Vicente Della Tonia, Jr., piano.
Heitor VILLA-LOBOS: A Próle do Bebê, Book 1
Heitor VILLA-LOBOS: Choros No. 5, “Alma Brasileira”
Heitor VILLA-LOBOS: Carnaval das Crianças
Heitor VILLA-LOBOS: Ciclo Brasileiro
ACA Digital CM20131
Formats: CD, digital
Release Date: January 30, 2024
Total Duration: 55:09
Giorgio Koukl | 15 AUG 2024
This new recording by Brazilian pianist Vicente Della Tonia, Jr., a well-known specialist in Brazilian music, presents us some of the most important piano works of Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959): A Próle do Bebê, Carnaval das Crianças, and Ciclo Brasileiro. The shorter Choros No. 5, called “Alma Brasileira,” complements these essential works.
CM20131 cover art
(click to enlarge)
Villa-Lobos’ piano works are characterized by their rhythmic vitality, harmonic complexity, and incorporation of Brazilian folk and popular music. His compositions often reflect the influence of French Impressionism, especially that of Debussy and Ravel, but are distinctively colored by his Brazilian roots. This fusion creates a highly individual style, with complex rhythms, lush harmonies, and evocative melodies, even if sometimes disturbed by a certain repetitiveness and harmonic hardship.
The pianist generally captures this particular idiom well; his rendering is technically flawless, even if not always graced by a superior capacity for shading.
The first cycle, A Próle do Bebê, is a set of two piano suites, composed in 1918 and 1921, respectively. On this album, we can listen to the first one called “Os Bonecos” (“The Dolls”), consisting of eight separate pieces.
We start with “Branquinha,” a delicate piece representing a little white doll. The music is light and airy, with intricate rhythms that suggest the doll’s playful nature. Mr. Della Tonia is perfectly at ease here; it is a nice opener.
“Moreninha,” characterized by a rhythmic pulse that evokes Brazilian dance forms, represents a little brown doll. The music is vibrant and energetic, with syncopations and lively rhythms. There are a lot of occasions for the pianist to show his vibrant technique here. “Caboclinha” depicts a little doll of mixed indigenous Brazilian descent, combining elements of native Brazilian music with more European harmonic structures. Indeed, this music could easily be a French impressionist piece. The following pieces, “Mulatinha” and “Negrinha,” mirror African-Brazilian musical traditions; maybe it is here that the pianist is most convincing in his sense of rhythm.
The last three dolls stay firmly in this tradition, mixing successfully slower melodies with pure Latin American temperament.
Choros No. 5, “Alma Brasileira,” is a score with utmost refinement in this choice of piano music. Mr. Della Tonia plays and understands the intricate harmonies well.
Another cycle of seven pieces follows: Carnaval das Crianças (“Children’s Carnival”) is one of Heitor Villa-Lobos’ lesser-known yet richly evocative works for piano. Composed in 1919, this suite encapsulates Villa-Lobos’ ability to blend the playful and colorful world of Brazilian carnival with the innocence and imagination of childhood. The work is a vibrant tapestry of rhythm, melody, and harmony, showcasing Villa-Lobos’ skill in transforming popular Brazilian themes into sophisticated classical compositions. Villa-Lobos is known for his innovative use of rhythm, and Carnaval das Crianças is no exception. The suite incorporates rhythms derived from Brazilian dance forms such as the samba and choro, but they are often treated in a stylized and sophisticated manner.
The rhythm is often buoyant and energetic, reflecting children’s excitement at participating in the carnival. The syncopated rhythms create a sense of movement and spontaneity, typical of a carnival atmosphere. Once again, this is the right choice for the pianist. It has to be said that in this particular set of miniatures, he has far fewer other pianists to be measured against. Maybe Nelson Freire is a dangerous competitor, but nothing comparable to Marc-André Hamelin, who is simply another category of quality.
The album ends with Ciclo Brasileiro (1936).
Performing this music requires not only technical skill but also an understanding of the cultural context from which it arises. Pianists must be able to navigate the rhythmic complexities, bring out the rich harmonic language, and convey the vivid characters and scenes depicted in each piece, a series of requests that pianist Vicente Della Tonia easily meets.
This album is an easy recommendation. ■
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- Vicinte Della Tonia, Jr.: perimeter.gsu.edu/profile/vicente-della-tonia
Read more by Giorgio Koukl.
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