Pedro I of Brazil: Te Deum & Credo / Mechetti, Minas Gerais Philharmonic
Naxos

Pedro I of Brazil: Te Deum & Credo / Mechetti, Minas Gerais Philharmonic

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Details

Composer
Pedro I of Brazil
Artist
Carla Cottini, Luisa Francesconi, Cleyton Pulzi, Licio Bruno, Concentus Musicum De Belo Horizonte, I
Format
CD
Label
Naxos
Released
Sep 09, 2022
Catalog #
8574404
UPC
747313440474

About

Dom Pedro I was the first Emperor of Brazil, proclaiming its independence from Portugal in 1822. A gifted musician, Pedro I is one of only a few monarchs to have become known as a composer. A performance of his Abertura (‘Overture’) was organized in Paris in 1832 with some in the audience convinced that it had been composed by Rossini, while the Hino da Independênciado Brasil (‘Hymn to the Independence of Brazil’) remains one of the country’s best-loved anthems. Operatic in character, the Te Deum celebrated the baptism of Pedro’s first son, and the joyous Credo is one of his most frequently performed works.

REVIEW:

Pedro’s capable works serve as reminder about the potent—if all too natural—mix of politics and music history. Brazil’s first emperor showed considerable musical talent as a child. Stories abound about his rich singing voice and fine technique on several instruments. He studied composition in the Rio de Janeiro court with Marcos Portugal, who had achieved fame in Europe for Italian opera. He also learned from Sigismund Neukomm, once a pupil of Joseph Haydn.

The Te Deum and Credo on this recording are two of Pedro’s largest extant works. Both show an affinity for theatrical flair and bel canto styles. The composer’s mastery of dramatic contrasts reveals a unique blend of religious reverence and celebratory zeal.

A world-premiere recording, the Te Deum offers both intensity and reflection. Conductor Fabio Mechetti and the modern-instrument Minas Gerais Philharmonic convey seismic urgency throughout. The soloists are likewise superb. Soprano Carla Cottini finds the melancholy of “Tu ad liberandum.” The dark blend of mezzo-soprano Luisa Francesconi and tenor Cleyton Pulzi tease out the pathos of “Te ergo.”

Lighter in style is Pedro’s Abertura, an overture famously performed under Rossini’s baton at the Theatre Italien in Paris in 1832. Here, the emperor shows his greatest debt to the celebrated operatic composer. Strings and winds dance gracefully as Mechetti and the orchestra convey joy and exuberance. They do the same in the Hino da Independência, Pedro’s familiar anthem to Brazilian independence. Chorus and orchestra reveal all its pomp and ceremony, a timeless call for unity in the wake of the current political turmoil.

-- Early Music America (Aaron Keebaugh)

This disc is a riot. Pedro I (1798-1834) was the first Emperor of Brazil, and he also fancied himself a composer. His style is pure Italian, as in Rossini, and the fact that the two major works on this disc are (theoretically) liturgical matters not a bit. They are pure opera buffa. If you thought the style of Haydn’s and Mozart’s Masses and other sacred works unsuitable for the Divine Service, then you ain’t heard nothin’ yet. Pedro was not at all interested in counterpoint, just “the tune,” and there are some delightful ones here, provided you can forget the words entirely. Both the Credo and Te Deum divide the texts into a series of arias and choruses, with recurring themes and orchestration that features solo woodwinds floated atop simple dance rhythms. The brief Ouverture comes across as a parody of the Italian opera style of the day, with an over-enthusiastic bass drum vulgarizing the texture most entertainingly, while the Hino da Independência do Brasil does exactly what you expect it to.

The performances here are quite confident and enthusiastic. Soprano Carla Cottini has the most solo music to sing, and she does it very well. In fact, all of the soloists have pleasing voices, except for tenor Cleyton Pulzi, who is pretty bad, but the chorus is just dandy, and the Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra under Fabio Mechetti acquits itself admirably. Look: no one is going to claim that this is great music, but it’s lots of fun, and it sheds light on a fascinating corner of the world that few of us know anything about, especially during this period. It’s delightful to hear what can be done with these timeless texts when one ignores considerations such as, well, taste. In short, the music has a wonderful period flavor, and you’ll enjoy the opportunity to hear it.

--ClassicsToday.com (David Hurwitz)

Tracklist 16 tracks

  1. 1 Credo 03:27
    Track
    1
    Title
    Credo
    Duration
    03:27
    Composer
    Pedro I of Brazil
    Ensemble
    Coro Sinfônico Concentus Musicum de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Fabio Mechetti
  2. 2 Et incarnatus 01:28
    Track
    2
    Title
    Et incarnatus
    Duration
    01:28
    Composer
    Pedro I of Brazil
    Performer
    Carla Cottini
    Ensemble
    Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Fabio Mechetti
  3. 3 Crucifixus 01:58
    Track
    3
    Title
    Crucifixus
    Duration
    01:58
    Composer
    Pedro I of Brazil
    Performer
    Licio Bruno
    Ensemble
    Coro Sinfônico Concentus Musicum de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Fabio Mechetti
  4. 4 Et resurrexit 07:45
    Track
    4
    Title
    Et resurrexit
    Duration
    07:45
    Composer
    Pedro I of Brazil
    Performer
    Luisa Francesconi, Cleyton Pulzi
    Ensemble
    Coro Sinfônico Concentus Musicum de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Fabio Mechetti
  5. 5 Sanctus - Benedictus 02:56
    Track
    5
    Title
    Sanctus - Benedictus
    Duration
    02:56
    Composer
    Pedro I of Brazil
    Performer
    Cleyton Pulzi, Licio Bruno
    Ensemble
    Coro Sinfônico Concentus Musicum de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Fabio Mechetti
  6. 6 Agnus Dei 01:53
    Track
    6
    Title
    Agnus Dei
    Duration
    01:53
    Composer
    Pedro I of Brazil
    Ensemble
    Coro Sinfônico Concentus Musicum de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Fabio Mechetti
  7. 7 Abertura (Ouverture) 07:37
    Track
    7
    Title
    Abertura (Ouverture)
    Duration
    07:37
    Composer
    Pedro I of Brazil
    Ensemble
    Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Fabio Mechetti
  8. 8 Te Deum 07:33
    Track
    8
    Title
    Te Deum
    Duration
    07:33
    Composer
    Pedro I of Brazil
    Ensemble
    Coro Sinfônico Concentus Musicum de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Fabio Mechetti
  9. 9 Tu Rex gloriae 03:00
    Track
    9
    Title
    Tu Rex gloriae
    Duration
    03:00
    Composer
    Pedro I of Brazil
    Ensemble
    Coro Sinfônico Concentus Musicum de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Fabio Mechetti
  10. 10 Tu ad liberandum 03:42
    Track
    10
    Title
    Tu ad liberandum
    Duration
    03:42
    Composer
    Pedro I of Brazil
    Performer
    Carla Cottini
    Ensemble
    Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Fabio Mechetti
  11. 11 Aperuisti 06:01
    Track
    11
    Title
    Aperuisti
    Duration
    06:01
    Composer
    Pedro I of Brazil
    Performer
    Carla Cottini
    Ensemble
    Coro Sinfônico Concentus Musicum de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Fabio Mechetti
  12. 12 Judex crederis 00:57
    Track
    12
    Title
    Judex crederis
    Duration
    00:57
    Composer
    Pedro I of Brazil
    Ensemble
    Coro Sinfônico Concentus Musicum de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Fabio Mechetti
  13. 13 Te ergo 01:01
    Track
    13
    Title
    Te ergo
    Duration
    01:01
    Composer
    Pedro I of Brazil
    Performer
    Luisa Francesconi, Cleyton Pulzi
    Ensemble
    Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Fabio Mechetti
  14. 14 Aeterna fac 03:53
    Track
    14
    Title
    Aeterna fac
    Duration
    03:53
    Composer
    Pedro I of Brazil
    Ensemble
    Coro Sinfônico Concentus Musicum de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Fabio Mechetti
  15. 15 Fiat misericordia 05:42
    Track
    15
    Title
    Fiat misericordia
    Duration
    05:42
    Composer
    Pedro I of Brazil
    Ensemble
    Coro Sinfônico Concentus Musicum de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Fabio Mechetti
  16. 16 Hino da Independência do Brasil (Hymn to the Independence of Brazil) (arr. A. de A. Republicano for choir and orchestra) 04:34
    Track
    16
    Title
    Hino da Independência do Brasil (Hymn to the Independence of Brazil) (arr. A. de A. Republicano for choir and orchestra)
    Duration
    04:34
    Composer
    Pedro I of Brazil
    Ensemble
    Coro Sinfônico Concentus Musicum de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Fabio Mechetti