On tour in Portugal, the Minas Gerais Philharmonic reveals maturity

The group showed why Belo Horizonte is a symphonic hub ready to grow even more

SPECIAL FOR ESTADÃO – COIMBRA, PORTUGAL – On the stage of the Convent São Francisco, in Coimbra, Portugal, the Minas Gerais Philharmonic he was preparing for a short rehearsal before the presentation on Friday 9th. But director Fabio Mechetti started the session with a conversation. He thanked the musicians for their dedication during the tour. And he remembered: on Monday the 12th, work would resume in Belo Horizonte. “You can study Lorenzo Fernandez“he said, provoking the laughter of the musicians. He too replied with a smile, but as if to say: it’s a joke, but it’s serious.

The relaxed atmosphere does not hide the fact that the orchestra has made important steps. Next year, she turns fifteen. Time is short for a symphony. But it was enough for the group to carry out significant projects.

In the coming weeks he will perform and record the symphonies of Lorenzo Fernandez. It will be the orchestra’s sixth album for the Música do Brasil series, for the Naxos label. CD dedicated to Alberto Nepomuceno, Almeida Prado, d. Pedro I; and one is about to come out with the music of Carlos Gomes.

bicentenary

The album with the songs of d. Pedro I was released last week while on tour in Portugal. On its first trip to Europe, the philharmonic played at the Casa da Música in Porto, the Torre de Belém Gardens and the Belém Cultural Center, in Lisbon, and the Sala Coimbra. Five days, four stages, four concerts.

The trip celebrated the bicentenary of Independence and, in some ways, the emancipation of the Philharmonic. The demanding schedule had works of Villa-Lobos And Carlos Gomes: from the first, the Brazilian Bachiana No. 3 (with pianist Jean-Louis Steuerman) and the Cry n. 6; of the second, excerpts from the slavethe Guarani and Opaque.

“There is the concern of not being associated, as a Brazilian orchestra, only with the Brazilian repertoire. But, in the context of the bicentenary, it seemed important to us to travel with our music,” said Mechetti, after rehearsals, when he was already taking a risk. a balance of the tour. “Traveling, leaving the house, following an intense routine of introductions: it’s a test not only for the musicians, but for the institution as a whole,” he explains. And the balance was positive.

Created in 2008, the philharmonic began its activities at the Palácio das Artes in Belo Horizonte until, in 2015, it moved to the Sala Minas Gerais. New home, new life. The program has tripled in size. And there is, said Mechetti, artistic curiosity for something else.

The result of the tour and the quality of the interpretations of a demanding repertoire are proof that Belo Horizonte is today a symphonic center of reference in Latin America. “From the beginning, the musicians have always been committed to the project. An orchestra never stops forming, evolving, but the results have appeared”, says the conductor.

Among other things, he already knows what gifts he would like to receive at the 2023 party. An organ for Sala Minas Gerais. And a young orchestra. It is an old project, mainly structuring in character. It would certainly be an ambitious step. But the philharmonic, passing through Portugal, made it clear: it is ready for him. And more.

Source: Terra

Emily

Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.