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ALEXANDRE LEVY (1864 -1892)
PIANO WORKS - STUDY AND RECORDINGS
3 Improvisations for piano op. 4
The collection 3 Improvisations pour piano op. 4 is composed of Romance sans parole op. 4 no. 1, À la Hongroise op. 4 no. 2 and Pensée Fugitive op. 4 no. 3. Musicologist Arnaldo Senise dates the composition to 1882. The work was published by Les fils de B. Schott (Mayence, n.d.) and Irmãos Vitale (1964). The dedication is “À mon père”.
The Levy Collection (https://acervolevy.com/) has a manuscript of the Romance sans parole op. 4 no. 1. Félix Mendelssohn coined the German title Lieder ohne Worte, whose French translation, Romance sans parole, is used by Levy in this work. The obvious reference to Mendelssohn suggests a possibly influential relationship. However, although it is possible to establish some parallels with the works of this composer, they do not go far beyond textural issues.
No manuscripts of À la Hongroise op. 4 no. 2 have been found. It is a characteristic work in which the rhythmic element is predominant.
The Levy Collection (https://acervolevy.com/) has a manuscript of Pensée Fugitive op. 4 no. 3 which is quite different from the editions and whose last two staves are only sketched. It is a miniature and, from this point of view, it is similar to the small pieces by Schumann, Mendelssohn and Chopin. However, the influence of these three composers is unacknowledged, with the exception, perhaps, of the accompaniment of double notes or chords in syncopated rhythm, often used in works such as Songs without words. In Schumann fashion, the title Pensée Fugitive evokes feeling and character.
Christian Budu
Winner of the Clara Haskil International Competition (2013), Cristian Budu also won awards as Instrumentalist of the Year (2017) from APCA (Paulista Association of Art Critics), Best Concert of the Year (2016) in Guia da Folha, and in Gramophone Magazine he was included in the ultra-selected Top 10 Recent Beethoven Recordings and Top 10 Chopin Recordings lists, which includes historical recordings by Martha Argerich, Arthur Rubinstein, Maria Joao Pires, Dinu Lipatti and Murray Perahia. Recently, also at Gramophone, he joined the Top 50 Greatest Chopin Recordings list, which brings together 50 of the most remarkable interpretations of Chopin in History. In this list, Cristian has the honour of representing Brazil along with Nelson Freire. He has already collaborated with artists such as Renaud Capuçon and Antônio Meneses, with the Scharoun Ensemble, performed recitals at festivals such as Verbier, was a soloist with the Lucerne Symphony, the Stuttgart Radio Symphony, the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, Orquestre de la Suisse Romande, in concert halls such as Jordan Hall, Liederhalle, KKL, LAC of Lugano and the Athenaeum of Bucharest. His first solo CD won the Editor's Choice in England and 5-Diapasons in France. In Brazil, he is the creator of the Pianosofia soirées project, which helps bring audience access to classical music through social gatherings in homes and unusual environments. Cristian has also created several partnerships with social projects such as Projeto Integração and Liga Solidária, and is now a volunteer counsellor at Projeto Casulo.
Lucas Thomazinho
Pianist Lucas Thomazinho won awards in competitions in Spain, Portugal, Germany and the USA. He has performed as a soloist with important Brazilian orchestras, such as the Symphony Orchestras of Sao Paulo State, Campinas, Porto Alegre, Sao Paulo Municipal, Minas Gerais Philharmonic, among others. He received his bachelor's degree at USP in 2019, under the guidance of Eduardo Monteiro and in 2021, with a scholarship offered by the Sociedade de Cultura Artística, he earned a Master's degree at the New England Conservatory in Boston under the supervision of Alessio Bax and Wha-Kyung Byun.
Mariana Carvalho
Mariana Carvalho (São Paulo/Berlin) is a performer, sound artist, improviser and pianist. Her work addresses the body, voice, listening, relationship, gender and extended techniques. She is currently undertaking a master’s degree in Sound Studies and Sound Art at UdK Berlin. She is a tutor for the SoundScape Project at Technischer Universität Berlin. She is part of Sonora: Music and Feminism and the GEXLAT collective. She graduated in piano from USP, where she was a member of NuSom and Orquestra Errante.
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