Corações Futuristas
Egberto Gismonti e Academia de Danças
1976
Why This Album Matters
Corações Futuristas represents a milestone in the vast and inventive work of Egberto Gismonti, one of Brazil's most unique and innovative musicians. Released in 1976, the album is a profound exploration of sound fusion, where elements of Brazilian music, jazz, contemporary classical music and indigenous influences intertwine organically and surprisingly. The work is notable for the way Gismonti expands his instrumental and compositional palette, utilising rich orchestration and complex arrangements that defy easy categorisation. The "Academia de Danças" is not a conventional band, but an orchestral concept that Gismonti assembled to bring his ambitious visions to life, resulting in an exuberant and deeply emotional sound tapestry. The album stands out for its aesthetic audacity and Gismonti's continuous search for new musical languages.
Context
In the mid-1970s, Brazil was living under a military dictatorship, a period of great cultural effervescence, but also of political repression. Many artists sought new forms of expression and resistance through art. Egberto Gismonti, already established as an avant-garde musician and a virtuoso instrumentalist, had a series of works demonstrating his growing maturity and inclination towards experimentation, such as the acclaimed Dança das Cabeças. This period was characterised by an intense cultural exchange and openness to various global influences, which Gismonti masterfully absorbed and reinterpreted. His journey to Corações Futuristas was marked by incessant research into the roots of Brazilian music, especially indigenous music, and the integration of these discoveries with elements of jazz and contemporary classical music.
Recording
The recording of Corações Futuristas was a complex process, reflecting Gismonti's ambition to create a work of grand sonic scale. The album was recorded at Somil studio in Rio de Janeiro, with Gismonti himself producing. The orchestration required careful arrangement of instruments and musicians to capture the rich textures and timbres he envisioned. Gismonti utilised a vast range of instruments, from his ten-string guitar, piano, and flutes, to varied percussion and string and wind instruments that made up the "Academia de Danças". Sound engineering was crucial to balance the different elements, from the more introspective and delicate moments to the passages of greater intensity and orchestral volume, creating an immersive and detailed sound.
Songs
The songs on Corações Futuristas are true compositions that unfold into instrumental narratives, where melody, harmony, and rhythm interact in a sophisticated manner. Tracks such as "Maneiras de Ser", "Memória e Fado", and the title track itself, "Corações Futuristas", exemplify Gismonti's mastery in building atmospheres and evoking emotions without the need for words. Gismonti explores complex Brazilian rhythms, open harmonies, and intricate counterpoints, often combining the delicacy of his guitar with the power of the orchestra. The compositions reveal a deep understanding of musical structure, but always with a strong appeal to intuition and spontaneity, hallmark characteristics of his artistic identity.
Legacy
Corações Futuristas was received with enthusiasm by specialist critics, who recognised the audacity and originality of Egberto Gismonti's proposal. The album solidified his reputation as one of the most innovative Brazilian composers and arrangers, and his influence extended to diverse generations of musicians who sought to expand the boundaries of MPB and instrumental music. Although Gismonti is known for not being a high-selling artist in the commercial sense, Corações Futuristas is considered an essential album in his discography and a classic of Brazilian instrumental music. It continues to be studied and appreciated for its musical richness, structural complexity, and the futuristic vision that its title suggests and its sound realises, remaining relevant for its aesthetic audacity and timelessness.
Rankings
Tracks
Credits
Egberto Gismonti
Mario Tavares
Dulce Nunes
Mariozinho Rocha
Milton Miranda
Egberto Gismonti, Geraldo E. Carneiro, Novelli
Egberto Gismonti, Joyce, Lizzie Bravo, Mauricio Maestro, Novelli
Aninha, Marya
Dulce Nunes
Alceu De Almeida Reis, Marcio Mallard, Peter Dauelsberg, Watson Clis
Dulce Bressane
Luiz Alves, Renato Sbragia
Robertinho Silva
Academia De Danças
Danilo Caymmi, Mauro Senise, Paulo Guimarães
Nivaldo Ornelas
Egberto Gismonti
Edmundo Maciel
Darcy Da Cruz, Marcio Montarroyos
Arlindo Penteado, Frederick Stephany, Géza Kiszely, Nelson Macedo
Adolfo Chimanovitch, Alfredo Vidal, Frantisek Bartik, Gentil Dias, GianCarlo Pareschi, Jorge Faini, José Alves Da Silva, José Dias De Lana, Marcello Pompeu Filho, Ricardo Wagner, Robert Arnaud, Salvador Piersanti, Virgilio Arraes F., Walter Hack, Wilson Teodoro
Jorge Teixeira, Nivaldo Duarte
Dacy Rodrigues, Toninho
Bita Carneiro
Books
Analyses
Corações Futuristas – Wikipedia
Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
MUSICA&SOM: A Fase Progressiva de Egberto Gismonti
tabernanovostempos.blogspot.com
Os melhores discos de rock progressivo perpetrados no Brasil não são de uma banda de rock. Mais: talvez nem possam ser enfeixados na rubrica "rock". Tratam-se de Academia de Danças, de 1974, e Corações Futuristas, de 1976, dois dos melhores álbuns da extensa discografia de Egberto Gismonti.
A Fase Progressiva de Egberto Gismonti - Consultoria do Rock
consultoriadorock.com
Academia de Danças, que também nomeia a superbanda que acompanha Egberto, ainda saiu há coisa de 10 ou 15 anos numa dessas edições da linha "promocional", mas Corações Futurista segue sendo uma raridade disputada a tapa nos sebos, não só na versão LP, como no formato CD.
A música de Egberto Gismonti - Diário Causa Operária
causaoperaria.org.br
Acrescentando às músicas orquestra de cordas, em cujos temas notam-se influências de Villa-Lobos e Penderecki, o resultado são as faixas dos álbuns "Academia de danças", 1974, e "Corações futuristas", 1976; o último é bastante equilibrado, metade dele é centrado no violão, metade no piano.
Discogs
Corações Futuristas – Discogs
discogs.com