The second concert of the 2011~12 season was the Brasil Guitar Duo's innovative programming, a seamless blend of traditional and Brazilian works. Their technical virtuosity and smooth performance style have made them one of the preeminent guitar duos of their generation, resulting in a touring schedule around the world and numerous critically acclaimed recordings. Thanks to FCA, Fairbanks is now part of their world wide audience.

"The maturity of musicianship and technical virtuosity is simply outstanding." - Classical Guitar Magazine

Wikersham's Concsciousness had this to say about the concert:

 

Brasil Guitar Duo

Review: Brasil Guitar Duo

It was WC’s privilege to see the Brasil Guitar Duo on consecutive nights recently, once at an intimate house concert and once in a more formal, concert venue. Both times, they were outstanding, displaying the highest levels of musicianship, virtuosity and effortless skill.

This was Fairbanks Concert Association‘s second act of its 2011-2012 season, following the superb k. d. lang concert last month. A tough act to follow, yet these guys brought it off.

Joao Luiz and Douglas Lora have been performing together for twelve years, and it shows. Even more impressively than the perfect synchronicity, they plainly enjoy each other’s company. They are very much a duo, not merely two artists performing together. Their evident delight in their music is obvious, and adds to the pleasure of their performance.

When you think of Brasil guitar music, for better or worse, you probably think of the late Antonio Carlos Jobin, who popularized the bossa nova rhythms, most famously “Girl from Impanena.” Notably, there was no bossa nova at either show, although there were sly references to “true Brasil music” a couple of times. But while Luiz and Lora performed no Jobin music, there were certainly songs with a Jobin influence, notably “Casa Forte” and “Zanzibar.”

WC personally found the choro music the most fun and the most interesting. Choro is to Brazillian music roughly what jazz is in America. A wildly variable, highly improvisational kind of music. Luiz and Lora performed wonderful interpretations of Jacob do Bandolim‘s  “Doce de Coco” and “Noites Cariocas.” They passed the lead back and forth flawlessly, improvised around each other’s melodic leads and demonstrated incredible guitar skills.

Those skills go far beyond Brasil music traditions. They did a wonderful interpretation of Debussey’s “Children’s Corner.” The third movement, with its repeated stops and breaks, was delightful fun. And their thoughtful work on Villa-Lobos’s “Prelude” showed the crowd that guitars can be beautiful on slower pieces, as well.

It’s not common for outstanding artists to excel at the very different venues of a house concert and a crowd of over a thousand. It requires a very different approach. Props to these two young men for bringing both off so well.

Special thanks to Joao and Douglas for their extended work in Interior Alaska, as a part of Fairbanks Concert Associations outreach program.

For more provocative opinion, read  Wickersham's Conscience.