280
MY MUSIC IS
NATURAL, LIKE
A WATERFALL
BACHIANAS BRASILEIRAS (1930–1945),
HEITOR VILLA-LOBOSB
razilian classical composer
Heitor Villa-Lobos had two
lifelong influences. As a
child, he became fascinated by the
work of J.S. Bach after his aunt
gave him Bach’s collection of 48
preludes and fugues, The Well-
Tempered Clavier. He was also
captivated by the traditional music
of his own country and traveled
widely, collecting folk music in
northern and northeastern Brazil
and playing alongside musicians
in his native Rio de Janeiro.
Increasingly, Villa-Lobos sought
ways of combining the rich musicaltraditions of Brazil with elements
of Western classical music. In the
late 19th century, Latin American
composers had begun to explore
similar ideas. Composers such
as Alberto Nepomuceno used
Brazilian folk melodies in works
with conventional classical forms.Integrated styles
With Bachianas brasileiras, a
collection of nine suites of varying
lengths written for different
combinations of musicians, Villa-
Lobos took this idea much further,
integrating folk and classical
elements very closely. He did
this by applying the contrapuntal
techniques of J.S. Bach to
Brazilian musical forms, in a bold
combination of apparently alien
traditions that fit together perfectly.
Like Bach’s suites, each of the
nine pieces that form Bachianas
brasileiras has several dance
movements. Villa-Lobos gave most
of the movements two titles, one
drawn from Baroque music (such
as Toccata or Fugue) and one a
corresponding Brazilian name
(such as Desafio or Conversa).
In addition to drawing on popular
Brazilian forms like the Modinha,
a type of sentimental love song, theIN CONTEXT
FOCUS
Classical music in Central
and South AmericaBEFORE
1869 Brasílio Itiberê composes
A Sertaneja, a rhapsody for
piano, and one of the first
Brazilian classical works.1890 Alberto Nepomuceno
writes his String Quartet No. 3
“Brasileiro,” which includes
Brazilian folk melodies.AFTER
1932–1933 Argentinian
composer Astor Piazzolla
writes his first tango.1939 Silvestre Revueltas
composes orchestral music
with Mexican rhythms for the
film La Noche de los Mayas.1946 Suite de danzas criollas,
Op. 15 by Argentinian
composer Alberto Ginastera
uses folk melodies in a series
of dances for piano.A truly creative musician
is capable of producing,
from his own imagination,
melodies that are
more authentic than
folklore itself.
Heitor Villa-LobosUS_280-281_Heitor_Villa_Lobos.indd 280 26/03/18 1:01 PM