Villa-Lobos for trumpet & orchestra

Here's a brand-new video from the 49th Festival Villa-Lobos taking place this month in Rio. This is a fabulous new arrangement of the Saxophone Fantasia for trumpet and orchestra, by Roberto Duarte.

Marcelo Rodolfo from the Museu Villa-Lobos says this about the new piece in an email:

According to Flávio Gabriel, the splendid trumpet player who accepted the challenge, this is the most difficult work he ever played in his life. But the result, as you'll hear is worth it. A lot!!! My expectation is that other trumpet players will be encouraged to meet this challenge, too. Strangely, Villa-Lobos never wrote a work for trumpet, even in chamber music, just some solos in orchestral parts.

This concert is from November 19th, and featured Orquestra Sinfônica de Barra Mansa, under the direction of Vantoil de Souza. Two other concerto arrangements are being premiered at this year's Festival: Cirandas das Sete Notas (for cello - originally for bassoon), and the Guitar Concerto (for harp).

I'm anxious to hear what you Villa-Lobos lovers think about this new take on a very familiar work.

Wilhem Latchoumia plays Impressões Seresteiras

Here's an interesting short film featuring a very talented pianist. This is from his 2008 Sony/BMG CD Impressões.

1930 Varese/Villa-Lobos Concert in Paris

Here is the notice in La Semaine a Paris of the March 14, 1930 concert in Paris with important performances of music by Edgard Varese (Octandre, Offrandres) and Villa-Lobos (Quinteto em forma de choros, Saudades das Selvas Brasileiras, Deux Choros Bis, Poeme de l'Enfant et Sa Mere, Cirandas, and Chansons typiques bresiliennes).

I don't know the music of Marcel Mihalovici, but he hung out with some very talented musicians.

Agenda VivaMúsica

The monthly magazine Agenda VivaMúsica is available on the web. This month's issue focuses on Villa-Lobos, with the highlight being the 49th Festival Villa-Lobos.

Danças Brasileiras from BIS

A new CD from BIS features the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra (OSESP) under the direction of Roberto Minczuk. It includes dances by Alberto Nepomuceno, Alexandre Levy, Francisco Mignone, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Oscar Lorenzo Fernández, Camargo Guarnieri, Edino Krieger, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Clóvis Pereira and César Guerra-Peixe. 

The Villa-Lobos piece is the Dança Frenética, written in 1919. This is the second recording of the piece; it's also on an old Marco Polo disc conducted by Roberto Duarte. The disc will be released on Amazon.com on November 22nd.

Maestro Minczuk spends part of the year in Rio de Janeiro as the Principal Conductor of the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, but he's also the Music Director of the Calgary Philharmonic. I'm looking forward to making the 150km trip down Highway 2 from Red Deer to Calgary to see Minczuk conduct the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus in Choros #10, Villa-Lobos's greatest work, on December 3rd.

The Green Mansions Project

Alfred Heller is the founder and president of the Villa-Lobos Music Society of New York City. Alfred is a composer, conductor, and pianist, and, I'm pleased to say, a friend of mine.  It's great to see today's announcement of the Green Mansions Project. There's more information at the project website. I'm hoping I might be able to make it to New York for the October 1, 2012 Gala at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.

49th Annual Festival Villa-Lobos

The 49th Annual Festival Villa-Lobos takes place in Rio de Janeiro from November 11 to November 27. Featured performers include soprano Rosana Lamosa, pianist Lúcia Barrenechea, the Quinteto Villa-Lobos, Art Metal Quinteto, Quarteto Radamés Gnattali, violinist Daniel Guedes, Trio Aquarius, Wagner Tiso, Naná Vasconcelos, Andre Mehmari & Hamilton de Holanda, guitarist Turibio Santos, and pianist Cristina Ortiz.