Who is villa lobos

As a result Villa-Lobos was able to play many musical instruments at a very early age. In his early youth, from 18 to 25, Villa-Lobos traveled around Brazil and African Caribbean nations, assessing, observing and learning different native musical styles and their characteristics.

This helped him in composing his first ever musical composition called Piano trio No. After he returned from his tours to Rio in , Villa-Lobos tried briefly to start his formal education but his love and passion for music altered his thoughts about any formal education.

He spent most of his time playing instruments and composing music For the next ten years he played cello as a freelancer in numerous cinemas and theatres.

At last he internationally gained acknowledgment when he composed his third symphony A Guerra which was mostly funded by the government. Between to Villa-Lobos saw more success. In these seven years he found himself at centre of attraction in the musical world of Paris. Immensely funded and commissioned he indulged himself in writing more and more musical compositions despite the failing health.

His musical compositions were being broadcasted widely and recurrently performed. Ultimately he returned to Brazil and in s immersed himself in spreading public music education. His father, a teacher and a civil servant, was also a musician; he teached his son both the clarinet and the cello. Heitor also learned the guitar on the quiet, against the will of his mother who wanted him to become a doctor.

In , he leaves his tough life and visits the North of Brazil. The year that follows, after having visited South which he finds quite disappointing , he composes Canticos Seranejos for a small orchestra Leaving his harmony studies, which he finds uninteresting, he travels through the different Brazilian states with his musician friend Donizetti. At the time, they live from many small performances in villages. Back in Rio, he writes operas, strings works, piano works, as well as liturgical works.

Quickly enough, his music overcomes borders. Villa-Lobos, with the help of patrons, stays in Paris where he meets many artists, such as F. The manuscripts are lost. The first two were reductions from those written for Band in The manuscript, recently discovered, is dedicated to Eduardo Luiz Gomes, a Villa-Lobos' guitar student. It was written in August 12, and bears the following inscription: 'This is a study; I don't consider it as serious music'.

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 Choro 1 was written in 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. For request of Olga Praguer Coelho, a famous soprano then, it was reduced for voice and guitar from the original for voice and piano. Manuel Bandeira, the famous poet, wrote the lyrics.

Although this collection had been composed between and , 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 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 of continuos arpeggio, which means the right hand remains steady, doing the same movements while the left hand explores the fingerboard. 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 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 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 of counterpoint. Its introduction is a pedal in thirds soon followed by a modal melody that reminds the viola caipira 13 , i.

Another study of chords. It is quite clear the influence of the Argentinean tango on its harmonies. 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 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 of chords, slur and arpeggio. Its monotony reminds the very inner life of the countryside, like the Study 5. 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. 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.

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. 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 , 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 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. This work, for female choir, flute and guitar, was premiered in December 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.

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 , with words by Ruth Valadares Correa. Villa-Lobos, at first, thought it was enough. The guitar and J.

Bach were the Villa-Lobos biggest passions.