Odeon, Tango Brasileiro, which Nazareth had published at his own expense in 1909 by Casa Mozart (E. Bevilacqua & Cia.), is dedicated “to the distinguished Zambelli & Cia. company”, owners of the Odeon cinema.

Nazareth had been hired to play the piano in the waiting room of this cinema, then the most luxurious in the city. Thus, from 1909 to 1913 and from 1917 to 1917, a large audience would flock to the Odeon cinema just to hear Nazareth play, without even thinking about watching films. Among these music lovers was a great interpreter of Chopin, the pianist Arthur Rubinstein, and the French composer Darius Milhaud, who, on his return to Paris, quoted some of the Brazilian composer's themes in his Bœuf sur le Toit, and who recalled : “ At the entrance of movie theatres (it was of course at the time of silent films) there always was a small orchestra playing. One of the most famous composers of popular music at that time, Nazareth, author of numerous songs and dances which were extremely successful in many carnavals, used to play the piano in front of the picture house of the Avenida Rio Branco. I used to remain hours listening to him. His fluid, elusive, mournful playing helped me get to know the Brazilian soul better.”

The elegant descending melody of Odeon's first theme is written in the lower register, played by the pianist's left hand, while his right hand punctuates it with offbeat chords. Nazareth's nostalgic melodies are wonderfully rendered in this deep tessitura, a device he had already used in Remando (1896), and which he repeated in other works such as Tenebroso and Fon-fon! (1913) and Retumbante (1916).

Odeon was recorded in 1912 by the composer himself, with Pedro de Alcântara on piccolo. Just as in the autograph manuscript as in this recording, Part B is repeated at the end of the piece, preferring the ABACABA form to the structure of the printed score (ABACA). It is this more developed form that we have also chosen.
Following not only this recording, but also the practice of Brazilian folk music performers, the numerous repetitions of the three themes have been freely ornamented.

Frédéric Cellier

Along his university studies (DEA in musicology, University of Paris IV-Sorbonne), Frédéric Cellier was awarded three first prizes and a development prize at the CNR of Nice and won first prize at the International Competition of Musical Execution - soloist category – of Stresa (Italy).
He is the laureate of the Fondation de France and the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation and accredited teacher at the CNR of Nice, the CNR of Marseille, and at the CRR Olivier Messiaen of Avignon (France).
Frédéric Cellier is the interpreter of Francis Poulenc’s Sonata for clarinet Bb and piano with Jean-Michel Damase, Jean Françaix or Gabriel Tacchino, but also performs his own version for clarinet, piano and string orchestra of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in blue for Wynton Marsalis or under the baton of Adrian Gershwin, grandson of the composer.
Founder and artistic director of STRADIVARIUS Editions, he is the author of pieces of light music and a considerable number of arrangements in all styles and for all instruments acclaimed by numerous personalities in the music world:

"Frédéric Cellier has produced a number of adaptations of Georges Auric's works with such talent and precision that I consider them a natural addition to his chamber music catalogue."
Michèle AURIC - Georges Auric's widow

"To Frédéric Cellier, excellent musician and tireless arranger."
Jean FRANÇAIX - Composer and pianist

"Arranging a musical work is always a delicate and risky exercise, because it requires both modifying it so that it can be played by the desired instruments and preserving its very essence. But that is exactly what Frédéric Cellier has done, preserving the nuances, subtleties and soul of the original works while breathing new life into them.
His arrangements give all the musicians the chance to perform these compositions specially revisited for their instrument, and make music lovers rediscover them in a new light."
Adrian GERSHWIN - George Gershwin’s grandson

"Congratulations for your beautiful new orchestration and rendition of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in blue."
Wynton MARSALIS - Trumpet player, composer, bandleader, general and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York

"It is outstanding that Frédéric Cellier has managed to transpose Saxophone Marmalade from the saxophone to the clarinet. I thank him for it and wish its great and deserved success. "
Manuel ROSENTHAL - Conductor, composer and Maurice Ravel’s pupil

"I am very happy to tell you how much I appreciated your transcription of the Capriccio, based on Francis Poulenc's Le Bal Masqué. It perfectly reflects the spirit and verve of the score for two pianos that I had the opportunity to play and record with Jacques Février, and it was a great pleasure for me to premiere it in Montpellier."
Gabriel TACCHINO - Pianist, Francis Poulenc’s specialist

"I must tell you that I really like your transcriptions and that I think the tone of the instruments you have chosen suits perfectly our beloved composer."
Ornella VOLTA - Musicologist, president of the Erik Satie’s Foundation