Our Villa

Villa-Lobos, Bach fan-boy.

"Coffee & the music of Villa-Lobos have been the principal exports of Brazil for the past 35 years. They occur in about equal proportions." - Hubert Roussell, Houston Post review of a 1956 concert 📷 Museu Villa-Lobos photo of Villa having a coffee, surrounded by his scores.

My review of a special jazz concert at the Jazzhus Montmartre in Copenhagen 37 years ago today, July 3, 1988, released by Storyville Records. On piano, the wonderful Michel Petrucciani; on bass, Gary Peacock; on drums, Roy Haynes. several-instruments.blogspot.com/2025/07/determ…

A new post for the Villa-Lobos Magazine: the fourth Villa on Vinyl post. A 1952 recording of the Mass of Saint Sebastian from California, on Columbia Masterworks. villa-lobos.blogspot.com/2025/06/villa-…

New on The Villa-Lobos Magazine: the third in the “Villa on Vinyl” series. 32 (!) cellos perform Villa's wonderful Fantasia for an Orchestra of Cellos, recorded in 1958. villa-lobos.blogspot.com/2025/06/vl-on-…

New on The Villa-Lobos Magazine: the second in the “Villa on Vinyl” series. villa-lobos.blogspot.com/2025/06/villa-…

A new post, after a long time, at The Villa-Lobos Magazine: Villa on Vinyl. I'll be talking about my favourite VL LPs, beginning with a great 1964 Julian Bream album: Popular Classics for Spanish Guitar. The first time I ever heard Villa-Lobos's music! villa-lobos.blogspot.com/2025/06/villa-…

My review of a fine new recording of Charles Koechlin’s First Symphony, & some other interesting works. several-instruments.blogspot.com/2025/05/though…

A new review of symphonies by César Guerra-Peixe, in the indispensable Naxos series “Music of Brazil”. several-instruments.blogspot.com/2025/04/a-seri…

April 4, 1947: Samuel Barber completes the composition Knoxville: Summer of 1915. The work was commissioned and premiered by Serge Koussevitzky. #DailyKoussevitzky #Koussevitzky150

"I just left Villa-Lobos. But he speaks only my music, my music, and I just like to talk about my painting, my painting." - Candido Portinari ✏️ Dois Homens Conversando, 1960

Heitor Villa-Lobos by W. Eugene Smith, New York, 1945 No one captured Villa's geniality, openness & enthusiasm better than Gene Smith.

Another shot of Heitor Villa-Lobos by Arnold Newman. Again with his famous cigar! March 5 is celebrated as Dia da Música Clássica in Brazil, in honor of their greatest, & most famous, composer. Bachianas Brasileiras no. 7: youtube.com/watch?v=bsmeEP…

Remembering Heitor Villa-Lobos on his birthday 🎂 📷 Arnold Newman, 1951 "He was pure frenzy organizing itself into rhythm, becoming melody & creating the most generous, the most intense & purifying communion ever imaginable." - Carlos Drummond de Andrade

and Lenny by Ruth Orkin, part 2

Lenny by Ruth Orkin, part 1…

Ruth Orkin Felicia & Leonard Bernstein at Tanglewood, 1948

Ruth Orkin Leonard Bernstein conducting at Lewisohn Stadium, 1947

@villa_lobos @dean_frey V-L is magical as composer for guitar - not just for the instrument, but how to set it off at its most brilliant, most lyrical

A new post at my Villa-Lobos Magazine blog: Etudes for Guitar by Turibio Santos on LP villa-lobos.blogspot.com/2024/01/etudes…