For no good reason, it seems, after hearing this music. These are all a cappella offerings, and I am often reminded of the madrigals of Ravel, Poulenc, or Debussy.
There are three sacred pieces on offer here, continuing Hyperion's recording of Villa-Lobos' sacred music, covered on the blog HERE.
These are in a clear, Renaissance-flavored style ala Palestrina. Both the Bendita Sabedoria and Cor Dulce, Cor Amabile were covered by the previously mentioned recording, only adding the short Ave Maria motet here. The SWR Vokalensemble adds a youthful freshness over Matthew Best's Corydon Singers on Hyperion, although the latter remains a very fine recording still.
More striking to me are Villa-Lobos' secular choral pieces. I hardly need another recording of the composer's Bachianas Brasileiras no. 9, nor the Chôros no. 3, as they are amongst the composer's most popular works, but both are ably performed by Creed & Co.
Most interesting are the handful of secular a cappella choir songs which inhabit his populous Brazilian, Neo-folk style, underlined with fun syncopated rhythms and odd harmonies. The three for men's choir, Bazzum, Preces sem palavras, and Na Bahia Tem are a lot of fun, as is As Costureiras for female singers, as well as the Amer-Indian songs, all showing the storytelling side of the composer, which will be unusual for many.
Villa-Lobos' arrangement of Bach's Prelude & Fugue no. 8 from The Well-Tempered Klavier for chorus is further delved into on Naxos, in their fun Choral Transcriptions recording, also covered on the blog HERE, although I may again prefer the performance here.
One of the bonuses of having the SWR Vokalensemble, as opposed to the Hyperion and Naxos recordings is their singing in a studio. There is an wonderful rhythmic immediacy and striking dynamic contrast excellently achieved away from the others' church and concert stage settings, although each are must-have recordings to hear all of his choral music with little carry-over in literature. I just really like this recording most of all, I think.
Listen on YouTube
Works
Cor dulce, cor amabile (4.33)
Jose (4.24)
As Costureiras (2.52)
Bachianas Brasileiras 9 (8.40)
Chôros 3 'Pica-Pau' (3.43)
Preces sem palavras (7.17)
Duas Lendas Amerindias (3.45)
Ave Maria (2.24)
Bazzum (3.30)
Bach: Prelude & Fugue no. 8 (6.27)
Na Bahia Tem (4.11)
Bendita Sabedoria (9.30)
Performers
SWR Vokalensemble
Marcus Creed, conductor
Label: Hänssler / SWR
Year: 2011
Total Timing: 62.04
In my opinion, this is the best of any extant recordings dedicated wholly to Villa-Lobos' choral music.
The contrast of secular and sacred pieces give a full range of what the composer was capable of for voice, and the SWR choir on hand is top-notch.
I would get the other ones too, at least for Villa-Lobos lovers and collecting completists.
This recording, however, would be an excellent place to start!
Find more Villa-Lobos recordings HERE!
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