Imagination elevates Brazil’s choro styles

Before the samba became the national sound of Brazil, before bossa nova transformed samba into a global music, there was choro. Emerging in the late 19th century as a blending of European melody, harmony and form with the rhythms of Africa, it was a Brazilian manifestation of similar Western melanges such as ragtime, jazz and tango.

Although it has been changed in many ways, choro continues to be a vital element in contemporary Brazilian music. And the performance by the Brazilian Modern Choro Ensemble at the Getty Center’s Harold M. Williams Auditorium on Saturday provided a fascinating display of its creative powers.

Some of Brazil’s finest young players were present in the ensemble, instrumented somewhat differently from the traditional grouping, with Nicolas Krassik’s violin replacing the more common clarinet or flute and the addition of Gabriel Grossi’s chromatic harmonica. The music, similarly, embraced traditional works of the great choro mandolinist Jacob do Bandolim as well as more contemporary, jazz-tinged pieces from Hermeto Pascoal and Egberto Gismonti. Interpretations ranged from the romantic balladry of early choro through the fast-paced improvisatory style of choro master Pixinguinha to collective improvising reminiscent of the music of Ornette Coleman and Lennie Tristano.

What was most compelling about the ensemble, however, was the distinct imaginativeness with which it employed these elements. The front-line players -- six-string guitarist Daniel Santiago and mandolinist Hamilton de Holanda as well as Krassik and Grossi -- were superbly supported by the dependable foundation of Rogerio Caetano’s seven-string guitar and the driving rhythms of Amoy Ribas’ pandeiro (tambourine) playing.

De Holanda was particularly charismatic, roving the stage, interacting with fellow players, his mandolin vital to the choro tradition. Grossi’s solo spot on his own tribute number, “Domingo Pascoal,” was a virtuosic marvel, with Santiago and Krassik adding improvisatory light and imagination to a stellar evening of Brazilian music-making.