Product Description
Program note.
Having lived in São Poalo, Brazil, during my teens, it was quite natural that sooner or later I would compose a piece inspired by the rich heritage that produced such illustrious artists like Heitor Villa-Lobos, João Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Milton Nascimento.
My Chôrinhos, opus 38 (1987) was composed during my 1986-87 fellowship year at the American Academy in Rome. It is funny how things should reappear in one's life in the most unpredictable manner. An old school-mate from the New England Conservatory had taken up residence in Rome since graduation in the late 70's. He, David Kaberle, has an nice penthouse apartment just outside of the Campo di fiori, and manages to make a living as a free-lance clarinet player. When he discovered that I once lived in Brazil, he loan me a cassette of Brazilian music ... mostly, chôros ... [Formally, the chôro is very much like the Baroque suite of dances - the waltz, the mazurka, the polka, the march, the samba, and so on. It usually features a solo wind instrument accompanied by guitars, mandolins, tambourin, and other assorted percussion instruments. The character of the music is usually upbeat, virtuosic, and happy if it is fast; or sad and melancholic, if slow. The most famous of these chôros has to be "Tico tico no fubá".] Well, I was thrilled to have the tape. I listened to it every day. My Chôrinhos is the by-product.
The work is in four movements. The outer two are fast, rhythmic, virtuosic and lively; the inner two, the first featuring the strings, the second, the winds, are characteristically sad and melancholic. It is scored for flute, oboe, Bb-clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion.
The work was premiered in Pittsburgh in 1987 by David Stock and the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble
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