ASC Mentor Shares Love of Music from her Homeland

Ana Lucia Oliveira is a mentor in the ASC's Martin Hames Arts Mentoring Program and a Research Associate at UAB.

 

If you think Brazilian Classical Music, you think Heitor Villa-Lobos. However, Villa-Lobos was not always known and appreciated like he is today, nor did he care about it! Not many people could see in his compositions (and there is a lot of them!) a very intelligent, talented, intense and unique musician. Villa-Lobos was a lovely rebel. He once said he made music simply because he could not live without music. Villa-Lobos was exposed throughout his life to both classical and popular styles of music. His music education started at home (he learned to play the cello with his dad) but he also attended traditional classical music school (which he quit without graduating). In addition, Villa-Lobos was also always involved with and fascinated by the music that came from the people, from the streets, from all corners of Brazil. He traveled extensively throughout Brazil and abroad. He deeply appreciated and tried to bring into his music all the diversity and musicality Brazil always had. One of Brazil’s hallmarks has always been how ethnically rich its music is. Villa-Lobos made a mark to himself from his ability to not just add popular themes to classical music (like others had already done before him) but how he was able to incorporate ethnic music (popular instruments, and popular music styles) into classical compositions by making something truly unique. The quest for finding what was the true identity of Brazilian classical music and rejecting the idea of just following the norm (what was thought and heard in Europe at the time, and what Villa-Lobos considered as lacking imagination and creativity) was actually a quest shared by many Brazilian artists at that time in many areas such as literature, poetry, visual arts and music. This rebellious quest to finding and expressing the true national identity in the arts became an official movement during the “Semana de Arte Moderna” (Week of Modern Art) meeting in Sao Paulo in 1922.

Probably the most famous of Villa-Lobos compositions are Bachianas Brasileiras. In this series, Villa-Lobos was inspired by the resemblance he found between the music of Bach and ethnic music from the Northeast of Brazil. In Bachianas # 2 Tocata (O Trenzinho Caipira), you can see Villa-Lobos true talent shine as he uses the orchestra instruments to mimic the sounds of a train. My favorite, however, is the Bachianas Brasileiras # 5 Aria (Cantinela). I am not sure how to explain it, since I do not know much about Bach, but this piece of music feels to me like a truly classical piece that is so familiar and appeals so much to me as a Brazilian (maybe it speaks straight to my Northeastern Brazilian DNA!). For more information on Villa-Lobos you can visit The Villa-Lobos Museum web page at www.museuvillalobos.org.br (versions in Portuguese, English and Spanish).

It is not a mere coincidence to have conductor Gil Jardim and Branford Marsalis in concert playing Villa-Lobos. Jardim is a Doctor conductor, a university professor, who is also in true contact with the classical and the popular aspects of music. He considers himself as very fond of “Third Stream” musicians (those that can translate and transpose both ethnic and classical music into a third music language: the “Third Stream”; more or less like Villa-Lobos himself, but pretty much without the nationalist approach to it). Marsalis is a musician also very much in tune with popular and classical styles of music, best known as an extremely talented jazz musician. Jazz the style of music that is truly American (nationalist) and also with some degree of improvisation (freedom) and that inspired Darius Milhaud (also in the program) to incorporate Jazz elements into classical compositions. I think Villa-Lobos would definitely say “Sim” (yes) and be very happy with this ensemble!

Birmingham is the last stop of 40 days (28 concerts) of the Brazilian Philarmonia and Marsalis playing Villa Lobos (a celebration of 50 years of Villa-Lobos death). So come with and open mind, a kind heart, true love of good music and talent, and be ready for an evening to be remembered for the years to come.