Villa-Lobos’s
Hommage à Chopin is in two movements, both musical forms associated with Chopin: ‘Nocturne’ and ‘Ballade’. While using recognizable Chopinesque figurations and accompaniment, he goes beyond mere pastiche to create a dark, brooding undercurrent with his own idiomatic harmonies. The atmospheric ‘Nocturne’ has a timeless quality; the ‘Ballade’ is stormy and confrontational with strong references to Chopin’s First Ballade. The premiere performance in Paris was given by Arnaldo Estrella.
from notes by Jeremy Nicholas © 2010
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