Brazilian resonances - concert reading with texts by Jorge Amado and music by Heitor Villa-Lobos

In this extraordinary concert reading, Brazilian music and literature enter into a dialog: The 12 Etudes for Guitar by Heitor Villa-Lobos, interpreted by guitarist Franziska Scherzer in the rarely performed, unpublished manuscript version from 1928, meet selected passages from Jorge Amado's novel "Dead Sea", read by Renate Obermaier.

The etudes were written during Villa-Lobos' stay in Paris and are among the most important guitar works of the 20th century. They combine the highest technical virtuosity with the rhythmic energy and harmonic depth of Brazilian soundscapes. The manuscript version from 1928 used here differs significantly from the edition published in 1953 in terms of dynamics, fingerings, additional passages and harmonic-melodic details - and opens up an immediate, colorful view of the composer's original compositional idea.

Jorge Amado's novel "Dead Sea" was written in the late 1930s and is considered one of his most impressive works. With poetic power, Amado tells of the lives of fishermen on the coast of Bahia, of love, longing and the dangers of the sea, which is present as a breathing, fateful force. His lyrics lend a haunting voice to people on the margins of society.

Guitarist Franziska Scherzer studied with Prof. Jürgen Ruck and Prof. Sonja Prunnbauer, among others, and impresses with her extraordinary precision and expressiveness. The Badische Zeitung wrote about her playing:
"... ... impressed with her incredible precision and expressiveness ... She captivated the audience with her highly concentrated playing."

The reading will be given by Renate Obermaier, who holds a doctorate in German studies, is an actress and employee of SWR and a long-time ensemble member of Theater in the Marienbad. Today, she mainly devotes herself to the conception and performance of musical readings.

"Brazilian Resonances" is an atmospherically dense evening that combines sound and language, music and literature to create an intense experience.

Copyright: Renate Obermaier & Franziska Scherzer