VILLA – LOBOS: 5 Preludios ( 1940); Choros No1 (1920) ; 12 Estudos (1929) ; Mazurka – Choro (1908) : Schottisch – Choro (1908) ; Valsa- Choro ( 1912); Gavota – Choro (1912); Chorinho (1923).
Turibio Santos
Kuarup Discos : MKCD-028
Certainly Turibio Santos, now in his 80th year, is one of the main Villa – Lobos interpreters and here his set from 1998 of what then purported to be the complete works for guitar is one of the classics of its kind. The fact that after this album was done various other works were discovered , such as the Valse – Choro , (which is not the same as the Valsa – Choro recorded here), The Simples from 1911, and the Valsa Concerto No2 (1904) must not put you off this wonderful recording.
The first thing that you really notice is how he refuses to follow certain performing trends with these pieces that other players in their dozens do is quite involving, so that where others will pause in a certain place, if it’s not on the manuscript, he simply doesn’t, but plays it like its written on the score.
The Five Preludes, perhaps his most popular and oft – played set really rattles of his fingers like hardly ever before, and the many little differences in interpretation are fascinating.
After the very musical Choros No1, the first of many written by the composer, but the only one for solo guitar, we get the work that nearly all guitarists have studied and indeed worried over, as their technical language is unprecedented in its difficulty, the 12 Estudos. Here Villa – Lobos included many almost unseen technical difficulties in the very varied set, and which Santos makes short work of, making this a most desirable recording.
This extensive album finishes with the 5 pieces, written at separate times that eventually became the Suite Populaire Bresilienne when it was published in 1955 (and long after the pieces were written) are much lighter in their music than the hard – hitting Estudos, but are nevertheless wonderful works that have lovely melodies and are some of his most immediate works.
So in essence this is a fabulous set of recordings that if any of you have not heard before, then this album is certainly one to consider, although let it be said that Santos did Villa – Lobos many times as well as in this set, and they are no doubt every bit as good as this !
Chris Dumigan