(https://arts.vcu.edu/music/files/2018/02/Villa-Lobos-photo-3.jpg)
What are your 'Top 5 Favorite Villa-Lobos Works'? There are a few stipulations for this particular poll: please only choose one work from the Choros and Bachianas Brasileiras series. Also, and I can't imagine why I'm telling a bunch of adults this, but please refrain from putting the composer down and just being negative in general. Every composer has their critics, but your critique of Villa-Lobos' music doesn't belong here. Thanks!
My list (in no particular order):
Gênesis
Choros No. 6
Floresta do Amazonas
Bachianas Brasileiras No. 7
Piano Trio No. 3
An incredibly difficult list to make as Villa-Lobos is one of my favorite composers. I've neglected so much from his oeuvre, but these particular works stand out to me and impressed me early on.
Bachianas Brasileiras no. 5 for soprano and 8 cellos
Chôros No. 10 "Rasga o coração" ("It Tears Out the Heart"), for chorus and orchestra
Floresta do Amazonas for soprano, chorus and orchestra
Preludes for guitar
Rudepoema for piano
I wish I knew the string quartets better (more like at all) . . .
- Uirapuru
- Preludes&Etudes for solo guitar
- Bachianas Brasileras no 4 (piano version)
- Choros no 5 (piano)
- Suite populaire brésilienne
As far as Bachianas Brasileras no 5, an outstanding soprano is needed. I like the voice of Victoria de Los Angeles in this piece
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPf5GZYzhJk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPf5GZYzhJk)
As North Star, I dont know much about the quartets, the concertos etc...
Its all right, I have time to explore this original composer
There´s a very big Villa-Lobos menu & I haven´t learned to identify all the individual courses yet, but I do enjoy the works for piano and orchestra, the string quartets, the complete "Bacchianas" set, "The Forest of the Amazon", and the "Uirapuru" ballet.
Quote from: Turner on March 22, 2016, 12:36:00 PM
There´s a very big Villa-Lobos menu & I haven´t learned to identify all the individual courses yet, but I do enjoy the works for piano and orchestra, the string quartets, the complete "Bacchianas" set, "The Forest of the Amazon", and the "Uirapuru" ballet.
Well, maybe I can help! :) Do familiarize yourself with the
Choros, the chamber music (besides the SQs), the ballets/symphonic poems, symphonies, etc. He wrote a lot, but unlike someone like Milhaud, Villa-Lobos wrote high quality music and he remained quite consistent throughout his compositional career.
Great looking lists, Karlo and Spineur!
Fantastic composer, from what I've heard so far. Waiting slightly impatiently for the next volume of Naxos' symphony cycle to come out.
Bachianas Brasileiras No. 3 (piano & orch.)
Symphony No. 4 ("Victory")
Piano Concerto No. 1
Uirapuru
Symphony No. 10 ("Ameríndia")
Quote from: Maestro267 on March 23, 2016, 01:49:17 AM
Fantastic composer, from what I've heard so far. Waiting slightly impatiently for the next volume of Naxos' symphony cycle to come out.
Bachianas Brasileiras No. 3 (piano & orch.)
Symphony No. 4 ("Victory")
Piano Concerto No. 1
Uirapuru
Symphony No. 10 ("Ameríndia")
Very nice list, Maestro. I wish I was more enthusiastic about Karabtchevsky's ongoing symphony cycle of Villa-Lobos' symphonies. One thing that I find rather strange about them is the blurry and indistinctive performances from the orchestra. I prefer St. Clair here and the clarity of his German orchestra (the Stuttgart RSO) is unmatched. Sure the Sao Paulo SO bring an authenticity to Villa-Lobos that hardly any other orchestra can match, but this isn't a deal-breaker for me at the end of the day, especially when the performances are as compelling as St. Clair's. Plus, as I mentioned, Sao Paulo SO weren't really captured in the best light IMHO. Personally, I wish Roberto Duarte had recorded the whole symphonic cycle (he's only recorded
Symphony No. 6 to my knowledge).
Quote from: Mirror Image on March 22, 2016, 07:00:53 PM
Well, maybe I can help! :)
I your are willing to help, I may request your assistance. :D
What do you think of his choral works and more specifically of this recording ?
He also wrote a number of pieces for voice and piano/or small orchestras (besides BB no5). Are there some which have attracted your attention ?
Thanks !!
Quote from: Spineur on March 23, 2016, 06:06:56 AM
I your are willing to help, I may request your assistance. :D
What do you think of his choral works and more specifically of this recording ?
He also wrote a number of pieces for voice and piano/or small orchestras (besides BB no5). Are there some which have attracted your attention ?
Thanks !!
Villa-Lobos' choral works are most definitely a blindspot for me. I don't know them at all. I don't really know any of his voice and piano or small orchestra works either. I should get to know them. I'm mostly familiar with his orchestral and chamber works (SQs, PTs,
Violin Sonatas, etc.), so I really can't be of much help to you outside of these genres.
Quote from: Mirror Image on March 22, 2016, 07:00:53 PM
unlike someone like Milhaud, Villa-Lobos wrote high quality music and he remained quite consistent throughout his compositional career.
Not bad for someone who discouraged composer-bashing on the first post. :P
Quote from: Abuelo Igor on March 25, 2016, 02:52:04 AM
Not bad for someone who discouraged composer-bashing on the first post. :P
I was just pointing out that Milhaud was much more uneven in his oeuvre than Villa-Lobos IMHO. I'm not really bashing Milhaud.
Yeah, I get the idea. The moment I started exploring Milhaud outside his frequently played works, I wondered if he simply didn't attract players who could make sense of what he wanted to do. Maybe some day.
However, I've always wondered why being prolific has always been something you can hold against a 20th century composer, whereas it is considered par for the course for people writing music in the seventeenth or eighteenth centuries and no one expects ups and downs in quality from them. I'm still waiting for someone more knowledgeable than me to explain why that happens.
Quote from: Mirror Image on March 23, 2016, 02:41:28 PM
Villa-Lobos' choral works are most definitely a blindspot for me. I don't know them at all. I don't really know any of his voice and piano or small orchestra works either. I should get to know them. I'm mostly familiar with his orchestral and chamber works (SQs, PTs, Violin Sonatas, etc.), so I really can't be of much help to you outside of these genres.
Dear Mirror-Image
I am thinking about going for this set of songs. There are closely inspired by some popular brazilian traditional songs (the Seresta is some sort of serenade you sing at nightfall under a balcony to charm your loved one). The boundary between the popular inspiration and Villa Lobos own musical language, is I feel about impossible to tell. The one thing which is sure, is these songs sound like nothing else. We are as far from the Portuguese Fado as one can get, just about as far from the 20th century songs popularized by Gaetano Veloso for example, and no traces of Samba nor bossa nova rythms are present in this music, and of course I cant hear any reminiscence of the songs composed by his french friends.
The reason why I still have hesitations with this CD, is that no text have been edited with this CD either in printed nor pdf form. Listening to songs without understanding a word of them, thats quite silly... I cant understand this. Putting together an electronic booklet involves so little work and this would help also a lot in the understanding of Villa Lobos sources of inspiration.
Quote from: Spineur on March 26, 2016, 01:27:08 PM
Dear Mirror-Image
I am thinking about going for this set of songs. There are closely inspired by some popular brazilian traditional songs (the Seresta is some sort of serenade you sing at nightfall under a balcony to charm your loved one). The boundary between the popular inspiration and Villa Lobos own musical language, is I feel about impossible to tell. The one thing which is sure, is these songs sound like nothing else. We are as far from the Portuguese Fado as one can get, just about as far from the 20th century songs popularized by Gaetano Veloso for example, and no traces of Samba nor bossa nova rythms are present in this music, and of course I cant hear any reminiscence of the songs composed by his french friends.
The reason why I still have hesitations with this CD, is that no text have been edited with this CD either in printed nor pdf form. Listening to songs without understanding a word of them, thats quite silly... I cant understand this. Putting together an electronic booklet involves so little work and this would help also a lot in the understanding of Villa Lobos sources of inspiration.
Not sure what to say other than I'm
somewhat interested in vocal music. I never had a strong leaning towards it until about two years ago, but I have always enjoyed many works that do require vocals (mainly cantatas, song cycles, requiems, oratorios, etc.). This said, Villa-Lobos was a unique composer and I'm sure whatever he accomplished in his vocal music was completely his own.
Do you have a large Villa-Lobos collection? Who would you say is your favorite Latin American composer?
Of course, my list has changed since my last one (in no particular order):
Choros No. 11
Quinteto Instrumental for flute, violin, viola, cello and harp
Erosão
Fantasia for soprano saxophone, three horns & strings
Symphony No. 6, "Sobre a linha das montanhas do Brasil (On the Outline of the Mountains of Brazil)"
Villa-Lobos was a tremendous revelation for me this year. These are the works I've liked the most:
Chôro no. 10
Cello concerto no. 2
Symphony no. 3
Suite no. 4 from 'Descobrimento do Brasil'
Bachiana Brasileira no. 7
Quote from: SymphonicAddict on November 14, 2017, 01:57:50 PM
Villa-Lobos was a tremendous revelation for me this year. These are the works I've liked the most:
Chôro no. 10
Cello concerto no. 2
Symphony no. 3
Suite no. 4 from 'Descobrimento do Brasil'
Bachiana Brasileira no. 7
Great list! He's also got quite a large oeuvre. Happy exploring!
Quote from: Mirror Image on November 14, 2017, 06:06:23 PM
Great list! He's also got quite a large oeuvre. Happy exploring!
Thanks! I need to explore his chamber music very soon, especially the string quartets and piano trios.
Quote from: SymphonicAddict on November 14, 2017, 06:57:47 PM
Thanks! I need to explore his chamber music very soon, especially the string quartets and piano trios.
I can attest to the quality of the PTs and SQs. You'll certainly enjoy them.
Time to update my initial list. In no particular order:
Chôros No. 6
Quinteto Instrumental for flute, violin, viola, cello and harp
Bachianas Brasileiras No. 1 for cello ensemble
Ciclo brasileiro
Erosão
Ask me again tomorrow and I'm sure it'll be different, but these are superb works, IMHO, that showcase a variety of styles that Villa-Lobos composes in.
Choros No.10
Symphony 3 'War'
Symphony 4 'Victory'
Bachianas Brasileiras No. 3 is my favorite. Also No. 4, 5 and 7. Other Villa-Lobos I enjoy considerably less.
Quote from: vandermolen on March 05, 2020, 10:40:22 PM
Choros No.10
Symphony 3 'War'
Symphony 4 'Victory'
Only three works, Jeffrey?
Quote from: Mirror Image on March 06, 2020, 05:49:12 AM
Only three works, Jeffrey?
They immediately sprang to mind John but I hope to add two more in due course.
Quote from: vandermolen on March 07, 2020, 12:55:59 AM
They immediately sprang to mind John but I hope to add two more in due course.
8)
At the moment:
Piano Trio No. 2 (a most spectacular work)
Symphony No. 4
Amazonas - Symphonic poem
String Trio
String Quartet No. 7
Hard to make a choice, I'ld say for now:
Bachianas brasileras no. 7 for orchestra
O papagaio do moleque (tone poem)
Cello concerto No. 2
Guitar concerto
Chôros No. 10
Quote from: Symphonic Addict on March 14, 2020, 06:00:09 PM
At the moment:
Piano Trio No. 2 (a most spectacular work)
Symphony No. 4
Amazonas - Symphonic poem
String Trio
String Quartet No. 7
Quote from: Christo on March 15, 2020, 02:02:07 AM
Hard to make a choice, I'ld say for now:
Bachianas brasileras no. 7 for orchestra
O papagaio do moleque (tone poem)
Cello concerto No. 2
Guitar concerto
Chôros No. 10
Nice lists, fellas! 8)