Heitor Villa-Lobos

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CENTENÁRIO DO NASCIMENTO DE HEITOR VILLA-LOBOS

Nascido a 5 de março de 1887, no Rio de Janeiro,Heitor Villa-Lobos teve por pais pessoas oriundas de distinta classe social.

Muito cedo o próprio pai, Raul Villa-Lobos, inicia-o nos estudos de solfejo e teoria musical, bem como na prática do clarinete e do violoncelo.

Com a morte de Raul Villa-Lobos, aos 36 anos de idade, vitimado pela varíola, a situação econômica de sua numerosa família entra em fase crítica, aliviada quando o Senado Federal adquire, para sua biblioteca, parte dos livros raros de propriedade de Raul Villa-Lobos, ex-funcionário do Senado.

Outras referências à difícil fase vivida pela família Villa-Lobos são poucas. Sabe-se que, ao terminar seu curso de humanidades, e por pressão materna Heitor Villa-Lobos matriculou-se na Escola de Medicina e cursou ó primeiro ano.No ano de 1903 em diante começam a aparecer referências às atuações de Villa-Lobos como intérprete em clubes e teatrinhos particulares e, posteriormente, integrando-se em pequenas orquestras que animavam sessões de cinema mudo.

Os biógrafos de Villa-Lobos narram que, com o dinheiro obtido pela venda de livros raros, herdados do pai, Villa-Lobos percorreu vários Estados brasileiros, em íntima convivência com a música do povo. Sempre com a finalidade de assimilar as manifestações do folclore, percorre as regiões do Sul e Centro Oeste, fechando a rota com uma permanência na Região Norte. Foi um período de vital importância para sua obra, porquanto vivenciou o mundo tropical da Amazônia, o que o levou a fixar-se no indigenismo.

De volta ao Rio de Janeiro, em 1912, conhece a pianista Lucilia Guimarães, que se tornou sua esposa, em 1913. Nessa época Villa-Lobos encontra-se em intensa atividade criadora, abordando os mais variados gêneros.

Em 1917 conhece o músico de vanguarda francês Darius Milhaud, que, dois anos após, Ihe proporcionaria, embora de forma indireta, o seu fundamental encontro com o famoso pianista Arthur Rubinstein.

Villa-Lobos começa a se impor no cenário cultural brasileiro. Em 1922 tem destacada participação na Semana de Arte Moderna em São Paulo, cujo sucesso permitiu-lhe viajar para a Europa em 1923. Sua permanência foi de apenas um São Paulo onde, através de sociedades artísticas, deu concertos e obteve o amparo oficial para o projeto da Caravana Artística que, em trem, percorreu inúmeras cidades paulistas.

A convite da Sociedade Wagneriana de Buenos Aires viaja para a capital argentina e Montevidéu onde dá concertos e se torna conhecido nos meios artísticos.

Viaja para Paris em companhia de Lucilia. Dessa vez obtém o sucesso desejado, ao apresentar-se em 24 de outubro e 5 de dezembro de 1927, na Sala Gaveau. Daí em diante é reconhecido e consagrado. Em 1930 volta ao Brasil, apesar de já famoso em toda a Europa, com obras apresentadas por grandes regentes.

Inicia-se, então, sua fase de preocupa,cão com o desenvolvimento do país. Em São Paulo obtém apoio governamental para a realização de caravanas musicais pelo interior do Estado. Mais tarde, no Rio de Janeiro, promove gigantescas concentrações orfeônicas em estádios de esporte. Escolhe o canto coral como meio de formar musicalmente a juventude brasileira. Para isso, compõe o Guia Prático (1932), antologia folclórica que também publica em versão para piano.

Desde o retorno da Europa, a genialidade de Villa-Lobos foi-se incorporando ao patrimônio artístico-cultural do Brasil. Suas composições empolgam as platéias européias e americanas. A suíte Prole do Bebê (1918-1926), para piano, levou o nome de Villa-Lobos a figurar nos programas dos grandes pianistas, entre eles Arthur Rubinstein. São também obras-primas as Cirandas ( 1 926).Com as Bachianas Brasileiras, cuja origem remonta às suas peregrinações pelo interior do país, quando constatou a semelhança de modulações e contracantos do nosso folclore com a música de Bach, Villa-Lobos caracterizou-se como um dos maiores músicos do nosso tempo. Em todo o mundo as Bachianas são as mais conhecidas de suas obras.

Reconhecido como gênio musical, recebeu toda a sorte de homenagens, privou com reis e chefes de Estado, conheceu a glória em vida e em glória faleceu em 17 de novembro de 1959, no Rio de Janeiro.

Museu Villa-Lobos FUNDAÇÃO NACIONAL PRÓ-MEMÓRIA


BIRTH CENTENNIAL OF HEITOR VILLA-LOBOS

Heitor Villa-Lobos was born on March 5th, 1887 in Rio e Janeiro/Brazil. His parents came from an eminent social class. Early in his life, his own father Mr Raul Villa-Lobos introduce him to the schooling of solfege and musical composition as well a to the study of clarinet and violoncello.

When Raul Villa-Lobos died of smallpox at the age of 36 th economical situation of his big family became critical. However later on, it was eased when the Federal Senate bought to its library rare books belonging to Raul Villa-Lobos who had been a Senate employee.

Exist only few references concerning the hard life of Villa Lobos family. It is known that after the conclusion of his course in Humanities, Villa-Lobos was pressed by his mother to register himself on the Medicine course at the school of Medicine where answering his mother request, he finally attended the first year c the mentioned course.

News about the performances of Villa-Lobos as a player in clubs and private small theaters started to be reported from 1900 Later on, he carried out the tasks of orchestral player for small orchestras that used to gladden the performances of silent films.

The biographers of Villa-Lobos wrote that with the money h got from the sale of rare books which he had received as heritage he traveled many Brazilian States living together with people" music. Villa-Lobos had always purposed assimilating folklore during his trips toward South/Central/West regions of Brazil ending his route at the North where he decided to stay a certain period of time. It was a very important period for his work, since he lived together with the tropical world of Amazon. We can also consider it an experience that pushed him to themes related with Brazilian Indians.

Back to Rio de Janeiro, in 1912, he met the pianist Luciliz Guimarães who, in 1913, became his wife. In this period \/illa Lobos creation was very rich spreading over several genres.

In 1917, he met the avant-garde French musician Darius Milhaud who, two years later, in an indirect way, introduced Villa Lobos to the famous pianist Arthur Rubinstein. This meeting was fundamental to his career Villa-Lobos started then to be respected in the Brazilian cultural circles. In 1922 he had a towering participation in a event called "MODERN WEEK OF ART". The success of his performance in it gave him the opportunity to travel to Europe in 1923, where he stayed only a year since he did not have enough money to support himself there. Under the circumstances he returned to Brazil and went to São Paulo where, by means of Artistic Associations he performed concerts and received official aid to organize an artistic caravan that traveled by train toward several inland cities of the State of São Paulo.

Invited by Wagnerian Society of Buenos Aires he went to the capital of Argentina and Montevideo city where he performed concerts and became a known figure of the artistic life. With his wife Lucilia he traveled to Paris where he had the desired success with the performances dated October 24th and December 5th, 1927 at Gaveau room. From then on he became famous and renowned. In 1930 Villa-Lobos came back to Brazil in spite of being already famous Europe wide and having his work performed by great conductors.

Starts then the period during which he was worried with the development of the country. In São Paulo city he got the Government's support to organize musical caravans toward São Paulo's interior. Later on, in Rio de Janeiro he organized giant choral performances in gymnasiums. The choral was the means chosen by Villa-Lobos to form musically the Brazilian youth. In order to make effective his purpose he prepared "GU/A PRÁTICO" (1932) a folklore anthology which was also published in a version to piano score.

Since he returned from Europe his genius was little by little incorporated into the Brazilian artistic/cultural patrimony. His work aroused the enthusiasm of the European and American audiences. With the suite "Prole do Bebê" (1918/1926) Villa-Lobos' name became part of .the program of famous pianists like Arthur Rubinstein. The "Cirandas" (1926) is also considered a masterpiece With the "Bachianas Brasileiras" whose origins return to his trips toward the interior of the country - when he had the opportunity of verifying the similar features existing between the modulations/chants of Brazilian folklore and Bach music - he became the foremost composer of today. World-wide Bachianas is his most famous work.

All kind of homage was paid to him since he was recognized as a musical genius. Villa-Lobos was the one who had the opportunity to meet privately kings and Heads of State. He found fame during his life as musician and died famous on November 17th , 1959, in Rio de Janeiro.

Villa-Lobos Museum NATIONAL FOUNDATION "PRÓ-MEMÓRIA"


 


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Last updated: 03/29/10.