Classical Companion

Essential Recordings

'Brazilian Adventures'
Hyperion CDA68114
Chamber-scale, period-aware recordings of masses and motets by late-Classical and early-Romantic pioneers.

Nepomuceno: Symphony In G Minor
Naxos 8574067
Afro-Brazilian rhythms – in the 'Batuque' finale of the Série Brasileira – meet Schumannesque symphonic ambitions.

Gomes: Il Guarany
Sony 88985334982
Luxury casting and good live engineering for this 1870 example of Brazilian Verdi, premiered at La Scala, Milan.

Santoro: Symphonies 4 & 9
BIS BISCD1370
An upbeat choral finale crowns the peace-themed Fourth, while the Ninth trades on edgy neoclassicism.

Villa-Lobos: Forests Of The Amazon
BIS BIS-1660 SACD
A film-score turned 'exotic' rhapsody, full of lush and violent orchestral drama as well as soaring soprano songs.

Gnattali: Alma Brasileira, Etc
BIS BISCD2086
A fluent, effortless-sounding blend of popular dance forms with classical salon music for guitar, piano and cello.