Edino Krieger (1928-2022) was a totally unknown name to me prior to hearing this recording. The long-lived composer was born in Brusque, a city in southern Brazil. This disc of six of his orchestral works is one of many new releases appearing in Naxos’s fascinating Music of Brazil series.

As a young man, Krieger studied with such well-known names as Aaron Copland, Peter Mennin, and Lennox Berkeley. While he is clearly a Modernist, you can hear these influences in his work: Copland in his orchestration, for instance, which contains plenty of space and clear colours. While Krieger basically eschews Brazilian dance rhythms or the kind of lush density we associate with Villa-Lobos, both turn up occasionally within a more pared-back, sharp-edged textural context. 

The pieces in this program were written between 1964 (Variaçoes Elementares) and 1988 (Tres Imagens de Nova Friburgo): a period when Krieger was combining his early serialism with freer, extramusical influences. A pivotal work is the 15-minute Variaçoes. A prologue featuring an angular theme played on solo vibraphone is followed by ten...