Villa-Lobos: Cello Concertos, Nos. 1 & 2 & Fantasia for Cello & Orchestra

Isaac Karabtchevsky, Antonio Meneses and Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo

Released on 22/09/2023 by Naxos
Main artists: Isaac Karabtchevsky Antônio Meneses Orquestra Sinfônica Do Estado De São Paulo
Genre: Concertos

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It is a bit odd that these cello-and-orchestra works by Heitor Villa-Lobos aren't better known, given the prominent role played by the cello in the popular Bachianas Brasileiras. The Cello Concerto No. 2 and the Fantasia for cello and orchestra were composed for performance in the U.S., and both are attractive works, especially when presented as a pair as they are here, and it is not as though cellists have an abundance of concertos to choose from. These are beautifully written for the instrument, with plenty of use of both the cello's growling lower register and its high end. Cellist Antonio Meneses and the Orquestra Sinfónica do Estado de São Paulo handle the tricky balances at several points in the program, and Naxos delivers clear sound from the Sala São Paulo on two separate occasions. The music itself is wonderful. The Cello Concerto No. 2 has an epic feel that contrasts nicely with the free, creatively ebullient Fantasia. The Cello Concerto No. 1 is an early work, a bit overstuffed perhaps, with plenty of influence from French Impressionism, but it is nevertheless characteristic of the composer, and Meneses gives it a sympathetic reading. This release is a volume in Naxos' Music of Brazil series, partially funded by the Brazilian government to increase awareness of the nation's musical riches. Would that other governments took such an enlightened attitude.
© James Manheim /TiVo

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Villa-Lobos: Cello Concertos, Nos. 1 & 2 & Fantasia for Cello & Orchestra

Isaac Karabtchevsky

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Cello Concerto No. 1, Op. 50, W095: I. Allegro con brio

Antônio Meneses