The Fantasia de movimentos mixtos is a violin concerto written by Villa-Lobos in 1921. Though the Dutch violinist Marijn Simons has this in his repertoire, it’s only been performed a few times since it was premiered in 1941. We really need a good recording of this piece!
From the José Limón Dance Foundation’s website, a scene from the classic Emperor Jones, Eugene O’Neill’s play set to music by Villa-Lobos. This is from last June’s revival by the Limón Dance Company.
He was in the Brazilian jungle with a friend and guide.
“There is a large circular flower,” he told us, “called the sensitive plant. My friend approached it and it closed around him. I drew my knife! I slashed at it without effect! I thought of my saxophone.”
Villa-Lobos said he grabbed his saxophone and played a drawn-out melody.
“The plant opened, expanded, freeing my friend!”
A great story from Ralph Gustafson’s hugely entertaining memoir “Villa-Lobos and the Man-Eating Flower,” The Musical Quarterly, Vol. 75, No. 1 (Spring, 1991),p. 5.
This 1995 Wergo CD includes Volker Banfield’s impressive version of Rudepoema. I hadn’t come across this disc until it showed up today at The Naxos Music Library.
Here is the trailer from a new documentary film from Brazil: A Música Segundo Tom Jobim, directed by Nelson Pereira dos Santos & Dora Jobim. I’m hoping that Sony Pictures releases an English version.
A cool Tadaa photo from the 2010 Manaus Yerma, from the Stage Director of that production, Allex Aguilera.
The Trio Broz play the slow movement from the great String Trio (1945). The Trio Broz have been including this work in their concerts for the past year or so.
Darn! I missed this concert in Edmonton this past weekend, with the WindRose Trio. It featured the Villa-Lobos Trio for Oboe, Clarinet & Bassoon. I recommend this group’s 2008 CD Path of Contact.
Great poster for the concert!
Art Metal Quinteto play the 3rd movement Tocata from Bachianas Brasileiras #8. This is from last Sunday’s concert at the 49th Festival Villa-Lobos in Rio.
As they say at Drinkify.org, don’t listen to Villa-Lobos alone. Their suggestion is to accompany it with a bottle of red wine. Two good choices: Villalobos Vineyards from Chile, and the special Heitor Villa-Lobos Cabernet Sauvignon from Casa Valduga in Brazil. Also, check out this post from The Villa-Lobos Magazine.
The video is a bit murky, but it’s nice to hear one of Villa’s most important works from the early 1920s, the Quatuor Symbolique.
Victoria Davies - harp
Aleksandra Iwanicka - celesta
Karolina Ogrodowska - flute
Michal Grycko - alto saxophone
From MultiRio, a visit to the Museu Villa-Lobos.
