Nepomuceno Quartett No 3

Nepomuceno composed three string quartets. They all date from his time
in Europe. String Quartet No.3 was subtitled by him Brasileiro -the
Brazilian. It is dated in his own hand, Berlin 1890. Though performed
in Brazil on rare occasions from manuscript copy, the music has never
been published. Our edition is based on the original manuscript of the
score and a set of hand-written parts found in the Biblioteca da
Escola Nacional de Musica in Rio de Janeiro. While no notes have been
changed, we have corrected errors which appeared in both.
Much of the Brazilian personality, landscape and culture can be heard
in this wonderful work of four movements: From sad funereal dirges to
bright and bouncy Brazilian rhythms and dances such as the
Brincadeira. These are presented through the medium of the romantic
tradition of European composition. If one listens closely enough, one
can hear tinges of Mendelssohn and perhaps even Brahms. But these are
only small traces. The music is undeniably that of Nepomuceno, who
speaks with a fresh and unique voice all of his own.