Magnificent Seven
Great verve, big sound, authenticity: in her “Classica” series the flutist Anette Maiburg has outstanding personalities from world music join forces with classical musicians of the first rank. This time the music of Brazil is the special focus. The guitarists Marcelo and Gabriel Rosário, Rafael Aguirre on the mandolin, and the singer Filippa Gojo share the spotlight, with Wlodzimierz Gula on the bass and the percussionist Roland Peil in supporting roles. The SACD scores its triumph in 2+2+2 recording technique and offers the appropriate playing field for colorful display, high animation, and fine artistry.

Portuguese Heritage
Soccer and music are Brazil’s great passions, but there is more to the latter than samba and bossa nova: Portuguese influence often creates a melancholy and wistful mood in magical texts and in melody and harmony. Just listen to the wonderfully passionate Dança de Solidão (Dance of Solitude) and the Barracão de Zinco (Corrugated-Iron Hut), which form a musical monument to the life of the poor in the favelas in the major cities and go straight to the heart.

National Selection
And of course Heitor Villa-Lobos is a must here: he is certainly Brazil’s most famous composer and is represented with a magnificent and intimate prelude for guitar. Brasileira from the suite Scaramouche by Darius Milhaud shows that Brazilian music can also influence European composers; in its arrangement for guitar duo it is very close to the original samba.

International Standards
Um a zero (1-0) is the score in Pinguinha’s game with Brazil’s second greatest passion – after the samba, you understand. It is clear that the captivating music comes out on the winning side! The fact that many of the compositions such as the Manhã de Carnaval from the magnificent film hit Orfeu Negro have become genuine standards is frequently recalled on “Classica Brasiliana.” And with pleasure – again and again.