Bachianas Brasileiras No. 7: Tocata: Andantino quasi allegretto
Bachianas Brasileiras No. 7: Fuga: Andante
Bachianas Brasileiras No. 9: Prelude: Vagaroso e mistico
Bachianas Brasileiras No. 9: Fugue: Poco apressado
Choros No. 10: Anime; Lent; Anime; Tres peu anime - BBC Singers
This is a really fine record, particularly as it does not include the ubiquitous Bachiana Brasileira No. 2, which will be the only exposure that many people have to these extraordinary "fusion" pieces in which the compos... more »er marries forms of Brazilian folk music with those of the J.S. Bach. Of course, No. 5 is even more famous than No. 2, but it's a vocal work in two movements scored for soprano and eight cellos. The first movement is well known, but the second--a zippy little dance--is often omitted, making hash of the composer's intentions. All of this music is well worth knowing, especially in performances as vital and characterful as these. Super. --David Hurwitz« less
This is a really fine record, particularly as it does not include the ubiquitous Bachiana Brasileira No. 2, which will be the only exposure that many people have to these extraordinary "fusion" pieces in which the composer marries forms of Brazilian folk music with those of the J.S. Bach. Of course, No. 5 is even more famous than No. 2, but it's a vocal work in two movements scored for soprano and eight cellos. The first movement is well known, but the second--a zippy little dance--is often omitted, making hash of the composer's intentions. All of this music is well worth knowing, especially in performances as vital and characterful as these. Super. --David Hurwitz
"The orchestral selections are rich, spacious, and sonorous...they hold the attention consistently and happily. The CD is well worth its price for those alone. But, Renee Fleming is not suited for the music in her Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5. The top-most notes get thin and screechy...and the humming section is pinched, pale, and puny -- not pleasant. I am a Renee Fleming admirer of the very first order....but, my "love" is not unconditional, and in this case...if asked, I would have advised her to avoid it."
Cool music's hopes not met..
J. Anderson | Monterey, CA USA | 11/26/2002
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Hard to put a finger on it. LOVE the music - Villa-Lobos is ALWAYS exciting (even his Quartets are wild and fresh), and the Bachianas Basilieras is a magical score. Tilson Thomas attends to the colors, but there's something lackluster about the whole performance. Something missing in the conducting. I find myself NOT in a repeat play mode with this recording! Fleming parades an overstuffed voice in the doleful #5, why is she lately so unnecessary??? Gosh, I'd so like to like her art, but it seems she's lost and passing through some weird phase vocally. Hope it doesnt last. The performances on this recording have too much pretense around them, & it's a real negative. These folks are young and gifted, maybe I'm a crank... but there's no reason not to always make music with integrity, is there? On Joan Baez' first or second album she recorded the No.5.. I'd really like to hear that recording again."
Bacchianas Brasileiras at their best
P. Alvarez | Killeen, Texas United States | 06/19/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I really see no problem with this recording, I bought it several years ago, and I think is wonderfully performed
music. Tilson Thomas does a great job with the New World
Symphony Orchestra and soprano Renee Fleming. My favorites are the Bacchianas Brasileiras #5 "ALMA BRASILEIRA" and #7 with its fuga that sounds so much like Bach...."
Terrific introduction to the music of Villa-Lobos
Patrick W. Crabtree | Lucasville, OH USA | 04/17/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"You won't get stung on this one.
Michael Tilson Thomas is one of the premiere conductors of the planet -- he doesn't fail us here. He conducts the New World Symphony (based in Florida) which is composed of the best and brightest music school graduates who are seeking more permanant posts with renowned orchestras, and many former members have done so. But don't be fooled into thinking that this is a "student orchestra," no sir! With this orchestra, there is no unskilled viola player in the back row -- this is some of the finest, most precise playing I've heard anywhere.
The big bonus here is that we get Heitor Villa-Lobos' most popular works (he actually wanted to be known for his many magnificent works other than these but the public would not allow it to be so) and they are performed in their most expansive form. The singing (on the limited number of vocal pieces) is flawless as far as I could hear and the recording is quite dynamic.
The works found on this recording were chiefly composed as a tribute to J.S. Bach, an icon of Villa-Lobos who was initially self-taught by studying the scores of the old masters and of Bach in particular. One can easily generate a clear mental image of period Brasil by listening to Michael Tilson Thomas' astute reading of these superb Villa-Lobos compositions. This music represents the core essence of Modern Music.
I could not recommend a classical music CD more highly."