Experiencing Villa-Lobos Conference Report

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!

Conference Season

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 Villa-Lobos Magazine posts with the Experiencing Villa-Lobos tag for more information. The website of the Conference is here.

Chapel Hill NC:
Meanwhile, down Interstate 85 to the south-east from Richmond, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill presents Festival on the Hill 2008 - Transcending Borders: Latin American and Latina/o Music in North Carolina and the United States, March 27-30, 2008. This conference has a broader theme, but there are two important Villa-Lobos works on the program: Bachianas Brasileiras #5, and the Quintette en forme de Choros.

Y'all have a good time!

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).