It's always bugged me that Villa-Lobos has remained the sole face of Brazilian classical music for decades, not because I'm an expert in the field but more because I was always a bigger fan of Camargo Guarnieri. Usually dropping his first name of Mozart (seriously) in his published works, Guarnieri worked closely with Brazilian folk models for much of his music but took a great many technical and expressive risks and added to many a hard-worn genre (symphony, string quartet) with immense creativity and flair. The piano was his canvas for a great many excellent works and he had a knack for miniatures by themselves and in sets, and his Suite Mirim is a fine and accessible introduction to his work by way of little ivory ticklers. Cast in four movements, the Suite is based on traditional Brazilian dances, keeping it in line with the traditional point of a suite but not about to fall for the old "allemande" trick. All four dances ("Ponteado", "Tanguinho", "Modinha" and "Ciradinha") are short but only one has that leafy thinness we so desire at FL, the third.
A modinha is a sentimental love song and likewise the "Modinha" is the most delicate and modest of the four dances, and even just glancing at the first line one can see how well those classes in close-voiced imitative counterpoint payed off. The reduced volume and thorough craftsmanship allude to sentiments long dead, like faded floral stenciling or an antique photograph of a young bride in a tin box. It's a little marvel of economy and class and adds a rich heart to a very fleeting set whose harmonies veer into the privately quixotic. You can hear (and see) the Suite below, and as we enter our second week of nice days here in Western Washington it's nice to remember that we were just recently stuck indoors with mugs of tea - though the more Guarnieri I hear the more I want to swap the tea for a caipirinha.
~PNK
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