INKPOT#97 CLASSICAL MUSIC REVIEWS: SCRIABIN Piano Works. Horowtiz (RCA)

MARCO PEREIRA guitar

CHANNEL Crossings CCS 7695
[43:15] full-price

by Ng Yeuk Fan

Many of these works collected here are short pieces with a simple but suave tune. Such is the alluring seduction of the deepest trough and crest of Brasilian life and passion. Somehow, all these beautiful works are all tinged with a melancholy, a certain sadness I identify at the root of all life; such as the bitterness of chocolate, the sourness of strawberry or the pungence of durian.

Marco Pereira is a classically trained guitarist/composer who studied at the Conservatory of San Paulo and later, the Sorbonne, Paris. He is the author of a respected thesis on the guitar works of Heitor Villa-Lobos to his name as well. But when it comes to making music, whos interested in an academic record? His teachers include Julian Bream, another first-class guitarist. Today, Marco Pereira is one of Brasils best classical guitarists, respectably creating a fusion of Brasilian traditional dance rhythmn, harmony and structure with both jazz and pop guitar, evolving a style of his own. Sample his Fantasia for a glimpse of what this entails. A very enigmatic virtuosic composition, played with stunning technique. Listen to his amazing fingerboard work.

His other compositions on this disc number about half of the total offering and gives a glimpse into the man behind the music and the guitar. Deeply Brasilian at heart, one is moved by his natural poetry in composition, telling everyday Brasilian stories with his guitar. Listen to the remarkable Bate-coxa, a quick dancy number with multiple facets of story telling achieved through very colourful and rapid sequence change of shifting keys and harmonies. Very vivid stories of sound indeed.

Pereira plays with superb magnetism, flair and magical ease throughout. He captures the indescribable in the Brasilian traditional harmony with nuance and aptness. Listen to his Imagem, a teary-eyed piece by Canhoto da Paraiba. I simply love it. Though this is not quite the Master Segovia himself, Marco comes close to being at home without equal in Brasilian flavour. I would love to hear Marco in a classical repertoire of some Bach or Albeniz, but that is in another league altogether. Nonethless, Marcos many brisk, sharp and accurate fingerwork qualifies this release as virtuosic. Indeed, his fingerwork is enthralling in Fantasia.

One of my personal favourites Sons de Carrilhoes, a enigmatic piece by Joao Pernammbuco captures my heart strings tautly. A pity that all these tunes are just in the 2-3 minute region. But then again, if they were any longer, they wouldnt be twice as fun, or mysterious with their evasive Brasilian country flavour!

The sound of this Channel release is its usual first class. However, the short 43’15” timing is a pity. I am sure more could have been done to fill the disc, not to mention the great number of fascinating Brasilian guitar works to choose from.

Ng Yeuk Fans latest passion is not Bananas from Brasil. !

721: 15.5.2000

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Guitar Brasil A website on the guitar in Brasil. In Brasilian only.

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