Villa-Lobos: Harmonica Works

Record and Artist Details

Composer or Director: Heitor Villa-Lobos

Label: Red Seal

Media Format: Cassette

Media Runtime: 0

Mastering:

DDD

Catalogue Number: RK87986

Tracks:

Composition Artist Credit
Concerto for Harmonica and Orchestra Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Bachianas brasileiras No. 5, Movement: Aria: Cantilena Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Modinhas e Cançoes, Series I, Movement: Evocaçao Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
O Canto do Cisne Negro Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
João Cambuête Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Samba-Clássico Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Papai Curuniassú Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Modinhas e Cançoes, Series II, Movement: Nesta Rua Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Modinhas e Cançoes, Series II, Movement: Mando Tiro, Tiro, Lá Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Xangó Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Modinhas e Cançoes, Series I, Movement: Canção do Marinheiro Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Modinhas e Cançoes, Series I, Movement: Lundú da Marquesa de Santos Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Modinhas e Cançoes, Series I, Movement: O Remeiro de São Francisco Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Viola Quebrada Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Improviso Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica

Composer or Director: Heitor Villa-Lobos

Label: Red Seal

Media Format: CD or Download

Media Runtime: 64

Mastering:

DDD

Catalogue Number: RD87986

Tracks:

Composition Artist Credit
Concerto for Harmonica and Orchestra Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Bachianas brasileiras No. 5, Movement: Aria: Cantilena Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Modinhas e Cançoes, Series I, Movement: Evocaçao Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
O Canto do Cisne Negro Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
João Cambuête Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Samba-Clássico Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Papai Curuniassú Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Modinhas e Cançoes, Series II, Movement: Nesta Rua Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Modinhas e Cançoes, Series II, Movement: Mando Tiro, Tiro, Lá Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Xangó Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Modinhas e Cançoes, Series I, Movement: Canção do Marinheiro Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Modinhas e Cançoes, Series I, Movement: Lundú da Marquesa de Santos Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Modinhas e Cançoes, Series I, Movement: O Remeiro de São Francisco Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Viola Quebrada Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Improviso Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Composer
New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica
Villa-Lobos's widow, the late Mindinha, told me that her husband never wrote for an instrument without his hands-on experimentation with it; whether the sounds of the harmonica ever echoed in his study, or if he worked together with John Sebastian (the dedicatee of the concerto and the soloist in its premiere) I do know not, but he certainly learned how to write effectively for it. The music of the Concerto, a three-movement affair lasting almost 21 minutes, is more European than Brazilian—but unmistakably that of Villa-Lobos, with clear-cut thematic material, lush harmonies, prismatic writing for the orchestra—which, as MM. remarked in January 1980, is smaller than it sounds, and, after the composer's concerto fashion, a substantial cadenza. The remaining items have all been adapted from various sources, the harmonica replacing the violin, cello or voice: the black swan (Cisne Negro) rides on the ripples of harp arpeggios, and in the Samba-Classico the wordless voice of the harmonica competes with Latin-American percussion, before the massed band concludes in a blaze that sounds like the Stan Kenton orchestra in full cry.
Villa-Lobos seemed to have a bottomless well of simple, predominantly diatonic, yet affecting tunes, to which his harmonic eclecticism lent an exotic air; there is not one on this recording which is not capable of staying in the memory. Robert Bonfiglio is a most accomplished soloist in every respect and it would be hard (in every way) to fault the support he receives both from the orchestra and the recording engineers, yet the question remains as to how the listener reacts to the sound of the harmonica: a college friend of mine once said ''I don't like the saxophone, it has a dishonest sound'', and some may feel the same about the harmonica, though in neither case does it mean that they can't enjoy it! By the end of the disc I wanted to return to the original of the Bachianas brasileiras No. 5, and to hear the human voice (and words) in the songs, none of which has yet put in an appearance on CD. Even so it is a most enjoyable programme in which to wallow, even piecemeal, if your stamina doesn't last the whole way through the hothouse.'

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