Heitor Villa-Lobos - outline



I.  Latin American Music - Brazil

     A.Influences

       1. Negro

       2. Indians (see Fig.1)

       3. Portugese

     B. History of Music in Brazil

       1. Gregorian chant taught

       2. Domination of European influence through 19th c.

       3. Rise of political nationalism/ music nationalism

       4. Carlos Gomes and contemporaries use native dances in their scores

       5. 1922- Week of Modern Art in Sao Paulo

       6. Modernism

     C. Folk Music

       1. Many different races contribute

       2. Strong national spirit

       3. evolved from dances

     D. Dance (see Fig.2)

       1. Evolved through history

       2. Dual function as song and dance

       3. Maxixe, Samba Carioca, Choros, Embolada - urban

       4. Batuque, Coco, Congado, Jongo, Lundu - African

       5. Modinha - European influence



II.  Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)

     A. Early Years

       1. Family

       2. Vagabond Lifestyle

       3. Education - National Institue of Music

       4. French cultural grip on Brazil

       5. 1915 - First concerts of works: Canticos Sertanejos (1907), Suite

populaire bresilienne (1908- 1912), Izaht (1912-1914), Amazonas, Uirapuru

(1917), A Prolo do Bebe no.1 (1918)

     B.  1918 - Paris Years

       1. Darius Milhaud and Arthur Rubenstein

       2. Heard music of Debussy - Impressionism

       3. 1923 - Grant given to go to Paris

       4. 1927 - Villa-Lobos Festival held in Paris

       5. Popularity with publisher Max Eschig

       6. Andre Sergovia - 12 Etudes for Guitar, Vidapura (1919), Carnaval

das criancas (1919-1920), Malazarte, O Prolo do Bebe no.2 (1921), Rudepoema

(1921-1926), Nonetto (1923), Cirandinhas (1924), Momoprecoce (1929), Choros

1-14 (1920-1929) (see Fig.3)

     C. Return to Brazil - 1930

       1. 1932 - Director of Music Education

       2. SEMA

       3. Orpheonic Singing/monossolfa

       4. Stadium Concerts

       5. Toured U.S. 1940's to his death - Bachianas Brazilianas

(1930-1946), Guia practico (1932-35), O Rio (1932), Boris Godunov (1933),

Modinhas e cancoes (1935- 1943), New York Skyline Melody, As tres Marias

(1939), Magdalena (1947), Big Ben (1948), Yerma (1955-1956), Floresta do

Amazonas (1958)



III. Villa-Lobos - Works   (see Fig.4)

     A. Characteristics

       1. pedal points

       2. 7th chords

       3. Long melodic lines (modinhas)

       4. unstructured

       5. lush orchestrations

       6. ostinato chords

       7. progressions of 9th and augmented chords

     B. O Prolo do Bebe No.1

       1. O Punchinello - Listening (see Ex.1)

       2. Each doll represents a race in Brazil

       3. Impressionistic influence (see Ex.2)

     C. O Prolo do Bebe No.2

       1. "A baratinha de papel" (little paper bug) - Listening (see Ex.3)

       2. less French influence

       3. Use of Brazilian melodic rhythmns

     D. Choros

       1. No.1 for solo guitar - Listening

       2. point of departure

       3. expanded the style to many orchestrations

       4. No. 5 for solo piano - Listening

       5. modinha - first section, middle section typifies the dance-like

            choros

     E. Bachianas Brazilianas

       1. No.5 for soprano and eight cellos- Listening (see Ex. 4)

       2. A true modinha

       3. Incorporation of Bach and Brazil



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