Brazilian cellist Antonio Meneses offers his first concerto recording for Avie, pairing classic Haydn with a world premiere by his compatriot Clovis Pereira.

Directing the Northern Sinfonia from the cello, Meneses plays with flawless technique and unerring musicality. He navigates Haydn’s infectious fast movements with astonishing facility, and the inner slow movements with enduring expressiveness.

The Pereira, dedicated to Meneses, melds a quasi-Baroque style with elements of the musicians’ homeland, particularly the northeast countryside of the State of Pernambuco, where both cellist and composer hail from. The first movement’s modal scales are unique to this region and the technique akin to the local fiddlers. The second movement recalls the calming, improvised chants of roaming shepherds, and the finale is a festive gallop to the finish.