Description

Sorel Classics is proud to present a debut recording of Brazilian Piano Music, performed by renowned pianist Grace Alves. Rio de Janeiro, the quintessential Brazilian city, carries in its art the expression of the national soul. The national capital for two centuries, Rio has remained the cultural center of the country, and virtually all classical music and musicians of Brazil are in some way connected to the life of the city, especially during what could arguably be called its Golden Age, the first half of the 20th century. The program on Keys to Rio is above all a personal presentation of works by Brazilian composers including compositions by Ernesto Nazareth, Chiquinha Gonzaga, Marlos Nobre, Oriano de Almeida and Heitor Villa-Lobos.

Reviews

“To say that Grace Alves has a real flair for this music is an understatement. Every one of the pieces on this disc comes alive in a way that transports the listener to the vibrant streets of Rio de Janeiro and the vast expanses of the Brazilian pampas. But Alves colors this music with more than local character; she drinks in and breathes out its Latin soul.”

—Jerry Dubins, Fanfare Magazine, Sept/Oct 2017

“This is a most appealing recital. Sorel Classics is rapidly establishing a reputation for stimulating releases in good sound: Performances by Anna Shelest have impressed in the past (see, for example, my interviews with Shelest in Fanfare 39:5 and 40:1), as had a disc of music by Judith Lang Zaimont in Fanfare 39:5. The complete Prokofiev piano sonatas performed by Natalia Trull, a new release I have not had the pleasure of hearing (yet), looks similarly mouth-watering.”

—Colin Clarke, Fanfare Magazine, Sept/Oct 2017