Brazil’s Past and Present in ‘Flying Down to Rio’

The sounds that have emanated from Brazil in the 20th century may be the most diverse, vibrant and infinitely varied collection of music flowing from any country in the world. Like Brazilian culture, the music is European, African and Indian, sometimes combined in unlikely mixtures, sometimes emerging in relatively pure distillations. Whatever the source, whether it arrives as classical, pop, jazz or traditional, Brazilian music is endlessly fascinating, a seemingly bottomless cornucopia of creativity.

“Flying Down to Rio,” at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday in the first of two performances, was an effort to touch a few high points in the Brazilian musical landscape. And many choices were well made.

The inclusion of three works by Heitor Villa-Lobos was both appropriate and wise. An effective synthesist, Villa-Lobos composed music that managed to frame the melodies and surging rhythms of Brazil into the structure and instrumentation of the classical orchestra.

Given something more than film music to play, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and conductor John Mauceri delivered an impressive performance of a movement, “Impressa~o Iberica” (Iberian Impression), from Villa-Lobos’ historically inspired work “Descobrimento do Brasil” (The Discovery of Brazil).

The orchestra’s cellos added a subtle but rhythmically moving rendering of the well-known “Cantilena” aria from Villa-Lobos’ “Bachiana Brasileira No. 5.” Soprano Jennifer Ringo, singing the lyrical melody line, added touches of dramatic climax, marred only by her sometimes intrusive vibrato. A suite from Villa-Lobos’ only Broadway musical, the operetta “Magdalena,” arranged by Andre Kostelanetz, was less interesting, rarely revealing the primal emotional roots so present in the composer’s other works.

Other aspects of Brazilian music were examined in a frothy, lighthearted performance of “A Carmen (Miranda) Fantasy,” which included tunes identified with the Brazilian bombshell. And the gorgeous themes in “Memories for Orchestra,” a tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim, clearly revealed that the composer, who died in 1994, was one of the great melodists of the late 20th century.

The high point of the program’s otherwise uneven second half was a dynamic appearance by Christiane Callil’s feathered and sequined Girls From Ipanema dance company, samba-ing through the crowd to create a colorful, carnival-like atmosphere.

But the performance by Sergio Mendes’ ensemble, now labeled Brasil 99, left something to be desired. Ironically, it provided an illustration of how much more awareness there is of Brazilian music now than there was in the days of Mendes’ Brasil 66. With performers such as Maria Montes, Ivan Lins, Milton Nascimento, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil appearing regularly and offering a wide array of Brazilian sounds, Mendes’ recycled bossa nova had the feel of retro lounge music.

The evening’s close was rescued by an all-join-in romp through “Tico-Tico” to accompany the fireworks show that brought the concert to a rousing climax.