Villa-Lobos: Complete Works for Solo Guitar

Featuring

Anders Miolin
Heitor Villa-Lobos

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Composition History

Villa-Lobos met Andrés Segovia, a renowned Spanish classical guitarist, in Paris in 1923 or 1924, leading to a lifelong friendship where Segovia performed his works and Villa-Lobos provided new compositions.

Composer Biography

Heitor Villa-Lobos, despite composing over 1,500 pieces, is primarily known to the wider public for his Bachianas Brasileiras and a handful of guitar works.

Recording & Production

For this recording, guitarist Anders Miolin used a copy of the demanding Tenth Etude that includes an improvisation, claiming to be from the original manuscript, making this the first recording of this 'Fisk' version.

Composer Biography

Villa-Lobos, who taught himself guitar using textbooks by Carcassi, Carulli, and Sor, became an excellent guitarist himself, making the first commercial recordings of his own works like Chôro I and Etude I.

Composition History

A turning point in Villa-Lobos's life came in 1922 when pianist Artur Rubinstein helped him travel to Europe to publicize his music and organize concerts of Brazilian music.

Compositional Technique

Villa-Lobos's Twelve Etudes, inspired by Andrés Segovia, are pioneering works that introduced previously unheard sounds on the guitar, such as parallel chord movements against open-string 'pedals'.

Historical Context

Villa-Lobos was deeply interested in Brazilian urban folk music, particularly 'chôro' music, which referred to the occasions, musicians, and the music itself, often played by ensembles similar to a traditional jazz band.