Camargo Guarnieri (1907 - 1993)

[ritter]

Well, being still under the spell of my recent trip to Rio de janeiro, I've decided to continue my exploration of Brazilian classical music. As Villa-Lobos (with whom I've been familiar with for years) has fallen a bit out of favour with me as of late, I'm giving Guarnieri a try with these:

[asin]B0000CGP2R[/asin]
[asin]B0007ORDXQ[/asin]

I also added a CD by the (roughly) contemporary Francisco Mignone (who, AFAIK, has no specific thread yet on GMG):

[asin]B00078JVX2[/asin]

Looking forwrad to all these 

[Brian]

Reviving this thread after six years of dormancy because Guarnieri has been one of my great/favorite explorations of the last 1-2 years. What an extraordinary composer - maybe my favorite from South America at this point.

This might be the ideal starting point:



The piano concerto cycle moves fairly continuously along an arc from populism to abstract/modernism. The First is a 20-minute romp with a beautiful slow movement, great jazzy finale tunes, and in the finale a powerful jungle-evocative effect which I think is maybe an off-key tuba blatting out staccato notes? The spectacular ending is one of two variants (the whole score had to be reconstructed), and while I'd like to hear the other, this one's great.

The Second concerto is a little more sophisticated in its blending of European and Brazilian idioms; it might bring to mind Bartok a little more. Or even Ravel's G major concerto or Poulenc in the utterly gorgeous slow movement. The finale, instead of going for a specific dance form like in the First, opts for a wild toccata-like rush of colors, snare drum, wind solos, and primal partying.

The Third concerto, written 18 years later, represents a big, dramatic jump in musical language, and the opening announces this right away: percussive, violent, almost like a South American take on Hindemith or (more strongly than before) Bartok. Maybe Copland in his not-populist mode. But you can tell the Brazilian roots are still there in the slower music, lyrical tunes, wind solos, and long central cadenza. The "Festivo" finale, too, just puts a little more harmonically sophisticated gloss on a delightful party scene.

I can't tell if the concertos are all written in continuous movements without pauses, or if Naxos just didn't leave enough of a gap between each track. The Warsaw Philharmonic sound is more diffuse than their later, better-engineered albums from this venue, but, unsurprisingly from one of the world's best orchestras, they are totally convincing.



The main meat of the solo piano collection is a series of miniatures called the Ponteios, which are a little like bittersweet Latin Grieg Lyric Pieces, or grumpy Mompou. I can't binge-listen to them as much as I can to those other composers, but they are interesting collections. The dances which precede the collection on CD1 are among Guarnieri's most overtly populist, "fun" pieces.

More to come, I'm gonna go through the full symphony cycle. (Just started with No. 1, which is not my favorite.)

[vandermolen]

The inspiriting Symphony No.3 is my favourite:

[kyjo]

I don't think I've ever heard a work by Guarnieri that I haven't liked (maybe one his later PCs?) - a very consistent composer who is the perfect complement to his compatriot Villa-Lobos in his greater emphasis on formal clarity, but not at the expense of "Brazilian" character. As Jeffrey mentions, his scintillating 3rd Symphony is a standout, but I enjoy them all very much, as well as the Choros recently released by Naxos (especially the ones for piano and clarinet). One can trace his style from more straightforwardly neoclassical early in his career to more astringent and "gritty" later on, but it's not as drastic a change as we see in the styles of, say, Ginastera or Braga Santos.

[vandermolen]

I don't think I've ever heard a work by Guarnieri that I haven't liked (maybe one his later PCs?) - a very consistent composer who is the perfect complement to his compatriot Villa-Lobos in his greater emphasis on formal clarity, but not at the expense of "Brazilian" character. As Jeffrey mentions, his scintillating 3rd Symphony is a standout, but I enjoy them all very much, as well as the Choros recently released by Naxos (especially the ones for piano and clarinet). One can trace his style from more straightforwardly neoclassical early in his career to more astringent and "gritty" later on, but it's not as drastic a change as we see in the styles of, say, Ginastera or Braga Santos.

Interesting Kyle. I just found that I have a Naxos CD of the PCs which I hope to listen to soon. I'm glad that you also think highly of Symphony No.3

[Roasted Swan]

Interesting Kyle. I just found that I have a Naxos CD of the PCs which I hope to listen to soon. I'm glad that you also think highly of Symphony No.3

I have always thought one of the early PC's would make a great Proms piece - not a note of Guarnieri has ever been played at the Proms which is a small scanadal in itself and the PC's would be a great fun introduction and a definite hit.......

[Brian]

I don't think I've ever heard a work by Guarnieri that I haven't liked (maybe one his later PCs?) - a very consistent composer who is the perfect complement to his compatriot Villa-Lobos in his greater emphasis on formal clarity, but not at the expense of "Brazilian" character. As Jeffrey mentions, his scintillating 3rd Symphony is a standout, but I enjoy them all very much, as well as the Choros recently released by Naxos (especially the ones for piano and clarinet). One can trace his style from more straightforwardly neoclassical early in his career to more astringent and "gritty" later on, but it's not as drastic a change as we see in the styles of, say, Ginastera or Braga Santos.

I agree with not just every sentence, but every phrase of what you said here. I was gonna try to say something more specifically nice about one part, but all the parts are 100% true. 

-



I was not a big fan of Symphony No. 1, which is 33 minutes long and not especially memorable in its material. However, No. 4 is very short - only 18 minutes - and has a load of punch. The outer movements are so fast and energetic, they're wild, and the middle one is almost like he has been drained of energy because of it. It's also marked tragic. The piece still works despite the contrast. Lots of fun and lots of journey packed into a tight space. The Abertura Festiva is one of the works where Guarnieri writes "pop" type music in a sophisticated harmonic idiom more like his European teachers.



This is all hits, baby! Symphony No. 2 is more of the rollicking populist youngster you hear in the early piano concertos (check out the jazzy ending to the first movement). There's a great slow solo for cor anglais, and even a melody entrusted to contrabassoon. One of the themes in the slow movement is utterly gorgeous, with a rich full-string statement near the end. And in the finale, a cello tune pays tribute to Villa-Lobos. It's a really fun piece, as is Abertura Concertante, a totally successful sonata form dedicated to Aaron Copland.

I think the reason that we all love Symphony No. 3 so much is that it's the first one with real emotional depth and expression. The others have basically two moods: on, and off. Either they're bursting with energy, or they're calmly working through gorgeous lyrical solos. This one has a real variety of moods and energies, while still showing Guarnieri's loyalty to classical form and structure. It's the most diverse of the first four symphonies. (It's also the longest, but has more focus than No. 1.) Just so darn good!

One thing I learned reading the booklet is - BIS never completed their symphony cycle! Symphony No. 7 is still out there. I don't know anything about it, let alone its length, but could Naxos record it alongside the two violin concertos? Sure hope so.

[Brian]

One thing I learned reading the booklet is - BIS never completed their symphony cycle! Symphony No. 7 is still out there. I don't know anything about it, let alone its length, but could Naxos record it alongside the two violin concertos? Sure hope so.

One more thing for my Naxos wishlist: the cello sonatas. Leonard Bernstein performed the piano part of one in concert.

[JBS]

Does the Seventh Symphony actually exist? Wikipedia lists only six symphonies

The Violin Concertos were recorded on DVD by a Brazilian outfit, but the Brazilian vendor was so dilatory responding to emails (I was trying to make sure the DVD was playable on USA equipment) I decided not to get it.

ETA
The Amazon listing now says it is unavailable

[Brian]

Does the Seventh Symphony actually exist? Wikipedia lists only six symphonies

From the BIS series booklet notes (the disc containing 2 and 3):

"Guarnieri composed one other orchestral overture, the Festiva, as well as seven symphonies composed between 1944 and 1985.... In three movements (of Guarnieri's symphonies, only the Seventh is in two movements)"

Symphony No. 6 is dated from 1981.

There is also this PDF compilation of Guarnieri's orchestral works by our very own (former) GMGer Dundonnell.

I just found his PDF and am intrigued by the timings he listed for some works that do not have major recordings. Here are some programs one could put together for future CDs:

Violin Concerto No. 1 (21')
Violin Concerto No. 2 (19')
Piano Concertino (19') (not in the Naxos cycle)
Choro for orchestra (15') (undated and not in the Naxos cycle, not sure what Dundonnell's source was here)
= 74'

Encantemento (6')
Prologue and Fugue (8')

No timings hinted at:
Symphony No. 7
Brasiliana Suite
Variations for Piano and Orchestra
Suite Centenario
Concerto for string orchestra and percussion

[JBS]

PDF link doesn't work for me.
Edit: now it worked, thank you.
I'll assume Wikipedia stumbled here.

He also wrote two one act operas, presumably they would be one CD each

[Brian]

I've figured out who Guarnieri reminds me of: Roussel. This is especially true in the later symphonies like 5 and 6, where the spiky rhythms, tart harmonies, and somewhat mysterious tonality add a modernist edge to the folksy percussion and lyrical melodies. It's like a natural, southerly progression from the late Roussel symphonies or the Frenchman's piano concerto. Guarnieri's Fifth has the one really unusual feature of any of the symphonies recorded by BIS: the orchestra plays a folk tune, and then at the end, a choir pops up to sing it. The piece is still only 20 minutes long, so in its brevity and unusual form, you might think of Langgaard. Only, of course, it doesn't sound anything like Langgaard.

Vila Rica Suite is much earlier, and fits more into the jovial, folksy sound-world of the first two piano concertos. It contains overtly pictorial movements (one 54 seconds long) and Brazilian dance forms. A first-rate populist concert opener.