Ronaldo Miranda’s Piano Works Shine in New Release

The latest entry in Naxos' Music of Brazil series is a real corker. And a real discovery (at least for me). It features works for piano and orchestra by Ronaldo Miranda. Though probably not well-known in America, Miranda has international stature. He's considered one of Brazil's most important living composers. And his music regularly appears in concerts and music festivals throughout Europe.

This album features three world recording premiers. Miranda's 1983 Piano Concerto is one of them. It's an intense, modernist work with echoes of Bartok. Miranda is a natural melodist. No matter how jagged the contours, melody always wins out.

This is an energetic work that pits piano against orchestra. And that dynamic back-and-forth is thrilling. Wonder why it took so long to get it recorded. This is a composition that should appeal to many orchestras -- and soloists.

The 1986 Concertino for Piano and Strings has a more modest scope. It's a more tonal composition. The motivic thrusts reminded me a little of Bernard Hermann. Like the concerto, this piece demands your attention -- and rewards it with a wealth of detail.

Also included are two pieces for orchestra. The Variacoes Temporais (Beethoven Revisitato) (2014) features a variety of Beethoven motifs, quickly deconstructed by Miranda. Hoizontes is a tone poem inspired by Columbus' voyage of discovery (the good parts).

Pianist Eduardo Monteiro brings a lot of attitude to his playing. And it's what Miranda's music requires. These aren’t academic exercises. This is music to be enjoyed. And that's just what Monterio delivers.

Ronaldo Miranda: Piano Concerto
Concertino; Horizontes; Variacoes Temporais
Eduardo Monteiro, piano
Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra; Fabio Mechetti
Naxos 8.574591