Prokofiev / Villa-Lobos / Poulenc – Simone Menezes

The classicism that emerged in Vienna with Mozart and Haydn was later revisited by Prokofiev in Russia, Poulenc in France, and most unexpectedly, Villa-Lobos in Brazil. Each composer reimagined this tradition through a sparkling, modern, and energetic lens shaped by their own heritage. Now, Brazilian conductor Simone Menezes leads the ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien in a program which takes us back to the city where this tradition was born. Recorded in Vienna and featuring Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony, Villa-Lobos’s Sinfonietta “In Memory of Mozart” and Poulenc’s Sinfonietta, these performances bring the music full circle. A dialogue across continents and centuries, shaped by clarity and contrast, this is a vibrant and cosmopolitan homage.