JOSÉ ANTÔNIO REZENDE
DE ALMEIDA PRADO (1943–2010)

COMPLETE CARTAS CELESTES • 3

CARTAS CELESTES NOS. 9, 10, 12 AND 14

ALEYSON SCOPEL

“As the Cartas Celestes progress, so does Almeida Prado's sound world and colour palette, reaching a highly transcendent and poetic view of the universe whilst integrating a new harmonic language. Perhaps more so than the initial six volumes, which formed a long arched unit, these works stand alone as individual pieces. They draw inspiration not only from the sky, but also from mythological and philosophical references, building up a fantastic continuation to the cycle. Recording them makes me understand the stylistic changes the composer underwent in the most profound way.” – Aleyson Scopel

PRADO, J.A.R. de A.: Cartas Celestes, Vol. 3 - Nos. 9, 10, 12 and 14
GP746
Listen to an excerpt from Cartas Celestes No. 10
José Antônio Rezende de Almeida Prado
JOSÉ ANTÔNIO REZENDE
DE ALMEIDA PRADO
(1943–2010)

About this Recording

Almeida Prado’s vast cycle of Cartas Celestes (Celestial Charts) depicts the celestial bodies visible in the Brazilian night sky during the four seasons of the year. As the cycle evolves so does Almeida Prado’s sound world and colour palette, reaching a highly transcendent and poetic view of the universe with an ever-evolving harmonic language that includes the composer’s own invented “transtonality”. The composer himself described Aleyson Scopel’s performances on Volume 1 [GP709] as “straight from heaven!”

1
CARTAS CELESTES NO. 9 (1999) * (17:07)
I. O céu da primavera visto do Brasil (The spring sky as seen from Brazil)
Nebulosa NGC 6960/95, Véu do Cisne (Nebula NGC 6960/95, Veil Nebula) 00:00
Constelação do Cisne (Constellation of Cygnus) 02:47
II. O céu do verão visto do Brasil (The summer sky as seen from Brazil)
As 3 Marias: Delta de Orion – Mintaka, Epsilon de Orion – Almilan e Zeta de Orion – Almitaka (The Three Maries: Orion Delta – Mintaka, Epsilon of Orion – Almilan and Zeta of Orion – Almitaka) 06:15
Aglomerado Messier 67 NGC 2682 (Globular Cluster Messier 67 NGC 2682) 07:43
III. O céu do outono visto do Brasil (The autumn sky as seen from Brazil)
Constelação de Virgem (Constellation of Virgo) 10:47
Galáxia NGC 4472 M-49 (Galaxy NGC 4472 M-49) 12:40
IV. O céu do inverno visto do Brasil (The winter sky as seen from Brazil)
Constelação de Ophiuchus (Constellation of Ophiuchus) 14:55
2
CARTAS CELESTES NO. 10
“THE CONSTELLATIONS OF THE MYSTICAL ANIMALS” (2000) * (15:55)
A Estrela Supernova de Tycho 1572 (Tycho’s Supernova) 00:00
Constelação I – Columba (Constellation I – Columba) 01:55
Constelação II – Pegasus (Constellation II – Pegasus) 03:27
Aglomerado globular NGC=47 (Globular Cluster NGC=47) 07:46
Luz anti-solar, Faixa de Gegenschein (Antisolar point, Gegenschein) 09:34
Constelação III – Lupus, Toccata do Lobo (Constellation III – Lupus, Wolf Toccata) 11:20
Constelação IV – Phoenix (Constellation IV – Phoenix) 14:58
3
CARTAS CELESTES NO. 12
“THE SKY OF NICHOLAS ROERICH” (2000) * (12:51)
I. Sophia – The Wisdom of the Almighty
Nebulosa NGC 7000 (Nebula NGC 7000) 00:00
II. Star of the Hero
Constelação de Cassiopéia (Constellation of Cassiopeia) 02:30
Aglomerados estelares abertos NGC 654 e NGC 663
(Open clusters NGC 654 and NGC 663) 06:45
Aglomerado estelar aberto NGC 659 (Open cluster NGC 659) 11:25
4
CARTAS CELESTES NO. 14 (2001) (15:31)
Aglomerado Aberto IC2391 (Open cluster IC2391) 00:00
Constelação de Auriga (Constellation of Auriga) 00:51
Aglomerado Aberto NGC2925 (Open cluster NGC2925) 04:21
Constelação de Carina (Constellation of Carina) 06:32
* WORLD PREMIÈRE RECORDING

TOTAL PLAYING TIME: 61:39

Alyson Scopel

ALEYSON SCOPEL

Brazilian pianist Alyson Scopel has performed worldwide in solo, chamber and concerto settings. A recipient of the Nelson Freire and Magda Tagliaferro awards, he has also won numerous prizes in international competitions such as the William Kapell, Villa-Lobos, Corpus Christi, Kingsville and Southern Highland International piano competitions. His performance of the first set of Cartas Celestes by Almeida Prado was thus received by the composer: “It came straight from heaven! Meteor Showers, radiant constellations, glowing nebulae and a transcendental vitality marked the genial interpretation of this colossal pianist.” Prado would later dedicate to Scopel the fifteenth set of the series.

℗ & © 2018 HNH International Ltd.