Soul of Brazil - A Tribute to the Piano Music of Heitor Villa-Lobos | Alma Brasileira, Bachianas Brasileiras No.4, Ciclo Brasileiro, Rudepoêma, Valsa Da Dor
Product Description After a long parentheses, Cuban-American pianist Martha Marchena returns to play as beautifully as her vast array of followers are accustomed to. The medium she selects to use is a new recording; the music she interprets is by Heitor Villa-Lobos, a composer dear to her, and the subject of her doctoral thesis. The prolific Villa-Lobos left us with many piano works, some grouped in cycles, like Carnaval das crianças (1919-1920) and A Prole do Bebê (1918-1921) while others standing alone, like Bailado infernal (1920) or the iconic Rudepoêma (1921-1926). These diverse works offer Marchena an opportunity to make her re-appearance a golden reminder of her gifts: again her magic touch when delivering a melody; again her ability to transform brutal force into an awesome fiery musical moment; again her first-rate musicianship that flexes to and fro, transforming some of Villa-Lobos’ repetitive passages to be transformed into delightful structures. Marchena’s comeback is a resplendent one. Her bestowal of the Villa-Lobos piano works she picks for her return is received today with joy. For the older members of her followers, this new recording is a gorgeous giveaway; for the younger listener the bequest is even bigger, for it delivers a wondrous panoply of luminous sound. For everyone, simply enjoy the legacy! [Aurelio de la Vega] After 1905, using the proceeds from the sale of his father’s library, Heitor Villa-Lobos traveled widely. Considered "the single most significant creative figure in 20th-century Brazilian art music", the composer was introduced to the rudiments of music by his father, a writer and amateur musician, who also supported his learning to play instruments. During Villa-Lobos’ childhood, Brazil experienced important social changes, including modernization, the abolition of slavery in 1888 and overthrowing the Empire of Brazil the following year. These changes were reflected in the country’s musical life, which had been grounded in the European tradition of counterpoint and harmony. Villa-Lobos was expected by his family to study medicine, but he preferred the bohemian life of the city’s popular musicians in Brazil, supporting himself by working as a musician on the popular music scene. After some time, he enrolled at the National Institute of Rio de Janeiro, but the discipline of academic life was disagreeable to him, and his stay at the Institute was short. Nevertheless, Villa-Lobos was already very productive, having written many compositions. In 1918, in Rio de Janeiro, he met the renowned concert pianist Arthur Rubinstein and French composer Darius Milhaud. Through them, Villa-Lobos was introduced to the music of Claude Debussy, which proved to be a revelation. In response, he composed Prole do Bebe No.1, and other works, which used numerous French impressionistic techniques combined with new compositional devices of his own. Shortly thereafter, Villa-Lobos received financial support for further studies and left for Europe where he spent seven years in Paris, where the new trend of neo-classical composition inspired him to compose many of his best-known works. During this time, Villa-Lobos developed a new and very personal musical language, rooted in the folk idioms of Brazil, embracing traditional forms and techniques, but incorporating the impressionistic techniques of the new French school. During these years, the temperamental and bohemian Villa-Lobos had become a consummate artist and was appointed by the Brazilian government to be responsible for the musical education for all of Brazil in a program designed for the masses. In 1942, he organized the Conservatory under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, and in 1945 the Brazilian Academy of Music, both in Rio de Janeiro. About the Artist Martha Marchena has inspired audiences worldwide with her broad repertoire and captivating performances for decades. Born in Cuba, Marchena graduated with honors from the University of Miami’s doctoral program, where she wrote her dissertation on the piano works of Brazilian composer, Heitor Villa-Lobos. A versatile artist, she has performed as a soloist with orchestras and chamber music ensembles worldwide. Noted for the originality of her programming, critics have also praised her interpretations for their emotional impact. Marchena is often praised for her ambitious and refreshing choice of repertoire in contemporary music, as well as her expertise in Latin American piano music, with a special focus on lesser-known composers. She has been invited to perform in major international music festivals, including the Encuentros Festival in Buenos Aires, International Contemporary Music Festival in San Salvador, Festival Internacional de Musica Contemporanea in Cuba, Festival Internacional de las Artes, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Fiesta Iberoamericana de las Artes, Puerto Rico, Latin American Music Festival in Caracas, and Opera Barga Festival in Italy. Marchena also maintained a rigorous academic profile as a professor in the Music Department at Kean University in New Jersey. She has participated in many residencies, given master classes, lectured, and performed recitals worldwide, bridging Latin and South American music and women studies. Marchena has been an adjudicator for international competitions including the International Piano Competition Prize Jaen, was named President of the First Ibero-American Piano Competition in Santo Domingo in 2010 and was selected by the General Society of Authors and Editors of Spain to perform at the IV Ibero-American Music Prize in Sao Paulo, Brazil. From 2007 to 2010, she was a panelist in the piano committee for the National Fulbright Award, and in 2001 received the Hispanic Caucus Latino Cultural Arts Award from the American Association for Higher Education. She has also received grants from the Fund for U.S Artists at International Festivals and Exhibitions by the Rockefeller Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Active as a recording artist, she can be heard on several albums focused on Latin-American influenced music, which received accolades from international music publications, including Gramophone, Fanfare, American Record Guide, Piano Magazine and Latin American Music Review. Martha Marchena dedicates this album to Ricardo Viera.
Martha Marchena (piano)  (Artist),     Heitor Villa-Lobos  (Composer),     None  (Conductor)    &                   0                  more   Format: Audio CD
{"Package Dimensions": "5.63 x 5 x 0.47 inches; 3.17 Ounces", "Manufacturer": "MSR Classics", "Date First Available": "March 22, 2022", "Label": "MSR Classics", "Number of discs": "1"}