Prado: Cartas Celestes, Vol. 3

Album review

One of the most prolific composers to emerge from Brazil, José Antônio Rezende de Almeida Prado began as a cultivator of musical nationalism, studying with Camargo Guarnieri, but as a pupil of Boulanger and Messiaen in Paris was compelled to look for other means of self-expression, attaining a level of aesthetic freedom which encompassed atonalism, post-serialism, extended and free tonalism. Among his most important achievements, referred to by him as an “incredible adventure”, are his eighteen Cartas Celestes (Celestial Charts), a set of works depicting the sky and constellations, in which he adopted a new harmonic language called “transtonality”. Of the eighteen Cartas Celestes, 15 are written for solo piano. Here is the third volume of these Charts. Cartas Celestes No. 9 (1999) takes us on a voyage through some of the celestial bodies that can be seen in the Brazilian sky during the four seasons of the year. Cartas Celestes No.10 (2000), “The Constellations of the Mystical Animals”, although not initially planned, was said by Almeida Prado to be poetically related to passages from the history of Jesus Christ. Cartas Celestes No.12 (2000) is subtitled “The Sky of Nicholas Roerich”. It is a cosmic Diptych that draws inspiration from two hypnotic master paintings by the multi-faceted Russian artist and philosopher. Cartas Celestes No.14 (2001) depicts celestial bodies that can be seen in the Brazilian sky during the months of February and March. It basically employs the same idea of 20 years earlier used to compose Cartas Celestes No. 4, though now an even freer sound world is achieved. Three of the four works here presented are world premiere recordings. Obviously Messiaen has been one of the main influences and inspirations of Almeida Prado. © SM/Qobuz