Fantasias Brasileiras

After his return from Europe in 1929, where he had studied for a long time, Francisco Mignone became a leading figure in the Brazilian music scene. His four Fantasias Brasileiras for piano and orchestra date from his nationalist phase. The first of the cycle was written at the request of soloist Joao de Souza Lima, who had asked Mignone to compose a work with a Brazilian flavor. These works are characterized by a festive and exuberant style, to which the composer returned in his Burlesca e Toccata, which demands acrobatic virtuosity from the soloist and surprises with its juxtaposition of atonality and popular themes. Giancarlo Guerrero is a much-in-demand guest conductor in North America and has performed with the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, and the orchestras of Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Seattle. Internationally, he has conducted orchestras in Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. As Music Director of the Nashville Symphony, he has released 21 commercial recordings with the orchestra and received 13 Grammy nominations and 6 Grammy Awards. This release follows the recording of Mignone's complete violin sonatas and his concerti and concertino's, which were very favorably received by the press.