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Heitor Villa-Lobos was instrumental in developing a national Brazilian musical culture, writing in a wide variety of forms. Composed in 1954 for the 400th anniversary of the founding of São Paulo, Ameríndia is the composer’s largest symphony. Effectively a hybrid symphony and oratorio for soloists, chorus and orchestra, it is memorable for its stylistic variety and breadth, drawing on many different sources of Brazilian music. This recording is based on a newly revised edition made by Editora Criadores do Brasil (the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra’s publishing house) in collaboration with the Academia Brasileira de Música.

About Isaac Karabtchevsky

Born in Brazil in 1934, Isaac Karabtchevsky studied conducting and composition in Germany under Wolfgang Fortner, Pierre Boulez, and Carl Ueter. Between 1969 and 1994 he directed the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra (OSB). In 2011 he became director of the Heliopolis Symphony, an orchestra composed of young musicians, most of them from disadvantaged communities in São Paulo, with whom he has developed educational and social projects. Between 1995 and 2001 he was music director of La Fenice in Venice, where he directed major opera productions, including Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle, The Flying Dutchman, and Don Giovanni. From 1988 to 1994 he was artistic director for the Tonkünstler in Vienna, from 2003 to 2010 of the Porto Alegre Symphony Orchestra, and from 2004 to 2009 of the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, in France. Since 2004 he has been artistic director of the Petrobras Symphony of Rio de Janeiro.

About São Paulo Symphony Orchestra (OSESP)

Since its first concert in 1954, the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra—OSESP—has mapped out an ambitious route, arriving at its present standing as an institution recognised for its excellence. The orchestra has released more than 60 recordings (on Naxos, BIS, Chandos and Biscoito Fino), which have received critical acclaim worldwide. OSESP has become an integral part of the culture of São Paulo and Brazil, promoting profound cultural and social change. In 2012, Marin Alsop took up the post of principal conductor. Following its concerts at the BBC Proms in London and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, OSESP was singled out by foreign critics as one of the leading orchestras in the international music circuit.