Villa-Lobos - The Little Train Of The Caipira - Sir Eugene Goossens (2LP, 45 tours, 200g)
Heitor Villa-Lobos - The Little Train Of The Caipira (from Bachianas Brasiliensis No. 2)
Alberto Ginastera – Estancia & Panambi Suite
The London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Eugene Goossens - conductor
2 LP, Stoughton Printing tip-on old style original jacket artwork and Everest Records-branded jacket
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 200g
Record color : black
Speed : 45 RPM
Size : 12'’
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Quality Record Pressings
Label : Classic Records (now part of Analogue Productions)
Original Label : Everest
Recorded at Walthamstow Assembly Hall, London on August 25th 1958 (tracks A1, C1-4) and November 26th 1958 (tracks B2-5)
Produced by John Carewe
Originally released in 1960
Reissued in 2019
Tracks:
Side A:
- The Little Train Of The Caipira
Side B: Estancia (Ballet Suite)
- The Land Workers
- Wheat Dance
- The Cattlemen
- Final Dance "Malambo"
Side C: Panambi Suite (Ballet Suite)
- Moonlight On The Parana
- Invocation Of The Powerful Spirits
- Lament Of The Maidens
- Rondo Of The Maidens / Dance Of The Warriors
Awards:
Stereophile Records To Die For - 2008
Reviews:
“As an introduction to the music of the Brazilian composer Villa-Lobos, you can't really do better than this little masterwork which is the toccata from his Bachiana Brasileira No. 2. It was inspired by a ride that Villa-Lobos took in 1931 on just such a train that was transporting berry-pickers and farm laborers between villages. Sir Eugene Goossens wrote: "The little train puffs and chugs along and proceeds to its distant destination which it reaches safely in a process of gradual deceleration and much exhaust steam."
The ingenious use of native percussion instruments to create the steam sounds and the infectious use of traditional Brazilian melodies and rhythms create a sound world full of life and bright colors. You can almost see that little steam train just struggling along on it's journey.
Audio buffs are probably aware of the great recordings Everest released in the 50's and 60's, and this one in particular is a case in point. Recorded in 1960 on 3-track 35mm magnetic film, it puts to shame some recordings done a month ago. The CD also includes great interpretations of Ginastera's suites from his ballets "Estancia" and "Panambi". Simply put, for natural and vivid sound, and a great taste of this composer, this disc is a keeper!” Jean-Yves Duperron, Classical Music Sentinel
“Classic Records recently reissued a great recording of a minor but fascinating impressionist work by Villa-Lobos, The Little Train of the Caipira, from his Bachianas Brasileiras No.2, conducted by Sir Eugene Goossens (200gm LP, Everest/Classic SDBR-3041). It's a sonic spectacular I originally discovered at a garage sale back when it wasn't hard to find LPs from RCA, Mercury Living Presence, Everest, London, even UK Decca. I would buy them just for the expected good sound. This reissue, mastered from the 35mm master tape, sounds far superior to the original LP (which was mastered from½" transfers).
The London Symphony Orchestra produces a fanciful musical impression of a steam locomotive as it puffs and gasps its way up a mountain, pulling a train full of berry-pickers and other farm laborers from village to village. Along with flute, oboe, clarinet, assorted horns, strings, saxophone, celesta, piano, and other standard instruments, the work is also scored for reco-reco (a notched wooden cylinder), chucalho (a gourd rattle with seeds), ganza (a metal tube filled with gravel), and matraca (a ratchet). These native Brazilian percussion instruments represent the chugging, puffing, and blowing off of steam.
The recording includes every challenge to an audio system: enormous dynamic swings, great bass rumblings of kettledrum, sharply drawn transients of both natural and metallic origin, strings, brass, woodwinds—you name it. Interludes of both explosive and delicately drawn sounds are presented on an enormous soundstage, deep and ultrawide. If you need an excellent introduction to classical music that pulls out all the sonic stops, this is it.” Michael Fremer, Stereophile, June 2009
Ratings :
Discogs : 4,33 / 5