Suíte Rio de Janeiro

The three pieces and their order (choro-valsa-samba) mirror a typical night of choro in Rio de Janeiro. Traditional virtuosic choros in the early evening yield to more romantic and contemplative valsas as night falls, which in turn yield to sung sambas until the wee hours of the morning as the atmosphere becomes more alcoholic and festive. The pieces also progress from traditional to more modern harmonic conception. Insofar as it is the only piece to adhere to traditional harmonic conventions, “Choro Tradicional” includes cifra (the basic chord changes) that it may be played as part of a choro ensemble.