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The Music of Heilor Villa-lobol

Although Villa-Lobas was an extraordinarily prolific
composer -so much so that he himself CQuid nof remember
how many pieces he had composed -he did not really write
that many works for the guitar. He is remembered for his 12
studies, 5 preludes (originally 6, but one is 10sl). the suite
popular Brasileira and his one guitar concerto. He did write
other pieces for the guitar which have either been lost or
remain unpublished. and some chamber music which is less
well-known. Maybe Ihe movements that make up the Suite
8rasileira arc a little 100 derivative of their European
prototypes and do nOt possess the individual character of the
five preludes, and certainly some of the studies are bener
than 01 hers, but all of his guitar works are of a very high
quality.
Firstly. I would like to consider the main musical
influences upon his style. These arc: the nalive folk music of
his country, Brazil. the music of Bach, the Romantic
Impressionism of Chopin and Debussy, and his own
familiarity with and feeling for the guitar. In some of his
works, thcse clements are synthesised so that the innuellces
areinsparable from each other.
The inrluenceofBach
Villa-Lobos loved the music of Bach so much that he devised
a series of chamber pieces called Bochianas Brasileiras which
reflected the character of Bach's music in a Brazilian image.
One of these pieces (the Hachianas no.5) was composed for
soprano and 8 'cellos. Later, Villa-Lobos rearranged the
work for soprano and guitar. Bach's influence is felt not so
much in any complex counterpoint but in the lexture of
Villa-Lobos' music. The Bac:hianas Brasi/eiras nO.5 is a
most evocative example, so too is the study no. 1 in a less
direct way. The repeated arpeggio patterns of this study are
in exactly the same spirit as Bach's Prelude in Cminorand
lirrle prelude in D-minor.
E'''ple 1
BACU, ?KELlItUDBNUk IACII, I'IElUDEIN !Uk
,
VlL.A-LO8O5:Siudy m.1
Another aspect of Bach's influence is revealed in the last
pan of his Prelude no. 3 which consists of sequential patterns
very much in the Baroquestyle.
LamplcVlI.ORUS: FeIude3
Villa-Lobos and folk music
Villas-Lobos has been drawn 10 folk-music since he was a
child. He even travelled through the countryside in Brazil.
penetrating the Amazonian forests to meet distant Indian
tribes. and wrote down their music. He also changed and
developed the ch6ros which was originally an instrumental
serenade played by street musicians. The movements of the
suite popular renect Ihis developmenl: Malurko-choro,
Schottish-choro. Va/sochoro, GovOlla-choro. He gave to
each of these Classical and Romantic dance-movements a
dislinctly popular Brazilian character.
..ple VlMLoMO5...... ...
._...
!
The Choros no. 1 is an even more vivid example with its
dotted rhythms and 7th chords like an embryonic samba!
8QWVIU.ALOIOS, Cmm1
Romantk Impressionism

I
The Romantic influence is felt strongly nOt only in the sheer
concept of the 12 studies which is reminiscent of Chopin's
o .. n work in this genre but also in the melodic grace and
nuidity of such pieces as the Mazurka-Choro:
b.mple 5 V1.lALOBOS Mmmm<hro
While the main part of this Marzuka is Chopinesque the
ending owes more to Debussy.
J
";I.r VI. II * 1 At'" 198j

""pl" VILLALOIOS: MmmW<m

For the main part the preludes are not folkloric in spirit, but
rather improvisatory and lyrical. This is not surprising, for
VillaLobos was himself a guitarplayer. good enough to
play some of his own guilar pieces convincingly. The
preludes sound as if they were composed with a guitar on his
lap. a pencil behind his ear, and manuscript paper on the
lable in front of him! This exploratory. improvised
character is parlicularly obvious in the beginning of prelude
no.3
E""pI8 v1LLALOIOS: lude no.3
also in prelude no.2. and prelude nO.5. Each of these
preludes is structured very simply wilh just two or three
contrasted ideas making up the pieees. The menglh of the
music derives from Ihe sheer simplicity of means and
idiomalic wriling for Ihcguilar. for in terms Oflhc guitar the
contrast of musical ideas stems from sweeping tunes on the
lower strings (as in preludes nos. I and 4) and cascading
arpeggios across the strings (preludes nos. .2and4).
TheSynlhesls
In some of VillaLobos' pieces there is a synthesis of allihe
various aspects discussed above. The middle section of siudy
nO.11 is guitarislically a brillianl notion with ils unisons
across three mings and yet the whole piece has qualities
U.mple VILLAI.OROS: Stud,I.11
which are at the same time haunting, romantic (the
introduction especially) and impressionistic. So, toO, the
study nO,7 where the intensely lyrical melody in the middle
section is accompanied by strangely shifting harmonies.
bUlple. VILlALOIOS: Study m?
'. . ~ ~
r-

Players' guide to Interpretation

When music becomes as familiar to our ears as the Villa
Lobos guitar works, it is very difficult to imagine the pieces
in their raw state, in other words as they were conceived in
VillaLobos' own imagination, and before .they were
"filtered" through familiar interpretations. But try you
must. if you are to endow this wonderful music with the
freshness and spontaneity it contains, rather than get
trapped into imitating famous records and performances,
which can only mah your playing sound stale and
derivative.
Consider first the various lempiindicated by VillaLobos.
The study no. I is marked Allegro non (roppo, the fim part
of prelude nO.5 is poco onimato and the $ond parI is

marked meno. and the prelude no.2 is marked Andanlino

while the middle arpeggioseclion is only marked pill mosso.
What docs all this add up to? It means Ihat if you reconsider
such a fundamental aspect as tempo by going back to the
music and theeomposer'sown indications. you may begin to
understand the music for yourself . I have chosen those
particular examples above as they arc often played at varied
speeds.
After due consideration to tempo, look again through the
music for indications about expression. Are )ou really
playing a ritardando in bar 4 of prelude no. as VillaLobos
indicated,
ul.ple 10VltLAtOlOS: WIudem1
and as he himself did in his own recording of this piece? Are
you really playing an accent on the first beat of bar 2 of
prelude IlO.4?
Enmple 11VILLAWHOS: Prelude HO.4
f n:ab U
' W- =
P _ L
M
And what about dynamics? Takeexampk II again: are your
/orlesreally for\e. and your pianissimosreallypianissimo?
It is only by qUC5tioning every aspect of your
interpretations that you will give your own personal
charactcr to this music -indced. it is only by qUC5tioning
every aspect of music. and especially reived notions, thai
you will develop your own musical personality. As far as
received nOlions about ViUaLobos arc concerned; he is
often described as being "exotic" and i'original", but whal
does that mean? Surely eXOticism has more Eastern
associations than anything Villa-Lobos composed.and 8
far as originality is concerned surely all remembered
composers are original in one way or another -the rest are
forgollcn. VillaLobos' distinction does not lie in his
origillolity when compared to olher we1lknown composers,
because thcy of /share Ihal dislinclion. bm in the quality and
character or his music. These arc the aspects which I have
discussed above in the hope of avoiding eliches which help
neither understanding nor interpretation.
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