Discovery of Brazil. Also on the disc will be two works by Darius Milhaud influenced by the time he spent in Brazil during the first world war.

This CBC Records disc is being released in May 2002. I'll follow up with details when they become available.

Harold Gillis, Producer - CBC Radio Two, Calgary, AB"

This is really beautiful music, which deserves to be better known. The Discovery of Brazil suites have always been among my favourites on the standard Villa-Lobos par lui-meme 6 CD set on French EMI, and I enjoy the Naxos CD as well. I'll pass on the information on the new disc as I receive it from Harold.