Villa-Lobos: Bachiana Brasileiras Nos. 2, 4 & 8

Heitor Villa-Lobos (Composer), Jesús López-Cobos (Conductor), Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Jesús López-Cobos
• Composer: Heitor Villa-Lobos
• Audio CD (October 24, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Telarc
• ASIN: B000003D0W
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #402,163 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Preludio (O Canto Do Capadocio)

2. Aria (O Canto Da Nosso Terra)

3. Dansa (Lembranca Do Sertao)

4. Toccata (O Tremzinho Do Calpira)

5. Preludio (Introducao)

6. Coral (Canto Do Sertao)

7. Aria (Cantiga)

8. Danso (Miudinho)

9. Preludio

10. Aira (Modinha)

11. Tocata (Catira Batida)

12. Fuga

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Romance Lite or Music for an Afternoon Nap, February 5, 2002

By 

D. Seymour "snadmus" (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Villa-Lobos: Bachiana Brasileiras Nos. 2, 4 & 8 (Audio CD)

I would have to agree with the reviewer below that this disc suffers from a lack of compositional ingenuity rather than sound quality or orchestral integrity. Lopez-Cobos and his Cincinnati Symphony squeeze blood from a turnip as they attempt to re-animate these 12 pieces. This is a great recording to put on when you are in the mood for background music. There are no surprises and few temperature raisers. There are many nice melodies that are explored but at a pace reminiscent of a romantic movie soundtrack. Unfortunately, the soundtrack Villa-Lobos chose to score is more aptly title "Afternoon Siesta" than "Brazilian Holiday". However, fans of sumptuously lush and beautifully orchestrated mood music should not shy away from this disc.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Uncorrected mistakes, March 2, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Villa-Lobos: Bachiana Brasileiras Nos. 2, 4 & 8 (Audio CD)

The music of Villa Lobos is plagued with mistakes in the printed scores and orchestral parts, perhaps one of the reasons it is not programmed more often. Great care has to be taken, when performing (and certainly when recording) this music to make sure to correct these for the best result.

Unfortunately, this was not done in the case of this recording. Mistakes abound, not the fault of the performers, including wrong notes, and even a wrong instrument playing in one instance. (Horn players playing what is supposed to be a trumpet line.) Certainly someone should have caught these (especially Lopez-Cobos, who should be the last line of defensive against this).

Having said that however, the pieces themselves are wonderfully evocative, and full of terrific Brazilian rhythms. The orchestra is playing terrific, but the Telarc sound robs some of the excitement out of the music.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lest the unwary..., February 7, 2004

By 

Sheldon Lichter "graveltoes" (Eugene, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Villa-Lobos: Bachiana Brasileiras Nos. 2, 4 & 8 (Audio CD)

...music-seeker be dissuaded by the "reviews" below, I would like to contribute my experience of this album, which I've had and heard for a number of years. Apart from the fine performance, which all concede, I have found this to be enchanting music, music of great imaginativeness. The glib dismissal for lack of substance or depth is yet another instance of those myriad "reviews" by people who love to see their names and ill-considered opinions in print - an opportunity so amply provided by Amazon.com. There is no accounting for taste, and we are each entitled to our own; but to inflate that taste into a pontification masked as sound musical judgment makes only mischief. Personally, I find much of this music indispensable to my music-appreciative life. Do hear it for yourself [sample the first movement of Bachianas Brasileiras 4] before turning away.