A MUSICIAN OF THE STREETS

(. k��,t�. I (-i ... /./A VIEW OF HEITOR VILLA-LOBOS (I 7-1959)

CrJ 118 8 BY ELEITHERIA KOTZIA

Hl:.ITOR ILLA-LOBOS wa' a ·mu!>rcran of the s1rec1s·.

self-caught. in love with his country anc.I in prred hy the
Colklonc he111agc ot Brnzrl. w11h It' uniquely rich hlcnd of
African. I nd ran and Portuguc. e influence!>.
From Im earhc 1 c.lay" he c.11-.played a grcal mterc 1 rn
mu\lc Al the age ohi.x )Cur . he began 10 IUU) the 'iola:
al ten. the pr.lllo. the clarinet and. h1'1 of all. the cello anc.I
the gu rt.ir He pl.1)ed mdod1c-. 1ha1 he hean.l played by
1he s1rcc1 nrn..1c.:1;in<.
After the death in I 199 of hr' father. an amateur
mu�1c.:1an. Ill· "ai. lorb1dden Ill pla) the piano b} hi)t
mother. "ho had decided 1ha1 he must become u
rcspectuhk doctor (or something )timilar). Thh. fact did
nothing to m.1ke make: him le!.' 11Hcre...1cd rn 1hc popular
mus1c1anlt uf Rio and the ·choro,·. with whom he loved 10
make mu,1c. ltl d:rnc.:c and 10 "ng. lhe Hohem1 an hfc
pica cu him and. JI 16 years of age. he decided that music
would be h1' prolci.i.1on.
Al 1he age of 11 he old the prcc1ou' hooks that he had
inherited from h" father. in order IO trn,cl. fir 1 of all in
the north. then rn the ou1h. and la:,tl) 1n 1hc centre of
Bra11I Dur111g 1h1i. period he came into contact wi1h the
ammngl) rich anti colourful folk mu:.ic of 1hc variou
region' He ,11,0 composed hi'> fir 1 'ongi.. played the cello
and made mm1c "ith popular groupi.. I k relUmt:d 10 Rio
in 1912. w11h a great number of compol>itt0nll (The opera
/zahr. :,onatai. etc ). and abo'e all with a va-;t and \'11/u·l.ubui
profound know kdgc of i\fro-Braz1han m u.,1c .
II ''a' between 1908 and 1912 that he composed the unique. He traces a ne" d1rec11on for the rn.1rumcn1. the
Suue Pvp11/111n• Hresi/1e1111t• for guitar It 1s in four ·modern· gu11ar. hy d1 covering ne'' horizons both
movemen1,. �lazurka-chbro. Scho111sch-ch6ro. Val.a­ 1echn1call) and mus1call� We arc able to epara1e the 12
ch6ro. Ga,011a-chi1ro. I\ fifth mo'emcnt. Chorinho. i.1ud1es into two group . the firi.1 {I to 6) dealing with a
compo cd in Pam 111 19'.!J . wa:. added la1c::r a' an ending to prcc1!.e 1cchnical problem - arpegg1m. chord!>. -.lurs etc.
the su11e Al the hcg1nnrng of 1he century. European - and 1hc )lecond (7 IO 12) w1th the music itself a the
wahzes. polJ..as. man1rkali and cho111sche' were in vogue prime con)iideration.
in 1he salon' of nra1il. hut the 1nllucncc of Bra1il in 1hb Villa-Lobos wa!. 1101 only a compo!ier anti an orc.:hc�trnl
suite is abo oh'IOU'> The compo,er him elf 111,cd 1he word conductor. hu1 also a teacher On hi<. return to Brazil. he
'ch6ro' 1n ht'> 111k' in order 10 rccall 1he mu 1c "h1ch "a" dedicated more and more of ht!I 1111lc anti energy 10 mul11c
pla)ed h) the '>tret'I orche-.1ra.... education tn h1 country. He created choirs in the schoolc;.
In other re pcct . ht· took an 1111crclit in the great and compo cd or tran�cnhed \\Ork!> f o r large choir
class1calcompo,cr . ,110w1ng a pa' ion for Oach. Wagner. ( 12.<X>O 'oice�!). For 1he u. e of the schools. he publi..,hcd
Puccini and. lattcrl�. Dcbu ) and French Impre sioni m h111 book Guia Pratico. ba cd on the use of folkloric
his 1h1' 1110uencc. 1ha1 charac1eme-. 1he .,onori!le!> of the theme... I le created the Villa-Lobo Pnzc for school
1
WtetO fllilfi((J, \\ h1ch he \HOIC In 1917 for guitar. Oute. choiri.. heldconferencc�on mu�1e cdueat1on 1n Brazil. and
clannct. JXophone. harp and t·cle:.ta. rcprei.cnted his country in congrcM,cs on pedagogic
During the year-. that followed. he compo ct.I and themes. He al!io travelled abroad rn order 10 conduct (The
experimen1cd wi1h quanctl>. )lymphonieli. 1wo onata!> for Tcatro Colon in Buenos Aire!., the Venice Fe rival etc.).
cello and a �ymphon1c p<icm. (Ama:o"''·') . He '' as invited Villa-Lohos wrote Cluiros No I for -.olo guitar in 1920.
to dire ct. as conductor. manv orche�1ral concen at Sao a cfujro rn really popular i.tylc. full of .,yncopa1ions anti
Paulo. But h1H>"n mu�1c "a� much cri11c1 ed. caprice. D1s1rtb111rao de Floref. for guitar. nute anti
In 1923 he \\Cnl 10 Furope for 1he ltr!ll time and h\cd women\ choir. wa firM pe rfo rmed Ill 19J7. But after a
in Pan . but 11 "a' not until he returned there rn 1929 that length) pause. he thought afre-.h ahou1 the gu11ar.
be began to be \\ell kml\\ n and 10 'ee hi\ mu.,1c puhh�hed. compo rng rn 1940 the l>I>. Preludes. which are dedicated
Villa-Lobo IO\cd the gu11ar. played well. and took
pleasure m 11. Dunng the preceding year�. he had been
impr essed by 1he ·. "eet and rounc.1· �ouncl of Miguel PAULINO BERNABE
CO,t"t.10 t;ll t All.� ond �fl o• 'T (:tltr MIS
Uobe1 when he had performed 111 BraLil. But above all it Ptkt\ 1n1.lmtm� 'A" f111m L\ttfl to l�.'4'10
,,
lnorumC"nh1l( 1hc \Cf\ ftr'-tO •JU.Jhl) fr11m uur , sh'" �"'hi' k..Jm•
1t'&s his fncntbh1p with Andre!> Sq:ovia. whom he o1nJ 11'4.�1 \:'l�.,hd,tJ I u1h1t1\
/)f-'"''j '''""'
FOnsidercd ·an c\traordinar) an1,1'. that led him io write Jll'A TIIA' """. k !Sol• I " Ob1rlbutot1
If ku)•l \ "'� (".....-.n1, ( llRun, Krl•tul 6-\8 .Y\
his 12 S1ud1e for guitar (Pan:. 1929) hi: I021lt 7lJ?I� ll-lhr ••••<rplloMI
A'-.Jtabk 11 llWbt' k t,vlur t1111n'
In the 12 Studies. which he dedicated t0 Andre., 011 · �· •1 tilt Karblno. IANtd o.. 11th 10 ?9l� ' ""'"""
Segovia. \'1ll:i-Loho.·!> con1nhut1on 10 the guitar I!>
10 his wife. Thc!-C arc truly ·ballades· or ong of love. The
l-ix1h Prelude (which ii:- composer considered to be the
bci.t) i los1. A Ne,,v Record from
Villa-Lobos had a special affeclion for the Prelude:-.
which arc full of lyricism and Brazilian !>pirit. anu gave
Bedivere Records
them subtitle :
No. I. · Ly rical :vtclody·
No.2. 'C<1podt\cia Melody'
Nu.J. ·Homage 10 Bach'
RICHARD
oA. 'Homage to the Bni1ilian Indians·
No.5. ·Homage to Social Life"
I n 1942 Villa-Lohos cstablii.hed the Conllervatory of
GORRARA
Mu ic ·canio Orfeonico'. To" ardi. the end of his life. the
teaching of mu ic occupied him above all else but he plays
found the 1ime to accept invi1a1ions w direct h1. works in TARREGA,
many concen:. 1n 1hc USA. Paris. and London (the Bl3C
c1c.). In 1951 hc wro1e h1. las1compositionfor gui1ar.1he H. VILLA LOBOS.
Fanwsia Co11cer1a111e for guiiar and orchestra. Af1er he TURINA, RODRIGO.
added 1he cadenza. it became 1hc well-known guiiar
conceno. dedicated to Andre� Segovia.
SATIE
Oui1e apart from their mu:-ical heauty. 1he works for Available from all good
guitar hy Villa-Loho. arc very important. for they hear
witne s to a profound knowledge of 1he ins1rument
music record shops. or direct
together wi1h a comple 1cly new and universal sonori 1y 111 from:
an epoch where 1he repertoire wall inOucnced by 1he
Iberian origins and interpreters of the in·1rumcn1. A BEDIVERE RECORDS
·musician of the Mrec1s·. an auto-didact. a prolifi c and
45 Travelyan, Bracknell,
highly individual crea1or of 2.000 works. Villa-Lobos is
the mosl importanl Bni1ilian compo$Cr of 1he century. as Berks RG 12 4YO.
well a:- being the best-known l,a1in American com po. er.

Ch<;ros.- pop11"11 :;1rce1 e11sembl1•.'i (f/111e. clarim·t. at £4.95

trombone. guimr�. cm•aq11111hos etc.). Later. this 11amt' was
gii•e11 to a cerwi11 type of muJical impro1•ism1011 (music thm
was grnceful, happy. se111ime111al. ll'ilh a ltar111011_\
capriciow;/y 1·eeri118 from major 10 minor. ere. J.

Sources:
Groi•t•'s Dicuomirr. Lnroussr. lfeuor Villa-I.ohos and 1/te
NEW..
C11iwr(Santos, tr�ns. Forde & Wade). anides by Ncl on.
Coelho. Gladstone. Pieter.. Vidal. A1cvedo. Savijoki.
Ouart e . Fuller. Ribouillau1. Publications: Guitar
Review. Guiiar lnterna1ional. Cahicr de la Guitarc, etc.)

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