Tchaikovsky, Scriabin: Piano Concertos / Nikolai Demidenko CD

From the liner notes by J. Andrew Dickenson:Setting the tone for the CD is the enchanting Aria (Cantilena) from Heitor Villa-Lobos's Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5. Meditative and haunting, the piece begins with a short, rhythmic introduction on the guitar. Almost as if the voice is reluctant to join, it creeps in without words - a single note on the vowel 'ah.

' The soaring melody evokes images of beautiful landscapes, luminescent moons, and longing for a lover, reflections that are echoed in Portuguese during the middle, più mosso, section. After a dramatic declaration, the wordless, haunting melody returns, this time with an even softer hum. Both Bachianas Brasileiras and the following guitar solo, Prelude No. 3, were written in homage to Johann Sebastian Bach. The Bachianas Brasileiras themselves are a set of nine pieces, each written with the intention of combining Villa-Lobos's love for the baroque master with the rhythms and melodies of his homeland, Brazil. Originally written for an orchestra of eight cellos and soprano, the Aria, with this arrangement by the composer himself, reflects Villa-Lobos' passion for two of his favorite instruments, the guitar and the cello.

Prelude No. 3, from the composer's set of five for guitar, bears the subtitle "Homage to Bach." Although it may be difficult to find a specific citation of baroque music in the score, the piece does make innovative use of historical techniques such as pedals, voicing, and arpeggios. The homage, perhaps, is not so much in the character of the music as it is in stylistic reverence for the compositional master.