Grading of Villa Lobos Studies
Larry
Is there any grading of the difficulty of Villa Lobos 12 studies, or any
order which the studies are arranged?
Usually students open the book and start with the 1st study then move on to
the next. However some of the pieces are more difficult in the middle of
the book than those at the back of the book. If there is a guide on the
level of difficulty of the pieces so that students can learn these pieces
progressively without giving up somewhere in the middle of the book.
Most of us who have not played have not played through all the studies will
really appreciate this advice.
Larry
Dawn and Todd Tipton
Larry wrote:
>
> Is there any grading of the difficulty of Villa Lobos 12 studies, or any
> order which the studies are arranged?
>
IMHO, these pieces are harder than what most students may think
of when they think of studies; although I don't doubt that even
more difficult studies exist. Whatever you want to call these
pieces, they are full fledged concert level pieces. I remember
Ricardo Cobo saying that some of these etudes are more difficult
than the concerto. I have not played the concerto yet, but I
have no reason to doubt him. IMHO, no. 1 and no. 11 may be
easier than ost of the others.
I don't wish to impose, but if you are having difficulty with the
pieces and are wanting to add some Villa-Lobos to your
repertoire, you might want to look at the 5 preludes.
Todd Tipton
Minneapolis, Mn.
952-285-5758
http://toddtipton.homestead.com
"I do not feel obligated to believe that the same God who
has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has
intended us to forego their use."
--Galileo Galilei
Danny Chrastina
> Is there any grading of the difficulty of Villa Lobos 12 studies, or any
> order which the studies are arranged?
Look through the guitar examinations on
http://www.abrsm.ac.uk/guitar.html
http://www.abrsm.ac.uk/diplomas/guitardipabrsm.html
http://www.abrsm.ac.uk/diplomas/guitarlrsm.html
http://www.abrsm.ac.uk/diplomas/guitarfrsm.html
Number 8 appears at Grade 7, some of the others appear as part of
sets at higher levels.
--
Danny.
| Mr. Danny Chrastina
| http://www.chrastina.net/
Greg M. Silverman
>
> On Sun, 23 Dec 2001, Larry wrote:
>
> > Is there any grading of the difficulty of Villa Lobos 12 studies, or any
> > order which the studies are arranged?
>
> Look through the guitar examinations on
>
> http://www.abrsm.ac.uk/guitar.html
> http://www.abrsm.ac.uk/diplomas/guitardipabrsm.html
> http://www.abrsm.ac.uk/diplomas/guitarlrsm.html
> http://www.abrsm.ac.uk/diplomas/guitarfrsm.html
>
> Number 8 appears at Grade 7, some of the others appear as part of
> sets at higher levels.
For Trinity, Prelude #4 is a grade 7 piece, the first Study is Grade 8
and and Preludes 1 and 5 are in the performer's certificate exam...
appears that none of the Studies or Preludes are in the diploma exams
(but there is no.'s 2 and 4 from the Suite populaire breselienne...)
Cheers!
Greg--
Nattapong Nithi-Uthai
this thread here.
UFPr Arts Department
Electronic Musicological Review
Vol. 1.1/September 1996
Home English
HEITOR VILLA-LOBOS: A SURVEY OF HIS GUITAR MUSIC
Orlando Fraga
I. Early Life
"I consider my works as letters I've written to posterity without
expecting
answer." H. Villa-Lobos
"Since my younghood, I was introduced to musical life through the
hands
of my father who gave me a little violoncello. My father, besides
being
a man of deep culture and uncommon intelligence, was a practical
musician with perfect skill. With him, I always went to rehearsals,
concerts and operas, in order of get used to instrumental ensemble.
I
also learned to play the clarinet and was demanded to discern about
the
genre, style, character and origin of the music I was listen to, as
well
saying promptly the note's name of sounds or noises that appeared
incidentally at every moment like, for instance, the creak of a
truck's
wheel, the bird's singing, a metal object fallen down, etc. Poor of
mine
if I didn't guess it right."
Rio de Janeiro at the beginning of the century was far from the
metropolis
it is today. The Brazilian capital then was characterized by a strong
European influence. Even in the daily life, it was full of music.
Streets,
and bars, and anywhere people could be invaded by the CHORÕES
(1)fulfilling
the evenings with their serenats. Groups of young men would form
instrumental bands, playing at parties, balls, weddings, carnival, and
all
kind of celebrations, continuing to play throughout the night on the
streets
after the close of the meeting places, some times just wandering through
the
empty lanes with short interruptions at the nearest bar for a
stimulating
drink. Different groups would meet on the winding streets and challenge
each
other to musical competition, which eventually could end up in fight.
The
musicians could walk miles throughout the night, singing and playing
just
for pleasure.
Heitor Villa-lobos was born there on March 5, 1887(2). His training was
that
of a self-taught opposed to academic instruction. He had his first
lessons
from his father, Raul , who worked at the National Library, in Rio de
Janeiro, and was a good amateur musician. Raul Villa-Lobos taught his
son,
from very early age, to play the cello, using at first a viola for the
purpose. The cello was to remain Heitor's instrument, that one he
studied
seriously, besides the guitar which he was self-introduced in the Rio's
streets and, later developed his skills at a great level studying the
most
important composers available in the guitar's literature at the
beginning of
the century. Villa-Lobos attachment to both instruments brought him
later
numerous works of striking instrumentation. On his father's death in
1899,
Villa-Lobos' mother, who had several other children, dedicated herself
to
their education. Villa-Lobos was an inconstant young, preferring to
share
the bohemian life of the city's popular musicians rather than to pay
attention to the medical studies he was intending. It was with these
popular
musicians that he was able to practice the art of improvising guitar
accompaniment to the capriciously modulating melodic lines of the CHORO
(3).
While taking guitar lessons from a neighbor, he had to keep it hidden
from
his mother, although it was not a reason to refrain his imagination. The
starting point was Mazurka in D (1899) and Panqueca (1900). His father
left
a valuable library and Villa-Lobos found out that some of the precious
books
could be sold to bookstores for considerable amount. Thereafter, the
good
relations with popular singer and players expanded, thanks to drinks
financed at appropriate time by the composer-to-be.
As Villa-Lobos grew up, he became a member of the group directed by
Quincas
Laranjeiras (4) who traditionally organized meetings at Carioca street.
The
young Villa-Lobos played the guitar and the influences of those times
are
perceived in the first Brazilian Bachiana, whose fugue was composed very
much in the style of Satiro Bilhar, another popular player. A new set of
guitar music came out soon after: Valsa Brilhante (Bright Waltz, 1904),
Fantasia (Fantasy, 1909) Canção Brasileira (Brazilian Song, 1910),
Dobrado
Pitoresco (1910), Quadrilha (1910), Tarantela (1910), Simples (Simple,
1911)
(5) and Oito Dobrados (Eight Dobrados, 1909-12) (6). However, his first
important work then is the Suite Popular Brasileira (Brazilian Popular
Suite, 1908-12) (7) published later in Paris by Max Eishg.
II. Knowing Brazil
In spite of his almost poor way of living, Villa-Lobos undertook an
extra
effort to finish his academic education at São Bento School, but after a
few
months of class he gave up. Between the age of 18 and 25 he journeyed
throughout Brazil. To make more funds he sold the rest of the fine books
his
father had left to finance the first trip to the Northeast of Brazil and
studied the music of popular singers in loco, their style of
interpretation
and their instruments. In a self-invented shorthand he recorded tunes
and
melodies, desafios (8) and autos (9) and dramatic dances eventually
collecting over one thousand musical themes and rhythms. This vast
material
would be the main source for his first works after returning to Rio.
However, soon after Villa-Lobos set out for a new journey, this time
toward
the Southern Region where he worked in a match factory in Paranaguá,
Paraná,
to make money. As far as his music was concerned, his stay was
disappointing. This section of the country is heavily infiltrated by
European immigrants and so close to Argentina and Uruguay border that
the
folk music he could collect there was hardly original.
Back to Rio de Janeiro in 1907, Villa-Lobos tried, without success, to
submit himself to the discipline of the technical instruction in
composition. Therefore he registered at the National Institute of Music
and
took lessons in harmony with Angelo França and composition with
Frederico
Nascimento, both renowned teachers then. His fiery temperament and
exuberant
imagination, as well as the creative experience he had already acquired,
caused him to leave the classes after a while, although he retained the
admiration of his teachers, particularly Francisco Braga (1868-1945),
who
continued to give him help and advice throughout the early years of his
career. He studied d'Indy's composition treatise with great interest,
and
this provided the guide for his creativity. In addition he read avidly
the
scores of great masters, from Bach to Chopin, as well the greatest
masters
of the guitar, such as Fernando Sor (1778-1839), Ferdinando Carulli
(1770-1841), Matteo Carcassi (1792-1841), and Mauro Giuliani
(1781-1829).
The next journey, Villa-Lobos went to the Central Region and then to the
Northeast again. In Bahia State he heard Debussy for the first time. The
music did not impress him very much and it took Artur Rubistein, whom
Villa-Lobos met some months later, when he was back again to Rio de
Janeiro,
to reveal all the secrets of that new music. Apparently, Villa-Lobos had
not
yet studied recent works by Schoenberg and Stravinky, and so his
experiments
might be considered spontaneous and original.
A concert at the Jornal do Comercio Hall on November 13, 1915, presented
several of Villa-Lobos' early compositions: the Piano Trio 1, the Sonata
2
for violin and piano, the Waltz Scherzo for piano solo, a Berceuse for
cello
and piano, and several songs were performed with controversial
reception.
Further programs followed at a regular intervals and brought the
composer to
the public attention. In 1917 he wrote the Sexteto Místico (Mystic
Sextet)
(10) which represent his search for a new language. Villa-Lobos was
still
earning his living as a cello player but turning more and more to
composing.
The Chôro 1, written in 1920, means the beginning of his maturity
concerning
to guitar music. Also, his popularity grew bigger after the Week of
Modern
Art (11) although it was the most controversial event of the first-half
of
the century in Brazil.
III. Paris
His gifts were recognized, Villa-Lobos received financial support from
both
Federal Government and from a group of wealthy people, enabling him to
leave
for Europe. From 1923 to 1930 he lived in Paris, but undertaking several
trips, appearing in Brazil, Buenos Aires and in the main European
cities.
Soon, he was accepted in the innermost French music circle. There, his
success was enormous: concerts of his works given in 1924 and 1927
caused
sensation. Among the people he formed close links were Edgard Varése,
Florent Schmitt, Pablo Picasso, Fernand Leger, Serge Prokofieff and
Leopold
Stokowski. In 1924 he was made a professor of composition at the
International Conservatory of Music in Paris, where he met Vincent
d'Indy,
from whom Villa-Lobos took some helpful advises on composition. He also
met
Andres Segovia (1893-1986), the famous and influent Spanish guitarist,
who
soon became one of the most important performers of his music. To
Segovia,
Villa-Lobos wrote a series of Twelve Studies (1929). The Introdução ao
Chôro
(Introduction to Choro), for orchestra with guitar, would appear in the
same
year, the first out of fourteen using a variety of instrumentation.
IV. Back to Brazil
In 1930 Villa-Lobos returned to Brazil, where, along with architects,
painters and other intellectuals, he became one of the most estimated
artists of the new strongly nationalist regime, brought by the
revolution
headed by Getulio Vargas (12). First he settled in São Paulo, but it was
fast becoming a center of political instability. A new government was
coming
with the militaries and affecting negatively the cultural scenery.
Villa-Lobos was disappointed and ready to go back to Europe when,
unexpectedly, he was summoned by the new government of São Paulo. They
soon
reached an agreement and Villa-Lobos dived enthusiastically into his
plan
for music education. He traveled through the interior of São Paulo state
for
about two years introducing and supervising his project.
In 1932 he returned to Rio de Janeiro and founded the SEMA
(Superintendency
of Musical and Artistic Education). He was active in many fields of
education and even founded an orchestra bearing his name. The
educational
activities of SEMA went on intensively until the creation of the
National
Conservatory for Orpheonic Singing on November 26, 1942, under his
responsibility. To these activities he spent great enthusiasm,
developing a
bold although coherent program of initial instruction in the primary and
technical school, higher training, concert organization and the
safeguarding
of popular traditions. Meanwhile, some other guitar works were written:
Distribuição das Flores ( Distribution of Flowers, 1937), the Aria das
Bachianas Brasileiras 5 (Aria from the Brazilian Bachianas, 1938) and
Seis
Preludios (Six Preludes, 1940).
During that period Villa-Lobos left Brazil only for short trips to
conduct
in Argentina, Uruguay and Chile and to take part in the International
Congress for Music Education at Prague (1936), and occasionaly visiting
Vienna. In 1944 he made a first journey to United States, where he
returned
frequently and where he established a solid reputation; during that
first
visit he conducted the Jensen Symphonic Orchestra of Los Angeles in a
program of his works, and in 1945 he gave concerts in Boston, New York
and
Chicago. With the end of World War II he was able to return to Paris,
being
elected a corresponding member of the Institute of France, replacing
Manuel
de Falla.
On his return Villa-Lobos founded in Rio de Janeiro the Brazilian
Academy of
Music, of which he was president until his death. As his health was
getting
worse, he went to New York and spent some months of treatment at
Memorial
Hospital. He traveled constantly after that, going every year to United
States and France, always conducting and composing. The Canção do Poeta
do
Século 18 (18th Century Poet Melody, 1953), the Concerto para Violão e
Pequena Orquestra (Concerto for Guitar and Small Orchestra, 1951) and
the
[?].
Green Mansions (for Soprano and Orchestra with guitar, 1958) were his
last
works for guitar. He died in November 17, 1959, in Rio de Janeiro at the
age
of 72.
V. Villa-Lobos' Guitar Music
Heitor Villa-Lobos played and composed for the guitar many years before
first meeting Andres Segovia, to whom his most important works are
dedicated. Some of his guitar works were lost or remain unpublished. The
Villa-Lobos Museum lists the following guitar compositions:
YEARWORKMOVEMENT
1899 Mazurka in D
1900 Panqueca
1904 Valsa Concerto #2
1908-12 Brazilian Popular Suite - Mazurka-Choro
- Schottish-Choro
- Valse-Choro
- Gavotta-Choro
- Chorinho
1910 Brazilian Song
1910 Dobrado Pitoresco
1910 Quadrilha
1910 Tarantela
1911 Mazurka Simples
1917 Mystic Sextet
1920 Choro #1
1925 Modinha
1929 Twelve Studies
1929 Introduction to Choros
1937 Distribution of Flowers
1938 Aria from Bachiana Five
1940 Six Preludes
1943 18th Century Poet Melody
1951 Guitar Concerto
1958 Green Mansions
This list, though only a small part of Villa-Lobos' amazing output of
over
two thousand compositions, is reduced by the fact that only a few of
these
items remain unpublished. His immense reputation in the guitar world
rests
evenly on a remarkably limited number of works.
Follows a description of each composition by chronological order as they
were written:
V.i Mazurka in D
There are divergences about which music Villa-Lobos wrote first: Mazurka
in
D or Panqueca. Villa-Lobos himself was confused but he said that
whatever he
made first, it was just his first musical work. The manuscript is lost.
V.ii Panqueca
Manuscript lost.
V.iii Valsa Concerto
This waltz, which bears the subtitle Bright Waltz, was repeatedly played
by
the great Spanish performer Miguel Llobet (1878-1936). The manuscript is
lost.
V.iv Brazilian Popular Suite
(Paris: ed. Max Eschig, 1924)
Mazurka-Choro · Schottish-Choro · Valsa-Choro · Gavotte-Choro · Chorinho
The title of this Suite is controversial (see note 7). Its five sections
are
build up second the urban traditions of the Choro played in Rio de
Janeiro
early this century. Indeed, the Chorinho was created later in 1923
during
Villa-Lobos first stay in Paris. The pieces are quite simple and do not
bring any special or important innovation. The innermost feeling of the
Gavotta, Valsa, Schottish and Mazurka is just the reflection of the
character of the music then, a mixture of Brazilian and European music,
being some times nostalgic, some times gracious.
V.v Fantasia
The manuscript is lost.
V.vi Eight Dobrados
Paraguaio · Brasil · Chorar · Saudade · Paranaguá · Cabeçudo · Rio de
Janeiro · Padre Pedro
Dobrado (literally, doubled) is the most popular musical genre in the
South
Region and is heard in neighbor countries, like Paraguay, Uruguay, and
Argentina. They are the result of Villa-Lobos' first adventures in this
region, as Paraguaio means from Paraguay and Paranaguá is a harbor on
the
South Atlantic, in Paraná State. The remain titles express feelengs as
Chorar stands for Crying, Saudade as Missing, and Cabeçudo stands for
Stubborn. The manuscripts are lost. The first two were reductions from
those
written for Band in 1904.
V.vii Brazilian Song, Dobrado Pitoresco, Quadrilha and Tarantela
Manuscripts are lost.
V.viii Simples (Mazurka)
The manuscript, recently discovered, is dedicated to Eduardo Luiz Gomes,
a
Villa-Lobos' guitar student. It was written in August 12, 1911 and bears
the
following inscription: 'This is a study; I don't consider it as serious
music'.
V.ix Mystic Sextet
(Paris: ed. Max Eschig, 1923)
The Mystic Sextet comes from a time when the composer was trying a new
language and avoiding to the maximum the common place. Villa-Lobos then
did
not know the experiences bearing by the Viennese. Nevertheless his works
were treated with uncommon and audacious harmonies. Its instrumentation,
too, is quite interesting: guitar, flute, saxophone, clarinet, harp and
cello are divided in three movements without interruption among them.
In the first movement - Allegro non Troppo - the guitar is source of the
musical material. Modal motives are introduced by the flute, oboe and
saxophone. The instrumental disposition is clear: three melodic
instruments
against three harmonic instruments.
The Adagio that follows presents a quite exotic melody in the oboe. The
long
notes on the downbeat are very expressive dissonances (seventh major,
fourth
augmented and fifth augmented), which forms its distinct character.
The last Quasi Allegro shows an abundant use of parallel fourths and
perfect
chords in chromatic movement and augmented chords, as well.
The Mystic Sextet was first performed on January 12, 1963, in Rio de
Janeiro, with Turibio Santos on the guitar.
V.x Choro 1
(Paris: ed. Max Eschig, 1923)
The Choro 1 was written in 1920 and is the first of fourteen. This is a
stylized version of the original genre of Choro, which sets in its
forefront
the amusing character that defines the style, using fermatas and
unexpected
accelerandos.
Harmonically, the Choro 1 follows strictly the popular pattern: first
section in E minor, second section G major and the third again in E
minor.
V.xi Modinha
The Modinha (Little Mode) is the fifth within Fourteen Serenades written
in
1925, in Paris. For request of Olga Praguer Coelho, a famous soprano
then,
it was reduced for voice and guitar from the original for voice and
piano.
Villa-Lobos had set it as a triptych, as follow: a) Senzalas (from
Brazilian
Typical Songs), b) Xango (Ibid.) and c) Carreiro's Song (from the Eighth
Serenade). Manuel Bandeira, the famous poet, wrote the lyrics.
The manuscript remains unpublished.
V.xii Twelve Studies
(Paris: ed. Max Eschig, 1953)
Although this collection had been composed between 1924 and 1929, some
of
its ideas and global setting were sketched much earlier by the composer.
In
a sense, some devices are quite close to the popular accompaniment
(Studies
4 and 6). Others are closer to classical formulas from the last century,
as
in Carcassi, Carulli and Aguado (Studies 2, 3 and 9). It was only in
1953
that the Twelve Studies were published by Max Eschig Editions, Paris and
it
bears a dedication to the Spanish virtuoso Andres Segovia, who wrote the
foreword.
Study 1 (E minor ; Allegro)
Study of continuos arpeggio, which means the right hand remains steady,
doing the same movements while the left hand explores the fingerboard.
Study 2 (A major ; Allegro)
Study of broken chords and slur. This kind of devise was very common in
last
century, being used mostly by Dionisio Aguado, Ferdinando Carulli and
Matteo
Carcassi, composers deeply studied by Villa-Lobos on the earlier times.
At
the end of this study there is a quite interesting effect made for both
hands.
Study 3 (D major ; Allegro Moderato)
Study of slur. Here, too, we see a very strong influence from the last
century guitar music. The number three is listed among those of higher
level
of difficulty.
Study 4 (G major; Poco Moderato)
Study of repeated four-voice chords, in which Villa-Lobos explores the
rather harmonic richness of the guitar going through interesting
cadences
and modulations without preparation.
Study 5 (C major;Andantino)
Study of counterpoint. Its introduction is a pedal in thirds soon
followed
by a modal melody that reminds the viola caipira (13), i.e., with a deep
melancholy.
Study 6 (E minor; Poco allegro)
Another study of chords. It is quite clear the influence of the
Argentinean
tango on its harmonies.
Study 7 (E minor ; Anime)
This study is listed among those of the highest level of virtuosity. The
initial scale causes a sort of tension as it goes through to the central
section in arpeggio. Here a sweet melody, full of Brazilian lyricism,
appears on the first string ending up with the re-exposition of the
scales,
but now configured with quite strong rhythmical elements.
Study 8 (C sharp minor ; Moderato)
Study of arpeggio and slur. The first phrase appears on the bass, as it
imitates a cello. The central section brings the same melody on the
soprano,
which is supported by an arpeggio on the middle strings.
Study 9 (F sharp minor ; Tres peu animé)
Study of chords, slur and arpeggio. Its monotony reminds the very inner
life
of the countryside, like the Study 5.
Study 10 (B minor ; Vivo)
Like the numbers 2, 3, 7 and 12, the number 10 demands a higher
technical
level of virtuosity, mostly in the middle section , when a pedal on the
soprano supports a melody on the bass. At the end it is produced a big
crescendo based on African rhythms.
Study 11 (E minor ; Lento- Piu mosso- Animato- Lento)
Like the Study 8, here, too, the first phrase appears on the bass,
imitating
the cello. There is a big contrast between the Brazilian singing and the
slightly impressionist ornamentation that imitates a harp. The middle
section shows a 'campanella' effect using, some times, up to five 'Es'
on
five different strings.
Study 12 (A minor ; Animato)
The Study 12 is based on parallel chords. Villa-Lobos has used the
natural
resources of the guitar, when the left hand keeps steady while jumping
up
and down on the fingerboard. This is one of the most revolutionary works
Villa-Lobos has ever written. Like others Studies, the number 12 has a
middle section quite contrasting with a melody on the fifth string with
a
pedal on the sixth string.
V.xiii Introduction to Choros
(Paris: ed. Max Eschig, 1953)
After the Choros 1, Villa-Lobos felt the desire of expanding it. The
result
is a series of fourteen Choros. The Introduction to Choros was written
in
1929, the same year as the Twelve Studies, in Paris, and it is
configured
for grand orchestra with guitar. Formally, it is an Overture that uses
materials taken from the Choros 3, 6, 9, 10 and 12. Close to the end
there
is a cadence ad libitum which prepares the entrance of the Choros 1. The
same material was used later in the Fourth Prelude.
V.xiv Distribuição das Flores
(Paris: ed. Max Eschig, 1958)
This work, for female choir, flute and guitar, was premiered in December
1937. There's no time signature and the flute sounds as improvising on a
modal scale. The guitar explores effects, such as tambora and natural
harmonics. There is not any pretension in this work, as it was written
for
an academic festivity.
V.xv Aria from Brazilian Bachianas 5
(Paris: ed. Max Eschig, 1956)
The Brazilian Bachianas 5 was originally composed for voice and eight
cellos, and transposed for voice and guitar by the composer himself,
attending a request of Olga Praguer Coelho, important soprano and
guitarist
at that time. The Brazilian Bachianas 5 was written in two different
periods. The first movement (Cantilena) was concluded in 1938, with
words by
Ruth Valadares Correa. Villa-Lobos, at first, thought it was enough. It
was
only in 1945 Villa-Lobos added another part, called Martelo (Hammer),
with
words by Manuel Bandeira.
The guitar and J.S. Bach were the Villa-Lobos biggest passions. So, in
the
Cantilena, he tried to make a fusion between the Bach's harmonic and
melodic
style and the rhythm of Brazilian samba.
V.xvi Five Preludes
(Paris: ed. Max Eschinhg. 1952)
The Preludes written by Villa-Lobos were given a partial debut in
Montevideo
in 1943 when Abel Carlevaro, an Uruguayan guitarist, played the first
performance of numbers 3 and 4. As a whole, the Preludes reveals a
structural dilemma which might or might not have been smoothed away if
the
missing sixth Prelude was ever found. Played as a set, the A/B/A form in
numbers one, two, and four (number three is A/B/A/B and number five is
A/B/C/A), and the restricted deployment of keys, tends to suffocate the
spontaneity. A further problem is that the Preludes appear technically
easy,
which conducts players into a dangerous territory. In many times
Villa-Lobos
expressed a special affection about the Preludes. Firstly, it is
dedicated
to 'Mindinha' (Arminda Villa-Lobos, the composer's wife), and secondly
they
embrace a whole set of Brazilian typical music and feeling, as well. So
that, they bear a significant subtitle, as we can see below.
Prelude 1
(Lyric Melody or Homage to the Countryman)
The Prelude 1 is one of the most greeted pieces by general audience. The
paradoxes of the melody line are the picture of Brazil and its music.
Being
melancholic, pungent, almost sad it is, at the same time optimist,
always
crescendo, devilish, as Villa-Lobos used to say. The second section
brings a
device taken from the viola caipira :
Prelude 2
(Capadocia Melody or Homage to the scoundrel)
Similarly the Choro 1, here the melody takes part in the harmony,
highlighting the swing of the original Brazilian choro. Villa-Lobos
makes it
almost caricatural with the exaggerated rubato at the very beginning.
Here,
the cadence T-DD-D is the most common of the popular genre. Also, the
melody
is a simple imitation of the clarinet in a Choro's group, usually going
up
to down, remaining in the middle part.
Another interesting point is in the second section of the Prelude. The
fixed
arpeggio found here is based on the same rhythm combination which is
found
in carnival's block in some regions of Brazil.
Prelude 3
(Homage to Bach)
It was said before that Bach and the guitar were Villa-Lobos the biggest
passions and it can be clearly seen in the two-section Prelude 3. The
first
one has a vertical structure, including chords and arpeggios. The second
is
a descendent melody with a pedal on the soprano, that is a quite Baroque
device. So that, it could be seen as a Toccata-like form, which explains
the
subtitle 'Homage to Bach'.
Of course, Villa-Lobos could not foresee the future, but his special
sixth
sense would anticipate in twenty years the Bossa Nova (New Bossa).
Prelude 4
(Homage to Brazilian Indian)
The richness of Villa-Lobos is based on mixture of musical elements. It
was
due to the kind of education he received, being opened to every cultural
manifestation. He was specially fascinated by the Amazon Forest, its
tales
and the Indian culture. The main theme, in its simplicity, evokes the
Indian.
After a fast arpeggio in the second section, Villa-Lobos re-expose the
main
theme, but now in harmonics:
Prelude 5
(Homage to Social Life)
One of the most popular rhythm in Brazil then was, indubitably, the
waltz.
It was played everywhere, every time by everyone. A classical example of
a
popular one is João Pernambuco's Rosinha. Villa-Lobos not only paid
attention to it, but also paid a tribute to those musicians writing his
waltz. It is not just a Waltz, but a Waltz-Choro.
V.xvii Concerto for Guitar and Small Orchestra
(Paris: ed. Max Eschig, 1955)
The Guitar Concerto was completed in 1951, originally taking shape as a
Fantasia Concertante for guitar and small orchestra. Andres Segovia
asked
Villa-Lobos to add a cadenza between the second and third movements and
the
piece became a Concerto in the full sense. About the Concerto,
Villa-Lobos
wrote:
"The Fantasia Concertante was written for guitar and a small and
equilibrated orchestra, pursuing timbres that could not annul the
soloist's sonority. It was organized in three movements: "Allegro
Preciso", Andantino/Andante, and Allegro non Troppo". The first
movement
("Allegro Preciso") takes place in the orchestra and shows a theme
full
of energy, which will reappear in both guitar and orchestra. In the
second section ("Poco Meno") the theme is entirely original and
bellows
to a new episode. It maintains the melodic atmosphere of rather
popular
songs from the Northeast of Brazil. Following, the first theme is
reexposed with the same rhythm structure of the beginning but a
third
minor above; development and stretto are reduced until the final
accelerando. On the "Andantino", after a short introduction by the
orchestra (simultaneous scales in divergent movements), the main
theme
reappears and develops until the "Andante". There, a new episode
appears
during some measures (6/8), like the introduction, till the
expressive
melody played by the guitar. The return to the "Andantino" comes a
fifth
above from the main exposition and the "piu mosso", with a different
melody to those of the thematic unity, represents a kind of
"Stretto",
which concludes the movement. The 'Allegro non Troppo", with a
introduction of a few measures (melody and syncope rhythms) shows a
orchestral theme which soon reappears by the guitar. Up to the end
of
the Fantasia many modulations are made with the intention to explore
the
guitarist's virtuosity."
We can consider the Concerto as a condensation of Villa-Lobos' whole
guitar
work. The elements previous explored in the Studies and Preludes can be
easily found here.
Just a few words
The handful of Villa-Lobos surviving guitar pieces is small and we would
have whished more. In particular a greater assault on those eclectic
elements visible elsewhere in his work might have proved fruitful in the
context of the instrument. Villa-Lobos, above all other
twentieth-century
composer for the guitar, possessed the spark of genius capable of
realizing
how far the instrument could be stretched technically and musically. He
said
once: 'My teacher? ... Brazil.'
Notes
(1) People who plays Choro (see footnote 4). (Back)
(2) The biographers have been dated his birth from 1881 to 1981.
Villa-Lobos
identity papers contain as great variety of birth dates as he has
documents.
His French cart d'identite bears the year 1891; his former voting paper
mentions 1883. Recent searches in Churches and Register Offices have
almost
surely appointed 1887 as his real birth date. (Back)
(3) Genre of instrumental popular music much in favor mostly in Rio de
Janeiro since the early of the century. (Back)
(4) Emerite musician at those times. (Back)
(5) Music written as a lesson to one of his guitar pupils. This waltz
was
repeatedly played by Miguel Llobet (1878-1938), the famous Spanish
performer
of the first half of the century. (Back)
(6) They are: Paraguaio, Brasil, Chorão, Saúdade, Paranaguá, Cabeçudo,
Rio
de Janeiro and Padre Pedro. (Back)
(7) Villa-Lobos said once that the name SUITE and the suffix -Chôro were
added by the publisher Max Eschig, against his wish. Later his widow,
Arminda Villa-Lobos, revealed that it was the composer who did it
following
the editor suggestion. (Back)
(8) Literally, challenge. Essentially a poetic duel in which the
challenger
asks a question or proses a challenge to his adversary that must be
answered
in the same poetic form; it is popular in various regions in
northeastern
Brazil..(D. Appleby, The Music of Brazil). (Back)
(9) Spanish or Portuguese dramatic plays of religious or contemplative
popular character, popular during the colonial period in Brazil;
frequently
included incidental music. (Ibid.) (Back)
(10) Guitar, flute, clarinet, saxophone, harp and cellist. Its premiere
was
in 1963 in Rio de Janeiro, with Turibio Santos on the guitar. (Back)
(11) Also called The Week of 22, it took place in February, 1922, in São
Paulo, gathering musicians, painters, actors, poets, lectures and so on.
It
claimed for a new cultural order, the nationalism. (Back)
(12) Brazilian dictator in 1930-45, and 1951-54. (Back)
(13) Viola Caipira or Country guitar, is a five-double string guitar
played
in rural area to accompany folk music. (Back)
Bibliographic References
APPLEBY, D. P. The Music of Brazil. Austin: University of Texas Press,
1983.
ARETZ, Isabel. America Latina en Su Musica. Mexico: Siglo XXI Editores,
1977.
BEHAGUE, Gerard. Music in Latin America: An Introduction. New Jersey:
Prentice-Hall Inc., 1979.
GUNTHER, Robert. Die Musikkulturen Lateinameriakas im 19. Jahrhundert.
Germany: 1982.
MURICY, Andrade. Villa-Lobos: uma interpretação. Rio de Janeiro:
Villa-Lobos
Museum, 1960.
SEEGER, Charles. Music in Latin America: A Brief Survey. Washington: Pan
Americam Union, 1942.
SLONIMSKY, Nicolas. Music of Latin America. New York: Da Capo Press,
1972.
STIMPSON, Michael The Guitar. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988
TURNBULL, Harvey. The Guitar from the Renaissance to the Present Day.
New
York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1974.
WADE, G. Traditions of the Classical Guitar. London: John Calder Ltd.,
1980.
Orlando Fraga - Master in Performance by The University of Western
Ontario,
Canada, and guitar teacher at the School of Music and Fine Arts of
Parana.
(Back)
Copyright@1996 Electronic Musicological Review, vol. 1.1/September 1996
Larry <lgch...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:a03shm$i7q$1...@dahlia.singnet.com.sg...
Igor_X
Carcassi, and Brouwer. It was published by Guitar Solo. Perhaps in
the years since I purchased these books, new ones have been published
about other composers, including Villa Lobos? I do not have the
latest GSP catalog, so I cannot check.
Please post any responses to this to this newsgroup.