Mario Adnet: Um Olhar Sobre Villa-Lobos

The music of Brazil is generalized with sambas and bossa novas and visualized by the colorful carnivals the country is so famous for. But Brazilian music also has a sophisticated presence, traced back to the influential composer Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) and his prolific compositions known for melding indigenous and folkloric songs and rhythms with European classical music. Mario Adnet, award winning composer, producer and arranger—recognized for his enduring association with Moacir Santos and Antonio Carlos Jobim- went back to his Villa-Lobos roots and revisited the music of the maestro on Um Olhar Sobre Villa-Lobos.

The core of Villa-Lobos work, the famous "Bachianas Brasileiras" are well represented and rearranged with added lyrics by various Brazilian poets, and Adnet brought in specialized vocalists for each track, thus giving them an individual coloring. "Trenzinho Do Caipira," and "Caicó Aria," feature bossa nova singer Edu Lobos, and the revered Milton Nascimento sings "Aria."

The Villa-Lobos series Choros—based on a popular country dance—were written about specific areas of the Brazil wilderness, and Adnet utilizes sparseness in "Makurka Choro," to convey a quiet natural setting. In the process of renovation, Adnet painstakingly deconstructed many of the orchestral pieces and specifically the piano parts for many of the selections, all the while maintaining the integrity and essence of the originals. A special mention of commendation for the twenty five piece string Orquestra De Cordas which provides superb melodic accompaniment for the brass and woodwinds, and a dynamic rhythmic impetus so vital in these compositions.

This was obviously a major undertaking for Adnet, who is immensely qualified to pull off such a production. Having selected and directed the musicians personally, he injected a lot of himself into the project and had the vision to see it come to light. It not only represents his respect for the work of the esteemed composer, but stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of Heitor Villa-Lobos in the musical history of Brazil.