[fado]

A friend introduced Bachianas Brasileirasto me in 8th Grade. I don't know what caused me to recall it last week but I am enjoying it now in my 77th year as much as I did in my 14th year. Victoria de los Ángeles was the vocalist when I first heard it.

[Mike-48]

I enjoy them, too. The variety of instrumentation is unique. I mostly the set by Robert Minczuk and the Sao Paulo SO, on BIS. The piano soloist in #3 is Jean Louis Steuerman. Also, I have a Telarc disc by Jesus Lopez-Cobos and the Cincinnati SO (with 2, 4, .

It's been a while since I listened to most of them. I'll have to spend some time with them again.

Which versions are your favorites?

[karelg]

One of my favorite versions is sung by Bidu Sayao. It is on a CD with Brazilian folksongs that I have been looking for unsuccessfully for the past hour. 

[fado]

Currently, I have only listened to what Tidal offered which is Barbara Hendricks, soprano, and Enrique Batiz, conductor. I will now try those mentioned above. Thanks

[FullRangeMan]

Just aware this topic now and would like to offer some suggestions of composers of merit that worth listening to, all are neglected by the press.

On Villa I could suggest his strings quartets, only 17 they are easy to listen not difficult to enjoy as Schoenberg or Ravel quartets, all were composed between 1915 and 1957, they are in the Euro composers style, there is a fantastique book entirely about this quartets:
https://www.amazon.com.br/Quartetos-Cordas-Villa-Lobos-Fun%C3%A7%C3%A3o/dp/853141718X

Other brasilian composers worth to search discs are:
César Guerra-Peixe
https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%A9sar_Guerra-Peixe
Radamés Gnattali
https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radam%C3%A9s_Gnattali
Claudio Santoro
https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudio_Santoro

And with a special praise my favorite Brasilian composer:
Jorge Antunes:
Still composing at 78 yo, graduated in composition, conducting and violin, university professor, PhD in Musical Aesthetics and bachelor in Physics, precursor of electronic music in Brazil.
https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Antunes

[mazikrav]

villa Lobos wrote at least one wonderful string quartet. I can send the reference on lp if you wish

[FullRangeMan]

Not thanks no vinyl for me, I already own a stunning performance CD box set from Kuarup Discos, but the miking is close-up.
https://www.amazon.com/Quartetos-Cordas-1-2-3/dp/B00008O78X/ref=tmm_acd_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

[rajacat]

This is a fantastic album. Unfortunately it's only available in vinyl.

Julian Bream Plays Villa-Lobos 

[FullRangeMan]

Not the same repertoire but for the complete Choros for solo acoustic guitar look this CD from 1987 recorded in PCM miking close-up as usual at Kuarup Discos.
https://www.amazon.com/Villa-Lobos-Obra-Completa-Para-Violao/dp/B00000G9MD
Turíbio is the best classical guitarist I had see so far and the music are fascinanting, recommended.

[Tyson]

This is a fantastic album. Unfortunately it's only available in vinyl.

Julian Bream Plays Villa-Lobos 

I just checked and it's on Qobuz as a 16/44 stream.  Listening to it now - you are right it is very good!

[Jean-Paul]

A friend introduced Bachianas Brasileirasto me in 8th Grade. I don't know what caused me to recall it last week but I am enjoying it now in my 77th year as much as I did in my 14th year. Victoria de los Ángeles was the vocalist when I first heard it.

That's only one BB out of NINE! And the only one with a vocal. It is beautiful, as you say. The rest are mostly very different although they do share a particular melancholy that you don't get anywhere else.

[rajacat]

I just checked and it's on Qobuz as a 16/44 stream.  Listening to it now - you are right it is very good!

I used to have this in vinyl but number of years ago I sold my entire vinyl rig and the albums. It's good to know that it's available for streaming. I must get with the program and subscribe to a streaming service soon. I played classical guitar for about 10 years and had accumulated a substantial collection of vinyl in the genre. Villa-Lobos wrote a number of compositions specifically for classical guitar.

[Mike-48]

Much of the same material is available on this CD, which I have with a different cover. I suppose RCA just keeps re-releasing Bream's work.


There are a couple of albums of duets by Bream and John Williams that I think are really special, too.