Sir Eugene Goossens - Villa Lobos: The Little Train of the Caipira

"Combine the music, the sound, a superbly pressed on 200g Quiex-SV-P slab of vinyl and Classic's paper on cardboard jacket and you have a first class reissue worthy of a label called 'Classic' Records. I can't think of a more enjoyable 'introduction' to classical music than this reissue." Music = 10/11; Sound = 10/11 - Michael Fremer, musicangle.com

In 1960, David Hall, who wrote the original liner notes for this Everest 33mm recording, had this to say about the Villa Lobos composition: "In recent years, hi-fi fans have delighted in the realistic recordings of big steam locomotives and other railway sounds. For some, it is more thrilling to have a fast freight roaring through the living room than to hear the music of Beethoven or Tchaikovsky. Here, though, is a tailor made for both audiophile and music lover. With Everest's startingly lifelike sound, coupled with the vivid imagination of Villa-Lobos, you can hear a musical train come to life on your phonograph." The Little Train of Caipira was inspired by a ride that Villa-Lobos took in 1931 on a train that was transporting berry-pickers and farm laborers between villages in the Brazilian province of Sao Paolo. Within an hour he had completed the last movement and that very night he and his wife played the movement on cello and piano.