César Guerra-Peixe (1914-1955)
A Retirada da Laguna (1971)
Concertino for Violin and Chamber Orchestra (1972)
Museu da Inconfidência (1972)
Abner Landim (violin)
Goiás Philharmonic Orchestra/Neil Thomson
rec. 2015/19, Centro Cultural Oscar Niemeyer, Palácio da Música Belkiss Spenzièri, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
Naxos 8.573924 [72]
Over the years Naxos has curated numerous series of discs which have of great value to the collector. Whether it has been Liszt piano music, Schubert Lieder or British piano concertos all have been distinguished by fine performances of a wide and often unusual range of repertoire. But my favourite series – simply because they have introduced me to composers and music about which I previously knew nothing – are the “Japanese Classics” and the “Latin American Classics”. A subsidiary series of the latter is the series titled “The Music of Brazil” of which this new disc of orchestral music by César Guerra-Peixe appears to be the 21st release.
I have often written expressing my surprise that the extraordinarily rich musical tradition of Latin America is not more widely known and better appreciated outside of its homelands. This new disc is a perfect example of why I am so incredulous – this is simply tremendous music; immediately attractive, individual, skilfully written and of real musical value and interest. Quite why it has so singularly failed to travel much outside its own country I simply do not understand. Which of course is why this Naxos series is of such value. This is the second disc devoted to Guerra-Peixe – I enthusiastically reviewed the first disc here. I would refer the curious to that review simply because it covers the background of the composer. Much as I enjoyed the earlier disc – both as music and in performance – my feeling is that this second disc is even finer. The only real surprise is that it has taken nearly nine years since the main work was recorded for this to be released.
The useful liner describes Guerra-Peixe as “one of the leading composers associated with musical nationalism in Brazil”. Certainly all three works offered here make considerable use of the musical sounds and instrumental gestures of the country. Furthermore, the two main works; A Retirada da Laguna and Museu da Inconfidência are musical representations of key historical events in the country’s history. Of course for a non-Brazilian and lacking as I do any historical knowledge of the country I cannot appreciate or recognise the events depicted. But even though that is the case, the music alone, listened to as ‘just’ music impresses. A Retirada da Laguna is a substantial work – a symphonic suite in ten movements running to 41:20. The narrative is of a disastrous military retreat that occurred in 1866 during the Paraguayan War – the deadliest inter-state war ever fought in South America. The ten sections are a descriptive representation of the beginning of the military retreat, the trials, battles and landscapes encountered to the final “peaceful return” which Guerra-Peixe crowns with his own Song to Universal Brotherhood. I was reminded in terms of construction if not musical execution of Leó Weiner’s Toldi – a sixty minute tone poem in twelve distinct sections. For me where Guerra-Peixe trumps Weiner is that each section is a broad description of the scene or event rather than the slavish musical representation Weiner sought. Indeed it struck me that this work could very successfully be presented in either suite from – three or four contrasting sections perhaps – or even with single movements excerpted as orchestral display items – I could easily imagine individual sections becoming favourites on commercial Classical Radio Stations. Track 3 Alegria em Nioaque [Rejoicing in Nioaque] would be a good example of the latter – a 3:29 brilliant orchestral dance/toccata. The performers here are the same as on the previous Guerra-Peixe disc; Neil Thomson conducting the Goiás Philharmonic Orchestra. Once again they play with impressive virtuosity and just sheer flair. Again, as I noted on the earlier release, the sound is quite close which gives the music suitable bite and brio with the brass and extensive percussion sections registering with exciting presence. Because the music does have an illustrative function it focuses more on mood than any abstract symphonic form. The first time I listened I did not try to follow the narrative, simply enjoying the evocative and contrasting sections. Perhaps knowing that A Calm Night [track 5] is followed by Fire, then the storm helps clarify things but even once I did know that, I must admit my main pleasure was simply in the quality of the music itself and the playing. Given the scale of the work, Guerra-Peixe skilfully negotiates an attractive variety of moods. His is a strikingly original voice too – yes the origin of the work is fairly unmistakably Latin American in its rhythms and instrumental textures but this is not music that copies the styles or musical gestures of others. Guerra-Peixe was an orchestral violinist as well as composer, ethno musicologist and educator so there is a real sense of him understanding the nuts and bolts of orchestral writing. His writing sounds demanding but it is always effective and individual too.
The shortest work on the disc is the 12:54 Concertino for Violin and Chamber Orchestra. The orchestra consists of strings with a pair of flutes and a small percussion section. The solo part is taken here by the orchestra’s concertmaster Abner Landim which he plays very well indeed. While it might not be as out and out technically demanding as some concerti, Landim’s great skill is not only to play his part with absolute precision and flair but find the element of folk-inspired ‘fiddling’ in his playing that seems to be completely in tune with the work. Guerra-Peixe writes with a lot of open string ‘drones’ and rhythmic/melodic cells that fuse a neo-classical energy with a folk-derived simple directness. The central Andantino has the feel of a solo violin meditation with the orchestral group making a brief contribution. In contrast the closing Allegro con vivo is the most explicitly Nationalistic section with the flutes and percussion echoing the folk music of north-eastern Brazil. This is another really impressive piece and a very effective contrast in scale and duration to the preceding suite.
According to the liner, Museu da Inconfidência [Museum of the Inconfidência] “has become one of Guerra-Peixe’s most admired works”. The Inconfidência Mineira was a separatist movement within Brazil that occurred in 1789 with a rebellion brutally put down by the Portuguese authorities with its leader executed. In 1944 a museum was founded to mark the rebellion although this later expanded to embrace the 18th Century culture of the Brazilian region of Minas Gerais. Guerra-Peixe’s work is therefore a kind of Brazilian “Pictures at an Exhibition” fused with a celebration of the culture of that region. In four movements the opening is the equivalent of the Pictures ‘Promenades’ titled Entrada with the following second and fourth movements depicting the slave-culture of the 18th Century. The second movement – Cadeira de arruar [Sedan Chair] could easily be another “Classical Pops” – a cheekily buoyant march sparklingly orchestrated and again brilliantly played here. The third movement is not only the longest – 6:34 – but also the only one that specifically references the rebellion; Panteão dos inconfidentes [Pantheon of the separatists]. The mood is instantly darker with harsh harmonies and grimly powerful orchestral gestures. The lighter mood returns with the closing Restos De Um Reinado negro (Vestiges Of A Black Kingdom) which has a galloping rhythmic energy slightly reminiscent of a John Williams film score which gives way to a more swaying indigenous dance. The gallop returns before a rather grand final peroration. This makes for a suitably expansive conclusion to the disc although in some ways its the least individual music on the disc as well.
But that is a minor quibble and one that simply reflects how high a musical bar Guerra-Peixe has set up to this point. As should be clear, I think this is another major and wholly enjoyable addition to this valuable series and one that reflects great credit on performers, engineers and, of course, composer. The liner mentions Guerra-Peixe’s Symphony No.2 ‘Brasilia’ as another important work in his catalogue and it must be fervently hoped that it will appear soon on another Naxos disc with these performers. I would love to think this music could be heard at the BBC Summer Proms one year – truly a way to reflect its claim to be the World’s Greatest Classical Music Festival. All the time music of this calibre does not appear there, that statement seems rather hollow.
Nick Barnard
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