Maria José Carrasqueira / Ernesto Nazareth Maria José Carrasqueira
BRAZIL
Listening to the CD of the great pianist, Maria José Carrasqueira, with works by Ernesto Nazareth, I had the feeling that her interpretation had achieved the excellence, balance, and overwhelming expression of an authentically Brazilian lyricism, without sentimentalism or narrow localism. I have known Maria José, whose friends affectionately call her Zezé, from the time when she lived in Geneva, and I have accompanied her career as a pianist and teacher, which has been maturing year after year, as well as her active participation as a great chamber music player. Nazareth, whose music is here brilliantly understood and interpreted, is the composer who merged the simplicity of popular tunes with the sophisticatedly crafted sound of classical music. Composers such as Villa-Lobos, Mignone, Camargo Guarnieri, Osvaldo Lacerda, Radamés Gnatalli and even Tom Jobim and Chico Buarque have drawn on this very authentic Brazilian source. In his writings, Mário de Andrade always remembered Nazareth, whom he saw as being on a par with Villa-Lobos. Maria José's choice of pieces for this CD has made this an exquisite bouquet to sample the tastiest tropical fruit and most deliciously perfumed Brazilian flowers. I hope that it will be a great success, both throughout Brazil and abroad. Congratulations Maria José Carrasqueira for this work of the highest quality, from the wonderful and luminous pianist and artist that you are.
