Francisco Mignone (1897-1986) was born in São Paulo and was one of the most important Brazilian composers of his generation. Considered the “King of Waltz” by Manuel Bandeira, his work experimented an unexpected renewal, when he chose to adopt any system or composition process that would guarantee him total freedom of expression. His work has a strong nationalist inspiration, with the frequent use of folk motifs and Brazilian rhythms, such as the “Maracatu”.

The idea for the album FRANCISCO MIGNONE – VALSAS was conceived more than twenty years ago, when the musician Heleno Feitosa played Mozart’s concert for bassoon with the Symphonic Orchestra of Paraíba, and during the encore, he performed Mistérios, by Mignone. Dantas Barreto, the orchestra’s cellist at the time, was delighted with that interpretation, part of the 16 Waltzes for solo bassoon, by the eminent Brazilian composer.

By transcribing and interpreting the works on the cello originally written for bassoon, the artist not only had the chance to enrich the instrument’s “à cappella” repertoire, but also had the opportunity to promote Mignone’s fascinating music.