Reviews

'As always, it was sheer pleasure to observe Robin Hill's remarkable fluent technique: everything looks easy when he plays it.' Colin Cooper- Classical Guitar Magazine ----- 'Wonderful for their (Hill & Wiltschinsky) precision, touch and clarity of sound... refined virtuosity, the achievement of a long interpretive process.' Il Giornale D'Italia (Rome) ----- 'I loved your CD and thought your technique and performance were fabulous...' Rick Wakeman

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Track 3: Sons de Carilhoes - Joao Pernambuco

The third track is 'Sons de Carilhoes' by Joao Pernambuco.
Pernambuco was born on the 2nd November 1883, in Jatoba, Pernambuco, Brazil, and named, Joao Texeira Guimaraes.
After moving to Rio he told so many stories about his home state that he quickly became known as 'Joao Pernambuco'.

Pernambuco came from a poor family but learnt the guitar from an early age.
Whilst living in Recife, and then Rio, he had to supplement his composing and playing by working as a blacksmith and then as a labourer.

As he was illiterate he used to have to ask others to write his compositions down, and sadly, several were stolen.

An example of this is, 'Catulo da Paixao Cearense' which was transformed into 'Lunar do Sertao' and then became the unofficial Brazilian anthem. Unfortunately it was credited only to Catulo, and only recently has been properly acknowledged as Permanbuco's composition.

Between 1914 and 1919 Pernambuco became extremely popular and Villa-Lobos helped by transcribing and registering several of Pernambuco's songs to prevent any further loses.

Pernambuco was an important Belle Epoque composer of seminal choros, jangos, valses, toadas, and cancoes.

'Sons de Carilhoes' is a beautifully melodic and rhythmic piece which is closely related to the samba (which we discussed yesterday).

It has long been a favourite of Robin's and, despite the problems that Pernambuco faced as a composer, is one of the most optimistic pieces which Robin plays.

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