Villa-Lobos and the Guitar

 

I've tried, but I never got a handle on playing the guitar.

At one point, I was even required to teach a beginning guitar class. If anything humbles a person, it is teaching something you know nothing about. FYI, I never went back to the instrument.

I am not a particularly good spontaneous or extemporaneous speaker either, so faking was not an option. I guess the truth lies too close to my soul.

This is a fun little solo guitar album from the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. Each piece times from a-minute-thirty-seconds to five minutes, so nothing here is composed on an epic scale. I would say each are rather easy on the ear as well, so this is not complex listening.

Not knowing these works intimately, nor the repertoire, I can't stand to judge this music or its player with any kind of authority. To my ears, though, Swedish guitarist Anders Miolin sounds musically poetic in this program more than anything flashy or showy. This works particularly well in the Five Preludes and Brazilian Popular Suite, yet we can still here Miolin's adept guitar technique in the Twelve Etudes, especially as there is a fair bit more musical variety in these pieces.

These approaches are ideal in this Swedish church, where there is a slight resonance to the recorded space, creating a lovely halo around the guitar sound.

I see the likes of Julian Bream and Pepe Romero have covered this literature, so I am sure those recordings are easy choices to be introduced to this music with, as they are giants in the guitar world. Fabio Zanon, who was the featured guitarist in BIS' Villa-Lobos orchestral contributions, also recorded these works, including Chôros no. 1.

But, for a guitar dunderhead such as myself, and those who enjoy the genre, this album will do quite nicely.

 

Listen on YouTube

 

 

Works
Five Preludes (17.50)
Suite Populaire Brésilienne (20.06)
Twelve Etudes (34.32)
Chôros 1 (4.44)

Performers
Anders Miolin, guitar

Label: BIS
Year: 1995
Total Timing: 78.28

 

 

 

I could imagine some wanting more surface excitement and virtuoso pizzazz, but Miolin's musings on these Villa-Lobos pieces are rather sensitive, dreamy readings.

Doesn't bother me one wit!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Find more Villa-Lobos recordings HERE!