Heitor Villa-Lobos - Bachianas brasileiras No. 4 (1941-42)

Heitor Villa-Lobos (March 5, 1887 – November 17, 1959) was a Brazilian composer, described as "the single most significant creative figure in 20th-century Brazilian art music". Villa-Lobos has become the best-known South American composer of all time. A prolific composer, he wrote numerous orchestral, chamber, instrumental and vocal works, totaling over 2000 works by his death in 1959. His music was influenced by both Brazilian folk music and by stylistic elements from the European classical tradition, as exemplified by his Bachianas Brasileiras (Brazilian Bachian-pieces). His Etudes for guitar (1929) were dedicated to Andrés Segovia, while his 5 Preludes (1940) were dedicated to Arminda Neves d’Almeida, a.k.a. "Mindinha." Both are important works in the guitar repertory.

Bachianas brasileiras No. 4, W264, 424
1930-41 (original for piano); 1942 (orchestral version)

1. Prélude (Introdução)
2. Choral (Canto do Sertão) (3:57)
3. Aria (Cantiga) 9:04
4. Danse (Miudinho) (14:49)

New World Symphony conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas

Description by Joseph Stevenson [-]
Seeking to influence the wide-ranging social policy of Vargas' "Estado Nova" (New State) to include national music education, Heitor Villa-Lobos began two major projects: the Guia Prático (Practical Guide), a music curriculum using Brazilian materials; and the nine Bachianas Brasileiras, dedicated to demonstrating a link between Brazilian music and the themes of Johann Sebastian Bach. In 1930 he produced three pieces for the Bachianas, including the eventual fourth movement of this Bachiana, for piano solo. Over the next few years he added three additional movements to make a four-movement suite. In 1941 he orchestrated them for a full symphony orchestra with two flutes plus piccolo, two oboes plus English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, seven trumpets, three trombones, tuba, strings, and a percussion section of timpani, bombo, tam-tam, xylophone, and celesta. The piano version of this Bachiana premiered in November 1939 with Viera Brandao at the keyboard. The composer conducted the world premiere of the orchestral version in 1942.

As is the usual case with Bachianas Brasileiras, Villa-Lobos stressed the conjunction of Bach and Brazil by giving dual titles in Portuguese to each movement, one reflecting a Bach form, the other suggesting the Brazilian nature of the music.

The first movement is called, somewhat redundantly, "Prelúdio; Introduçao." It is a monothematic movement in B minor with a theme whose Bachian quality is the first aspect to strike the listener. Later rhythmic development adds Brazilian elements to it, but the movement never departs from working with the single theme.

The second movement is also notable for a smooth and graceful melody. "Coral; Canto do sertão" (Chorale; Song of the Sertão) is also in a slow tempo, being marked "largo," with a faster middle section. The Sertão is the dry brushland country of the northeastern part of Brazil, which has its own distinct folk music.

Unusually in this series Villa-Lobos uses a genuine folk tune in the third movement, "Aria; Cantiga." (Both the Bachian word and the Brazilian mean, essentially, "song"). The folk song is from the northeast and is called "O mana, Deix'eu ir" (Oh, sister, let me go). Villa-Lobos uses his favorite form for a Bachiana movement, a slowish (Moderato) opening and closing section contrasting with a fast (Vivace) central section. Brilliant Brazilian rhythms add a festive tone.

The final movement, "Dansa; Miudinho," uses the samba-like rhythms of the dance called the miudinho. This movement is rhythmically insistent and remains in the fast tempo of Molto animato. Villa-Lobos used the same theme in "Vamos, Maruca" ("Let's go, Maruca"), No. 128 of the Guia Prático.

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