Bacheando
Acclaimed Brazilian virtuoso guitarist Plínio Fernandes has announced his highly anticipated sophomore album, Bacheando, out September 22 via Decca Gold. Bacheando sees Fernandes pay tribute to centuries of artistry by exploring the enduring genius of J.S. Bach, the vibrant musical culture of Brazil, and all the richness in between.
Plinio Fernandes embarks on a captivating exploration of his favorite composer’s legacy on Bacheando. A dynamic inheritor of a decades-long tradition in which extraordinary Brazilian musicians have looked to the German master’s music for inspiration, Fernandes performs a harmonious blend of Bach's compositions alongside enchanting pieces by Brazilian greats Heitor Villa-Lobos, Paulinho Nogueira, and Mário Albanese. He also collaborated with legendary Brazilian guitarist and composer Sérgio Assad, who contributed a world-premiere composition along with multiple brand-new arrangements for the album.
At the beating heart of Bacheando is music by the revered master himself. Bach’s “Prelude, Fugue and Allegro in E-Flat Major, BWV 998” is a cornerstone of classical guitar repertoire and easily among Fernandes’ favorite works. Equally essential to the set is Bach’s arrangement of the Adagio from the “Concerto in D Minor, BWV 974,” originally written for oboe by Italian Baroque composer Benedetto Marcello.
Bacheando sees an expanded collaboration between Fernandes and Sérgio Assad, known as half of the Assad Brothers guitar duo. The album features the world premiere recording of Assad’s original new three-movement work “Preludio Fuga e Vivace,” which is a Brazilian dance-infused response to Bach’ “Prelude, Fugue and Allegro in E-Flat Major, BWV 998” and includes a musical first for Assad: his debut fugue. Assad also contributed four brand new solo guitar arrangements for the album, including a fresh mashup of Paulinho Nogueira’s “Bachianinha No. 2” and Luiz Gonzaga’s “Araponga.”
Fernandes established himself early as an exquisite player with a colorful, “gloriously rich tone” (Gramophone) in his acclaimed debut album, Saudade. And like generations of musicians before, Bach was key to his artistic formation. As a child in São Paulo, he cherished the composer’s full catalog, from the solo works for violin and cello to vocal music and masses.
Says Fernandes: “Being Brazilian and growing up listening to Villa-Lobos with Bach as his main outside influence, you see a transcendental element of Bach’s music all over and throughout history. All who came after were influenced by him.”
Plínio Fernandes, a 29-year-old Brazilian guitarist hailing from São Paulo and currently residing in London, has garnered significant acclaim and recognition in a remarkably short time. He was honored with the prestigious Revelação/Breakthrough category award at the 2023 Prêmio da Música Brasileira (Brazilian Music Awards) and has been recognized as one of Forbes' 30 Under 30 Brazil 2022 and Classic FM's Rising Stars 2022. In 2022, he was also the recipient of the Revista Concerto Young Artist Award.
His debut album, Saudade, soared to the top of the US Billboard Traditional Albums Chart, solidifying his position as a rising star in the classical music realm. Plínio Fernandes' extraordinary talent has led to television appearances on “C à vous,” "Imagine" BBC 1, and Globo's "Jornal Hoje.”
Equal parts homage and innovation, Bacheando opens dialogues between artists across styles, regions, and time periods in a captivating journey across bridges of sound.
Tracklist:
1. Bachianinha No. 1 [Paulinho Nogueira]
2. Bachianinha No. 2 / Araponga [Paulinho Nogueira / Luiz Gonzaga]
3. Prelude, Fugue and Allegro in E-Flat Major, BWV 998: I. Prelude [Johann Sebastian Bach]
4. Prelude, Fugue and Allegro in E-Flat Major, BWV 998: II. Fugue [Johann Sebastian Bach]
5. Prelude, Fugue and Allegro in E-Flat Major, BWV 998: III Allegro [Johann Sebastian Bach]
6. Preludio Fuga e Vivace: I. Preludio [Sérgio Assad]
7. Preludio Fuga e Vivace: II. Fuga [Sérgio Assad]
8. Preludio Fuga e Vivace: III. Vivace [Sérgio Assad]
9. Jequibach [Mário Albanese]
10. Concerto in D Minor, BWV 974: II. Adagio [Benedetto Marcello / Johann Sebastian Bach]
11. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 4: I. Prelúdio (Introdução) [Heitor Villa-Lobos]