Río de Janeiro (Brasil), 1887 – 1959

By Alberto Ikeda

He is the Brazilian composer with the greatest presence and recognition in the international classical music scene. Despite the predominant concerns with music of a national (Brazilian) character in most of his works, from a certain period onwards, his compositions transcended mere local interest, and dozens of them became part of the international repertoire of concert musicians and orchestras, as evidenced by concert programs and the hundreds of recordings of his works that circulate worldwide.

Villa-Lobos began his musical education in a family environment and did not engage in long-term music studies with teachers or at academies, nor did he go abroad for further training, as was common at the time of his studies. Many of his skills were thus acquired through self-taught processes. From a young age, he began to play the cello in various orchestras, theaters, cinemas, hotels, dances, and cafes/restaurants. There, he interacted with popular musicians, including groups performing choro (a type of predominantly instrumental popular music ensemble, from which the genre identified as choro or chorinho originated around 1870-1880). Also, in his youth, he traveled to various regions of the country as a musician, driven by his interest in regional music.

He was quite personal and had an exuberant creative temperament, and Villa-Lobos only traveled to other countries to promote his compositions. The first country he visited was France (1923), which was then a global cultural reference. His first compositions date back to 1900, but it was from 1914 and 1915 that he began to engage in a more systematic effort to promote his music, often generating strong criticism for his aesthetic boldness. He gained good exposure for his work as a composer following an important event of artistic and literary renewal that took place in São Paulo in 1922, called the Semana de Arte Moderna, which garnered significant attention due to its controversial aesthetic proposals. However, by the time he participated in this event, he was already an experienced author. He was the only Brazilian composer invited to be part of the program alongside foreign authors, especially the French, precisely because of his quest for modernity.

Controversies

In addition to his work as a composer and conductor, during the 1930s and 1940s, Heitor Villa-Lobos also played a significant role as a leader of a civic-educational proposal based on music, known as canto orfeônico, which had begun in the late 19th century, primarily in São Paulo. This movement was centered on civic-patriotic principles and national exaltation through singing. These activities became official and reached several states in Brazil. Many of his proposals received negative political criticism due to the grandiloquent and exaltative initiatives inspired by totalitarian political principles. It is worth noting that, between 1937 and 1945, Brazilians lived under the Vargas dictatorship, known as the Estado Novo.

In fact, the composer’s entire life was marked by controversies, which he skillfully used to his advantage, as his self-centered temperament led him to approach anyone who could assist him in achieving his goals without scruples, including wealthy patrons, musicians, other established composers, and politicians, even from authoritarian backgrounds. However, much of the recognition of his works came from his acknowledged innovative spirit and his intense efforts to promote his music in various countries across Europe and the Americas. Villa-Lobos interacted with virtually all the notable musicians and composers of his time and received awards and honors in many countries, including honorary doctorates in music from the Universities of New York and Miami in the United States.

Work and Influence

His body of work is vast, one of the most prolific in the history of Western music, ranging from simple harmonizations of children’s folk songs for recreational and educational use (many recorded as his own) to monumental symphonies and concertos, operas, chamber music for various instrumental formations, religious music, anthems, film music, ballets, and pieces for solo instruments, voice, and choir. His influence is evident in many classical composers and also in numerous popular Brazilian musicians, as seen in well-known names like Tom Jobim and Egberto Gismonti.

In this regard, one can highlight the interest sparked by some of his compositions, which have been recorded for a more popular audience, including “O trenzinho caipira,” the fourth movement (Tocata) from the piece Bachianas Brasileiras No. 2 (1930), frequently performed by instrumentalists and sometimes recorded with lyrics by the poet Ferreira Gullar. Similarly, another song has gained interest in recent years: “Melodia sentimental,” originally for orchestra and soprano, with a poem by Dora Vasconcelos. Part of the suite Floresta do Amazonas (premiered in 1959), it has been recorded numerous times by popular singers such as Maria Bethânia, Zizi Possi, João Bosco, Djavan, Ney Matogrosso, and Teca Calazans.