Villa-Lobos’ War and Victory Symphonies were commissioned by the Brazilian government following the end of the country’s involvement in World War I. Using very large orchestral forces, and conveying the composer’s feelings about the conflict with no sense of triumphalism, the two Symphonies display a confident use of unusual and evocative effects, such as the collage of fragments of the Brazilian national anthem and La Marseillaise in the ‘Battle’ movement of the Third Symphony.


This is the second volume of a complete set of Villa-Lobos’s symphonies, and collectors have already latched onto this series as one to watch out for. Conductor Isaac Karabtchevsky has been described by The Guardian as one of Brazil’s “living national icons”, and this all-Brazilian project has hit the ground running.