At the Cinema with Villa-Lobos

 

Like the suites from Discovery of Brazil, The Forests of the Amazon find their roots in film.

You can certainly hear the grand Romantic sweep reminiscent of the Golden Age of cinema.

But then again, as with other orchestral works from Villa-Lobos, there is Brazilian atmosphere aplenty without ever sounding Nationalistic or folksy.

Dissonant stabs and primitivistic choral exhortations pepper this music as well, so nothing ever sounds ordinary, nor simperingly straightforward. In addition, Amazonian bird song is joined with a soprano voice, here from the lovely sounding Anna Korondi, sometimes in non-lexical ululations, and other times with texts in orchestrated song.

Yet with all of the descriptions above, I also hear a certain amount of Americana (although of the Southern variety), one I am not familiar with from the composer. Of course, this could be the influence of setting music to film, yet there are moments of chugging joy with no underlying modernism; just pure, Romantic musical sounds.

As with their 7CD set of Bachianas Brasileiras and Chôros, John Neschling leads his São Paulo orchestra and chorus with vitality and atmosphere. The BIS engineering is absolutely stunning, and as far as I know, this is the most complete the work has seen yet on record.

Listen on YouTube

Works
Forests of the Amazon

Soloists
Anna Korondi, soprano

Ensemble
São Paulo Symphony Choir
São Paulo Symphony Orchestra
John Neschling, conductor

Label: BIS
Year: 2010
Total Timing: 78.38

I am sure this is the best this work has ever sounded.

The music is quite filmic, but Villa-Lobos is still true to his musical self.

A great entry point into the composer and his works.

 

 

 

 

 

Find more Villa-Lobos recordings HERE!