Symphony Nos 2 & 3 / Abertura Concertante

Brazil has so far kept very quiet about the fact that it has been developing a world-class orchestra in the city of São Paolo. An equally well kept and sensational secret is the music of the Brazilian composer Camargo Guarnieri. Guarnieri (1907-1993) was actually christened Mozart Camargo Guarnieri by his impoverished but very musical parents. Like so many great composers Guarnieri was a notable pianist and conductor. Seeking to fuse the musical impulses of his native Brazil with the European tradition, Guarnieri sailed to Europe. In France, for example, he was able to hear Bartók perform his Sonata for two pianos and percussion with his wife as well as attending concerts conducted by such notable figures as Scherchen and Toscanini. War intervened and he had to return to Brazil but his head was full of plans. It was not until, in 1942-43 when he was invited to visit the USA, that his music began to be successful. Copland, for example, wrote of his music with the greatest enthusiasm: "What I like best about his music is its healthy emotional expression - the honest statement of how one man feels. [...]. He knows how to shape a form, how to orchestrate well, how to lead a bass line effectively. Most attractive in Guarnieri's music is its warmth and imagination, which are touched by a deeply Brazilian sensibility. At its finest his is the fresh and racy music of a 'new' continent."
For too long "Mozart" Camargo Guarnieri's music has suffered the neglect that so often strikes composers from the recent past. The fabulous playing of the Orchestra of the City of São Paolo under their principal conductor John Neschling and the high "listenability" factor of the scores make this a highly attractive release. The other two of Camargo Guarnieri's symphonies will appear in due course on a companion disc. And we have future plans for the orchestra too. We feel that this is the beginning of a potentially fruitful and important collaboration with a country whose musical culture stretches far beyond Villa Lobos.