On Extra de Vários three musicians with exceptional skills in a wide variety of music styles dive into a classic repertoire to give it their own interpretation. Leader of the trio is pianist, composer, arranger Gilson Peranzzetta (Rio de Janeiro, 1946). He’s praised in many areas of Brazilian Music. He started professionally in 1964, accompanying star singers as Elizete Cardoso, Simone, Fátima Guedes and Ivan Lins. Gilson also spent three years in Spain, where he worked on various local projects, one of them involving the late Spanish jazz pianist Tete Montoliu (1933-1997). On the international scene he has worked as conductor for Dionne Warwick. Back in Rio he can be found in the Rio Cello Ensemble, just like David Chew, who forms another third of the trio. The English born David Chew studied at the Guildhall School of Music and earned a postgraduate degree at the University of Hull where he specialized in Brazilian music. In 1981 he moved to Brazil to fill in the position of principal cellist with the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra. Since then his name is heard during many music occasions in Brazil, as a teacher, performer and even as music advisor (for the Copacabana Palace Hotel). Next to the Rio Cello Ensemble he founded the Orquestra de Câmera Rio Strings (Chamber Orchestra). The trio is completed by saxophonist/ flutist Mauro Senise, for whose biography we kindly refer to our recent review of his album Casa Forte - Mauro Senise toca Edu Lobo.

The music on Extra de Vários reflects the all-round musical influences of its musicians. It’s classical chamber music with a touch of jazz and a hint of popular music. The music was recorded live in one of Rio’s smaller but renowned theaters, Sala Baden Powell in Copacabana (May 2005).  On the CD we find compositions by great European classical composers Chopin, Brahms, Beethoven, Bach, Debussy and Alexander Scriabin together with works from great Brazilian composers Villa-Lobos, Ary Barroso, Dorival Caymmi and a few of Peranzzetta’s own compositions. With this challenging repertoire the trio delivers a superb performance, with Mauro Senise switching between flute and sax (alto and soprano).

The album opens with a characteristic prelude from Bach, followed by a beautiful rendition of the tense “Prelúdio nr. 1 das Bachianas Brasileiras nr. 4,” which Heitor Villa-Lobos wrote for orchestra in 1936.  The playful “Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum” is part of Claude Debussy’s Children's Corner Suite for piano (1908), which he wrote for his daughter. This part of the suite is a parody on a popular series of 100 etudes by Muzio Clementi (Gradus ad Parnassum). “Adeus ao Piano” (“Goodbye to the Piano”) is said to be Beethoven’s last piano composition, although musicologists don’t agree about that and even doubt that this really is one of Beethoven’s compositions (also classified as “Waltz in F Major”). We hear a ceremonious piano flanked by flute and the cello in a second voice. Gilson Peranzzetta recorded this piece before on his album “Metamorfose.”  In “Mazurka,” featuring Senise's saxophone and flute, the Polish influences in Chopin’s music are highlighted. The title track “Extra de Vários” was also recorded before by Gilson, on his duo album with Mauro Senise, Frente a Frente. The title refers to the famed Stradivarius violin (its name sounds like the Portuguese “Extra de Vários”).

It may be clear that the trio had a great time playing this concert. They took the opportunity to use their classical background as a basis for high quality performances of a surprising set-list. Open-minded music lovers with an interest in classical repertoire undoubtedly will find pleasure listening to this album.

K.S.