Page 283 - (DK) The Classical Music Book - Big Ideas Simply Explained

MODERN 1900–1950 281

See also: St. Matthew Passion 98–105 ■ The Art of Fugue 108–111 ■ Bartók’s String Quartet No. 5 270–271

American soprano Lucy Shelton
performs Bachianas brasileiras No. 5,
which is scored for soprano and cellos,
at the Symphony Space in New York
City, in 2010.

composer also introduces elements
of program music, using the
instruments of the orchestra to
portray scenes such as a small
steam train traveling through the
Brazilian landscape in Bachianas
brasileiras No. 2.

Structure and influences
The suites of Bachianas brasileiras
are very varied in instrumentation. on the cello and soulful solos for America. This movement spawned
Some are for full orchestra, No. 1 is the saxophone and trombone. The a range of approaches, from the
for an orchestra of cellos, and No. 6 influence of Bach spans not only music of composers such as
is for just two instruments, flute his suites but also his Musical the Mexican Silvestre Revueltas,
and bassoon. The most famous of Offering, a collection of canons with its rhythmic drive and vivid
the suites is No. 5, for eight cellos and fugues, and the Two-part orchestration, to the works of
and a soprano soloist whose part Inventions, short keyboard pieces. Argentinian composer Astor
combines wordless vocalization Bachianas brasileiras was part Piazzolla, where classical elements
with lines from Brazilian poetry. of a wider movement among Latin are applied and adapted to the
Further Brazilian elements in American composers, combining tango. Villa-Lobos led the way
Bachianas brasileiras include music classical orchestration and forms in showing how a blend of South
heard by Villa-Lobos on his travels with certain elements, rhythms, American and classical elements
and a street urchin’s song from Rio, and themes drawn from the old could work and popularized
together with guitarlike pizzicatos native music of Central and South its results all over the world. ■

Heitor Villa-Lobos Heitor Villa-Lobos was born in for use in music education, as
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1887. well as the Bachianas brasileiras.
Resisting family pressure to After 1945, he traveled widely
become a doctor and preferring again, building a vast body of
the company of musicians, he work—more than 1,500 pieces,
left home to travel through Brazil, including 12 symphonies and
supporting himself by playing 17 string quartets. Long after
the cello and guitar. his death in 1959, at the age
Between 1923 and 1930, he of 72, he has remained Brazil’s
spent most of his time in Paris, best-known composer.
where he absorbed European
music and composed prolifically, Other key works
completing his series Chôros,
a collection of instrumental 1919–1920 Carnaval das crianças
and choral pieces in 1929. After 1920–1929 Chôros
returning to Brazil the following 1953 Harp Concerto in A minor
year, he produced patriotic pieces 1959 Yerma

US_280-281_Heitor_Villa_Lobos.indd 281 26/03/18 1:01 PM