#bachianas

Heitor Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras (1987) [Composed 1930-45]

Remember when Tower Records went bankrupt, held going-out-of-business sales nationwide, and how all of us once-loyal customers flocked there -- partly in earnest mourning, like a funeral procession, and partly for selfish reasons, just like greedy family members trying to finagle some of the deceased’s precious china?

Well, here’s your chance to ‘fess up, because I’m about to: this patriotic fool walked out of Tower’s 4th & Broadway location that night with a 3-CD set (later replaced by this 4-LP box) compiling all nine of Heitor Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras, as performed in 1987 by the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira, conducted by Isaac Karabtchevsky.

Born in Rio de Janeiro, in 1887, Villa-Lobos is arguably the most famous Brazilian classical composer, and his Bachianas (written between 1930 and ‘45) are so named because they combined native Brazilian styles (ponteio, modinha, etc.) with baroque harmonic and contrapuntal techniques mastered by Johan Sebastian Bach in the 18th Century (preludes, fugues, etc.). 

None of which I understand in the slightest, technically-speaking but, trust me, this is some good shit!

And you’ll probably recognize several movements here based on their frequent use in movies, documentaries and such, especially the operatic Bachiana No. 5, as featured in Bel Canto, The Edge of Democracy, uh, Spy Kids 2 and, ahem, Fifty Shades of Grey.

Less popular among music supervisors, perhaps, but even more familiar to us laymen (and laywomen!), if you ask me, are the No. 2’s beseeching “O Canto da Nossa Terra” and No. 8’s multi-dimensional “Modinha,” which feels like a mini-symphony in its own right. 

But if you listen to just two movements out of the available 28, make it No. 4’s absolutely sublime, heart-rending “Prelúdio,” and No. 1’s stern, somber but rousing multi-cello-orchestrated “Embolada” -- Heitor had trained as a cellist in his youth, so he proudly dotes on them like favored children.

And the composer duly became one of Brazil’s favorite sons ... upon his death in 1959, Villa-Lobos’ state funeral turned out to be the final major civic event held in the ‘Cidade Maravilhosa’ (that’s Rio de Janeiro, in case you’re wondering) before Brazil’s political capital was transferred to Brasília.

Quinta 25 de Janeiro de 2018 Aniversário de 464 anos de SamPã! Vamos festejar o ano novo da nossa cidade com festa no Teatro Oficina - Parque do Bixiga - com O Maestro João Carlos Martins e a Camerata Bachiana, chamando Bach, Baco e Adoniran Barbosa. 🔥🔥🔥 Depois, à partir das 14h, é festa na rua com o Bloco Tarado Ni Você, chamando Caê! 🔥🎉 Tudo Grátis, Brasil! Chega cedo que a temos lugares limitados dentro do teatro.

AMORHUMOR

Versos por uma São Paulo mais colorida e menos reacionária.

A cidade está morrendo. Vermes já estamos corroendo suas entranhas. Tudo começa a apodrecer ao redor. O corpo frio perde as cores. Como as paredes dorianas, fica cinza.

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