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