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Thread: brazilian music for mandolin orchestra

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    Default brazilian music for mandolin orchestra

    Hi everyone -- I play in the Toronto Mandolin orchestra and sit on the artistic committee. I'm also very 'into' brazilian music, choro but also bossa, tropicalia etc. I have a question which I just posted to the brazilian music/jazz etc forum as well. Is there 'old' music from brazil, particularly choro or some class bossa nova or something of that type, which has been transcribed for mandolin orchestra already? Our conductor can and does make arrangements for our orchestra, but it may be easier to convince him to try something if the orchestration is already a done deal. We mainly do light classical music and arrangments of russian and ukranian folk songs (the orchestra established 50 years ago has ukranian roots), but our conductor is quite open to trying music from other parts of the world.

    Thanks for your help

    Alex Singer

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    Default Re: brazilian music for mandolin orchestra

    There are groups in Brazil that perform such arrangements but the music is all but unobtainable in North America.

    However, the Providence Mandolin Orchestra performs several arrangements of compositions by Antonio Carlos Jobim. Send me a PM if you are interested.
    Robert A. Margo

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    Default Re: brazilian music for mandolin orchestra

    Paul Binkley has an arrangement of the Aria from Villa-Lobos's Bachianas Brasilieras#5, as performed by the Modern MandolinQuartet.
    The LMO (Louisville Mando Orch) has performed it several times with a soprano, and it is a gas. All you have to do is change every measure from 6/4 to 5/4 to 4/4 etc. He has a website, I believe.

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    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: brazilian music for mandolin orchestra

    Got an arrangement of Alma Brasiliera somewhere about ... and the Oregon Mandolin Orch. has performed O voo da mosca.
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    Default Re: brazilian music for mandolin orchestra

    Marilynn Mair is a bit of a fan of Choro and has a few arranged for mandolin in her Complete Mandolinist Book including
    A Flor Amorosa - Joaquim Calado
    Nao Se Impressione - Chiquinha Gonzaga
    Iara - Anacleto Medeiros
    Brejeiro - Ernesto Nazareth

    They're presented witht the treble clef lead part but also have the accompanying chords from which most arrangers could rustle something decent up pretty quickly.

    She's got an arrangement of Tico Tico No Fuba by Zequinha de Abreu on her site and there may be more...

    I would suggest a good rummage on the Brazilian section on her site. http://www.marilynnmair.com/in-brazil/
    She seems to have a book on it but I've not read it so haven't a clue what it may be like.
    Eoin



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    Default Re: brazilian music for mandolin orchestra

    Hi everyone -- sorry I didn't get back to anyone but thanks for the tips. Some of you I will probably email privately but this was definitely a help. Eion -- I forgot about Marilyn Mair -- thanks, but I'd probably be more interested in the arrangements she has made rather than the sheet music with chords because, well, I have got 4 choro books, including Mike Marshall's, Tocando com Jacob (book from the Jacob do Bandolim institute) and 2 volumes of O Melhor do Choro Brasileiro so I got lots of sheet music with chords. Too many in fact to know what to suggest for the orchestra. Also, has anyone done anything 'old brazilian' which has been done for soloist (mandolin or domra) and mando orchestra? If not, thanks for the tips and again, some of you I may email privately.

    Thanks

    Alex

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    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: brazilian music for mandolin orchestra

    Quote Originally Posted by asinger View Post
    Also, has anyone done anything 'old brazilian' which has been done for soloist (mandolin or domra) and mando orchestra? If not, thanks for the tips and again, some of you I may email privately.
    What is "old Brazilian"? I believe that choro music originated in the 19th century.

    I also hope that you will share anything of interest to all of us here even if communicated privately.
    Jim

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    Default Re: brazilian music for mandolin orchestra

    Hi Jim -- I was being too informal and imprecise. "Old Brazilian", or what I called in my original post 'old music from brazil' was only meant to be 'old' relative to me, and that would be pre-tropicalia. It would be analagous to your old classic rock stations rarely play anything pre say 1966, and my sense (from my internet radio) is that such a thing exists with Brazilian radio as well. It would of course refer to old samba, bossa, choro and anything before, including classical music.

    Alex

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    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: brazilian music for mandolin orchestra

    Alex: Sorry, I should have re-read your original post. Yes, i would include choro and the other genres in a definition of old Brazilian music.
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    Default Re: brazilian music for mandolin orchestra

    "Also, has anyone done anything 'old brazilian' which has been done for soloist (mandolin or domra) and mando orchestra?"

    Not quite but very close. The PMO has an arrangement of the "Cinco Piezas" by Luis Ginneao for solo mandolin and mandolin orchestra. A classic Latin American suite, based on folk dance (Argentina) idioms. There is video up on youtube. Again PM me if you are interested.

    "It would of course refer to old samba, bossa, choro and anything before, including classical music."

    There are many possibilities from Villa-Lobos. The Aria has already been mentioned but this is just the tip of the iceberg. Nazerth is another possibility.
    Robert A. Margo

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    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: brazilian music for mandolin orchestra

    Nazareth would be excellent for an arrangement exp since he was a pianist and much of his music is readily available in piano scores which would be relatively easy to expand into orchestra scores.
    Jim

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