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Villa-Lobos was one of the finest composers of South America, and one of the finest guitarists as well. His “Suite populaire brésilienne” marries Brazilian folk sensibility and European ballroom forms in a work that has become a staple in the guitar repertoire. Pepe Romero brings it to life. When you think of Villa-Lobos, it’s hard not to be reminded of one of his most admired composers, Johann Sebastian Bach, whose Orchestral Suite No. 3 can be much enjoyed ad Giovanni Antonini conducts Il Giardino Armonico in the work.

The St. Petersburg Orchestra under conductor Juri Temirkavnov will be joined by pianist Hélène Grimaud at Carnegie Hall on October 26th, 27th, and 29th. Get a ticket if you can! Meanwhile, the orchestra and conductor can be heard in this evening’s major offering: a riveting rendition of Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony.

Tailleferre’s career was much advance when the Princesse Edmond de Polignac commisioned the Piano Concerto featured in our last hour. Pianist Josephine Gandolfi is supported by the Californina Parallele Ensemble under Nicole Paiement. Gandolfi plays also plays several Tailleferre chamber works during the evening.

In 1773, at Versailles, François Francoeur, Superintendent of the King’s Music, assembled a host of dances, ouvertures, and airs into chamber suites for a royal banquet celebrating the marriage of the future Charles X to Marie-Thérèse de Savoie. The individual works were preserved in the king’s library, but which pieces were assembled in which order to make which suite remains unknown. However, conductor Hugo Reyne has arranged three suites as they might have been played at that royal feast. Toward the end of the evening, we hear what he calls Suite in F Major performed by Reyne’s band, La Simphonie du Marais.