Brazilian Soul
Works of Radames Gnattali (1906-1987)
Petite Suite
I Pastoral
II Toada
III Frevo
Saudade
Dansa Brasileira
10 Studies for Guitar
Brasiliana #13
I Samba Bossa-Nova
II Valsa
III Choro
Tocatta em Ritmo de Samba # 1
Alma Brasileira
Tocatta em Ritmo de Samba # 2
Radamés Gnattali (1906-1987) was one of the most prominent artists in Brazilian music who managed to easily circulate between the realms of classical and popular music. Gnattali is the key figure to understand the thin line that divides Brazilian music.
Gnattali studied composition on his own and began his professional activities as pianist and then viola player in the Henrique Oswald Quartet. After settling in Rio permanently, he became the official conductor of the Radio Nacional orchestra. He achieved wide popularity through his music for radio serials, and through his skilful arrangements and orchestrations of fashionable popular tunes and dance rhythms. Works of his first creative period (1931-1940) sometimes show harmonic formulae and instrumentations characteristic of jazz. In the second period (ca. 1945) he exhibits a subjective nationalism which is expressed with more reserved and simpler means. Gnattali continued to cultivate a musical style of easy and immediate comprehension. During the 1950s Gnattali deliberately attempted to remove himself from music nationalism. He then turned to neo-Romantic and neo-classical moulds while maintaining the light style often associated with symphonic jazz. During his last 20 years, Gnattali gave more attention to his involvement with popular music, returning to a direct nationalist style. He won great success as an arranger and conductor for TV stations in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
In 1983, Gnatalli won the Shell Music award for lifetime achievement as a classical musician.
His guitar compositions have been recognised as some of the most significant in Brazilian guitar literature.
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