Villa-Lobos: Chamber Music (2006)

For its third album on Naxos, the chamber ensemble Mobius has picked a handful of works by Heitor Villa-Lobos, Brazil's most colorful and celebrated composer. Considering that the label released a set of the complete Bachianas Brasilieras in 2005, and several other Villa-Lobos titles before it, it's reasonable to say that a revival of the composer's work is well underway at Naxos with this 2006 release. But because Villa-Lobos was incredibly prolific and always capable of producing lightweight fare, there is always a risk ... Read More

For its third album on Naxos, the chamber ensemble Mobius has picked a handful of works by Heitor Villa-Lobos, Brazil's most colorful and celebrated composer. Considering that the label released a set of the complete Bachianas Brasilieras in 2005, and several other Villa-Lobos titles before it, it's reasonable to say that a revival of the composer's work is well underway at Naxos with this 2006 release. But because Villa-Lobos was incredibly prolific and always capable of producing lightweight fare, there is always a risk that such a revival will yield a large amount of innocuous, if not mediocre, music. While Mobius has naturally chosen pieces to match its instrumentation of flute, violin, viola, cello, and harp, it's an uneven assortment, and it's hard to say that any of these works should be taken as seriously as Villa-Lobos' major efforts, such as his 17 string quartets, which deserve much greater exposure. Perhaps the most enjoyable for its vivid sonorities and lively melodies is the Quintette... Read Less