Villa-Lobos wrote 9 Bachianas Brasileiras, suites for diverse instrumental combinations ranging from solo piano to full orchestra. These works were intended to be in relation to Brazilian songs and dances what Bach's suites were for their European counterparts. The movements almost always have a double title, Brazilian and classical. The eight of the series is a work for full orchestra written in minor mode almost throughout. It comprises four movements. The first, Prélude, is perhaps Villa-Lobos at his most purely Bachian, conveying a feeling of tragedy. The second, Aria (Modinha) is a meditative song with a long breathed, melancholic melody and a propulsive central section. The third, Toccata (Catira Batida), begins with a display of folkloric rhythms and native percussion sounds. The central section, in total contrast, slows down to a heart-breaking lament. The finale, Fuga, opens in very classical fashion but concludes with a climactic intervention of the marimba. n

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