Bachianas brasileiras No. 1

A love of his native Brazil, fused with a veneration of J.S. Bach, fuelled the nine Bachianas Brasileiras composed by Heitor Villa-Lobos between 1930 and 1945. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 1 is scored for the unusual combination of eight cellos, and is dedicated to the cellist Pablo Casals, a consummate exponent of Bach’s music. Its three movements last 20 minutes in total. The “Introdução (Embolada)” combines the insistent rhythmic pulse of a Baroque concerto with more improvisatory moments, where individual players take a solo turn. The “Prelúdio”, by contrast, begins in a gentle, heartfelt atmosphere inspired by the modinha, a type of sentimental song sung in Portuguese. A restless, undulating motion signals a darker central section, before the poignant lyricism of the opening returns. The concluding “Fuga (Conversa)” cross-pollinates a Bach-like fugue with the call-and-response routines of Brazilian street musicians, propelling the music to a jauntily erudite conclusion.