Barbosa-Lima’s Joyous ‘Guitar’

Carlos Barbosa-Lima’s “Guitar in the Americas” program, offered Saturday at Ambassador Auditorium, proved as curiously astigmatic as compellingly delivered. A tight and tidy survey of Brazilian traditions, it lacked anything by Barrios, Brouwer, or virtually anybody not working directly in popular idioms.

Within its limited scope, however, the recital was a revelatory joy. Barbosa-Lima explored early essays in the samba and choros by Ernesto Nazareth and Alfredo Vianna, in his own idiomatic and taxing arrangements.

Two familiar pieces, the Choros No. 1 by Villa-Lobos--taken slowly and smoothly, with scant sense of urgency--and Luiz Bonfa’s ‘Manha de Carnaval,” showed the development of the genres.

Distinctive pieces by Laurindo Almeida (“Choro e Batuque”) and Francisco Mignone (Etude No. 5), and a folkloristic set by Thiago de Mello received typically fluid and pertinent performances, but the Braziliana high point had to be the brilliantly arranged and vividly played “Quebra Pedra” of Jobim.

The step to Argentina and Ginastera’s potent Sonata is bigger interpretively than geographically, and Barbosa-Lima made it a little too suavely. His mastery of the torrent of notes and slithery, piquant timbral effects proved complete, but elegant understatement is not the Sonata’s most characteristic trait.

The guitar may be the ultimate post-modern, multicultural instrument, and Barbosa-Lima is a distinguished veteran in these styles. His soft, clearly defined sound was discreetly amplified, but the sound system or air conditioning supplied a constant background wind effect that muted many of his more subtle nuances.

Rhythmic verve came through easily, driving his Gershwin and Lauro sets. Bobby Scott’s “Vera Cruz Episode,” a desultory bit of Phrygian mode, mock-flamenco doodling, filled out the printed agenda.

In encore, the Brazilian guitarist added “Begin the Beguine,” and “The Little Music Box,” a sentimental study in harmonics by his teacher, Isias Savio.