Villa-Lobos Anyone?

[Maestro267]

It looks like the MTT disc isn't the complete Bachianas. I'd absolutely recommend getting a complete set (at least one version of all nine works on what usually amounts to a 3-CD set). Schermerhorn (Naxos) and Batiz (EMI) are both excellent complete sets. With the Batiz set, you get the extras of Momoprecoce (a 23-minute work for piano and orchestra) and the Guitar Concerto (which I find alright personally, contrary to 71 db above). It's not as exciting or colourful as other VL works, but it does what it sets out to do quite alright.

[Christo]

I listened to the rest of the Bachinas Brasileiras.  I had not listened to these works for years (15 maybe)! Revisiting these was exciting! It was discovering music long lost. My favorites of these are 3, 4 and 7. Then 5, 2 and 1 and finally 6, 8 and 9 are the weakest, as if Villa-Lobos lost his touch with the later ones. The Guitar Concerto on the Batiz set is boring...

It seems most Villa-Lobos isn't really my thing, but those few compositions that are are wonderful. No wonder I have lost interest when exploring outside Bachinas Brasileiras and even out of those it's really 3, 4 and 7... ...i think Villa-Lobos is a brilliant emotional composer, but not a great intellectual composer.

Didn't listen to them during the last couple of years, but the Schermerhorn/Naxos set used to be my favourite (own the Villa-Lobos himself conducting, Bátiz/EMI and Minczuk/BIS also).
Unlike you - but I discovered that it really depends on the different recording one listens to - I also prefer Nos. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, even 9 above the other ones (2, 3, 6, but even then No. 6 more than No. 1) :-)

[Mirror Image]

It looks like the MTT disc isn't the complete Bachianas. I'd absolutely recommend getting a complete set (at least one version of all nine works on what usually amounts to a 3-CD set). Schermerhorn (Naxos) and Batiz (EMI) are both excellent complete sets. With the Batiz set, you get the extras of Momoprecoce (a 23-minute work for piano and orchestra) and the Guitar Concerto (which I find alright personally, contrary to 71 db above). It's not as exciting or colourful as other VL works, but it does what it sets out to do quite alright.

Ah, but if you buy the BIS set you get not only the Bachianas Brasileiras but the Chôros and the complete solo guitar music. Definitely value added I would say.

[Maestro267]

Yes, but if you can't afford to get all of that in one go...

Anyway, my disc arrived today. Looking forward to enjoying it this evening.

[71 dB]

I revisited Discovery of Brazil, Suites 1-4 today (Roberto Duarte/Marco Polo).

Some nice moments here and there but as a whole these are not particularly impressive works.

[ritter]

I revisited Discovery of Brazil, Suites 1-4 today (Roberto Duarte/Marco Polo).

Some nice moments here and there but as a whole these are not particularly impressive works.

I enjoy quite a few of Villa-Lobos's works, but IIRC found Discovery of Brazil downright awful when I listened to it some years ago, in the composer's recording included in this set:

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[71 dB]

Now I revisited Floresta do Amazonas (Neschling/BIS). It's somewhat good work, but imho overlong (almost 80 minutes!).

[Maestro267]

Ooh! More V-L choral/orchestral music to explore! 78 whole minutes of it too!

[Mirror Image]

Now I revisited Floresta do Amazonas (Neschling/BIS). It's somewhat good work, but imho overlong (almost 80 minutes!).

I'm not too fond of this work. Like you, I found it too long and there wasn't enough variety in the writing for me to give a high mark.

[71 dB]

Listening to Sinfonía N°10 "Amerindia" (Orquestra Sinfónica de Tenerife/Victor Pablo Peréz/Harmonia Mundi)

This oratorio-symphony is nice and the recording is good. About time to revisit the disc! 

[Christo]

I'm not too fond of this work.

Sure you didn't post an opposite opinion about it one or two years ago? #confused 

[Mirror Image]

Sure you didn't post an opposite opinion about it one or two years ago? #confused 

I did enjoy upon my first exposure to it, but upon re-listening my opinion has changed. I think there some good ideas in the work, but this isn't enough for me give a total satisfactory opinion.

[71 dB]

I revisited Piano Concertos 1-5 (Christina Ortiz/Miguel Gomez-Martinez/Decca).

These works don't make me excited. No wonder I haven't listened to them much.

[Maestro267]

Yeah, I do revisit a piano concerto of his every so often, and I enjoy them, but they're far from my favourites of his work. It does seem to be the case that his "less interesting" music tends to be that written in the traditional classical forms. I love many of the symphonies, but I'll be first to admit the Bachianas Brasileiras are more interesting, and perhaps more "him".

[71 dB]

I'll be first to admit the Bachianas Brasileiras are more interesting, and perhaps more "him".

I also feel this way. Exploring Villa-Lobos beyond Bachianas Brasileiras has been mostly disappointing.

[Symphonic Addict]

Yes, the Concertos don't belong to his strong output, but his chamber music and tone poems do.

[Mirror Image]

I revisited Piano Concertos 1-5 (Christina Ortiz/Miguel Gomez-Martinez/Decca).

These works don't make me excited. No wonder I haven't listened to them much.

As another member pointed out, Villa-Lobos' strong points was not in the concerto form, although I do like his Guitar Concerto and Harp Concerto. I'm still on the fence about his symphonies --- I think the 4th and 6th are quite good, but I don't think this is him at his best. It does seem he's at his best in freer forms a la the Bachianas Brasileiras and Chôros, but also in works like Gênesis, Erosão, Uirapuru, and Amazonas. He also wrote some fantastic chamber music, which is worth looking into. Villa-Lobos is a favorite composer of mine and I've loved his music for many years, but I do understand his weaknesses, but, thankfully, more often than not, he played to his strengths and it's those works that make him one of the most individual composers of his time.

[Daverz]

I remember liking the Piano Concertos well enough (the Ortiz recordings).  I also really enjoy some of the symphonies.  I do agree with MI about the tone poems he mentions.  An oddly neglected part of VL's output

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As good as those old Marco Polo discs were, imagine what Chandos could do with that music.

[Maestro267]

I did not even know those discs existed. Fantastic!

[Christo]

  I do agree with MI about the tone poems he mentions.  An oddly neglected part of VL's output

Agreed, one of the finest IMHO an unknown gem called O Papagaio do Moleque (Episódio Sinfônico) (1932), here on Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXmOXC3KkTU

Also on this disc, directed by Villa-Lobos himself: