There are twelve of them, across 6CDs, plus a couple extras.
Most will probably be interested in whether to invest in Naxos' Villa-Lobos symphony set, or the one on CPO with Carl St. Clair and his German orchestra.
Timing wise, occasionally one recording is a little faster than another, but otherwise, I find little between them. Only the large-scale choral Symphony no. 10 has a meaty 13-minute difference.
Some find the CPO set a little rhythmically tauter, and I could understand such a view with the slightly reverberant São Paulo Hall, but on the other hand, others laud the Naxos São Paulo players for their energy and excitability.
If it matters, both sets have equally appealing, yet very different, cover art. Naxos goes with the sepia-toned historical photographs, while CPO chooses primitivistic artwork, both apt. Naxos comes on 6 CDs, where the symphonies are grouped chronologically, while CPO pairs early and late symphonies across 7CDs. With the extra CD, there are four orchestral extras, whereas Naxos provides two symphonic poems, tethered to the final Symphony no. 12.
What of the music though? The early symphonies are large affairs, both instrumentally and in scope. Villa-Lobos' structural freedom can leave some wanting, including this listener, yet he provides a riot of percussive and musical colors. The later symphonies are more compact, thus focusing the composer on motivic economics, plus the influence of Franco-Russo Neo-classicism is apparent.
As I mentioned with his five Piano Concertos, the composer wrote so much music, that much of it can sound similar, and I hear that here. So too, while his music is generally enjoyable and appealing, in the end I find little to love, and sometimes, little to latch onto once the music is complete. The experience, however, is satisfactory, if not always satisfying, but this will also depend on personal tastes.
Where does that leave me? I have enjoyed spending time with these symphonies, and if they won't change my life, here is a composer with a singular composing style who was always his own man in music, despite European influences. Certainly he was a strong advocate for the music of Brazil and deeply concerned with its musical history and future. We at The Oozy Keep are always concerned about musical education and culture, no matter what corner of the world one lives in, so respect comes out in spades with this composer.
But respect and appreciation does not necessarily equal emotional ardor, and that is what I yearn for in this music. I can't fault these performances however, and my experience listening to these symphonies was always enjoyable. As to which set, either will suffice. Give a test run on the YouTubes and see what gets your motor running! For me, Isaac Karabtchevsky with the home team in São Paulo do an excellent job.
Listen on YouTube
Works
Symphony no. 1 'O Imprevisto' (26.49)
Symphony no. 2 'Ascensão' (48.37)
Symphony no. 3 'A Guerra' (31.46)
Symphony no. 4 'A Vitória' (31.23)
Symphony no. 6 (28.49)
Symphony no. 7 (39.28)
Symphony no. 8 (24.16)
Symphony no. 9 (21.54)
Symphony no. 10 'Ameríndia' (60.47)
Symphony no. 11 (27.33)
Symphony no. 12 (24.50)
Uirapuru (19.16)
Mandú-Çárárá (13.36)
Soloists
Leonardo Neiva, baritone
Saulo Javan, bass
Performers
São Paulo Children's Choir
São Paulo Symphony Choir
São Paulo Symphony Orchestra
Isaac Karabtchevsky, conductor
Label: Naxos
Year: 2020
Total Timing: 6.39.04
Villa-Lobos' are not a favorite series of symphonies for me, but they are enjoyable for a listen.
I like this Naxos set, and it remains cost effective against CPO's set. Otherwise, either should be satisfying for those looking to explore.
Find more Villa-Lobos recordings HERE!
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