UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Date:___________________ I, _________________________________________________________, hereby submit this work as part of the requirements for the degree of: in: It is entitled: This work and its defense approved by: Chair: _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ The Three Wind/Choral Works Of Heitor Villa-Lobos: Quatuor, Nonetto, and Choros no. 3 A document submitted to the Division of Graduate Studies and Research of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS in the Division of Ensembles and Conducting of the College-Conservatory of Music 15 August 2006 by Dwayne Corbin 220 Shasta View Dr. Redding, CA 96003 [email protected] B.M.E., Wheaton College Conservatory, 1997 M.M., Central Washington University, 1999 Dr. Terence Milligan, advisor and committee chair ii Abstract The compositional style of Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887 – 1959) changed significantly between 1921 and 1925, years that, not coincidentally, also included the composer’s first international travel. This change can be summarized in general by saying that Villa-Lobos turned away from the strong influence of French impressionism and European modernism in favor of creating a new style of music that reflected the character of Brazil. He named this style Choro, after the Brazilian folk music that he performed as a youth. In this document these claims are systematically supported through a detailed investigation of three works for winds and chorus: Quatuor, Nonetto, and Choros no. 3. These pieces were selected because they are Villa-Lobos’ only works for chorus and winds, were composed within four years of each other, and are historically significant compositions within the larger body of works by Villa-Lobos. After a description of the European, and specifically French, influences in Brazilian culture during the time of Villa-Lobos’ youth, each composition is examined to find how various musical elements point to either the French or Brazilian style. The composer’s use of rhythm, form, color, and instrumentation are individually described, and connections are made between the three choral/wind works to show that they exemplify, in miniature, the larger changes that Villa-Lobos made during these five years. iii Copyright notice The music examples from the following compositions are reprinted with the permission of Èditions Max Eschig and Durand and their parent company BMG Music Publishing: Chôros No. 3: Pica-Pao By Heitor Villa-Lobos Copyright © 1925 (renewed) by Associated Music Publishers, Inc. (BMI) International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Nonetto: Impressâo rapida de todo o Brasil By Heitor Villa-Lobos Copyright © 1954 by Associated Music Publishers, Inc. (BMI) International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Quatuor By Heitor Villa-Lobos Copyright © 1930 (renewed) by Associated Music Publishers, Inc. (BMI) International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Nocturnes By Claude Debussy Copyright © 2000 by Associated Music Publishers, Inc. (BMI) International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Used by permission. iv Acknowledgements I would like to thank my wife, Caryn, who has sacrificed so much over the past six years to allow us to pursue our dreams and most recently, given me the time to earn a doctorate degree. Her support, encouragement, and editing skills have been wonderful. She has accomplished much as a professional, though her greatest achievement was the carrying and birth of our son, Andrew, who has given us great joy in spite of the challenges that an infant creates while trying to complete a project such as this! I also extend many thanks to my advisor, Dr. Terence Milligan, who oversaw both this project and the lecture recital of the Nonetto that preceded it. Dr. Milligan has an incredible depth and diversity of knowledge and has been of particular assistance in elevating the writing style of this paper. My mentor at CCM, Rodney Winther, has been a wonderful teacher and friend over the past three years, and is a man whose vision and energy for wind music inspires me daily. I hope that in my career I will be able to have at least a portion of the skills and experiences of these two men. I would also like to thank the members of the CCM Chamber Players and my ad hoc choir who presented a concert of the Nonetto in January of 2006. Their labor on this difficult piece resulted in quite an enjoyable performance, and their insights taught me much about Villa-Lobos. Table of Contents List of music examples ………………………………………………………………………….. 2 Introduction: ……………………………………………………………………………………... 3 Chapter 1: The French and Brazilian Musical Influences of Villa-Lobos’ Youth ……………… 8 Chapter 2: Quatuor …………………………………………………………………………….. 18 Chapter 3: Nonetto……………………………………………………………………………… 34 Chapter 4: Chôros no. 3………………………………………………………………………… 63 Chapter 5: Synthesis and Conclusions …………………………………………………………. 72 Bibliography …………………………………………………………………………………… 76 Appendix A: Wind Ensemble Compositions by Heitor Villa-Lobos .…………………………. 79 Appendix B: Errata List for Nonetto, Based on the Published Scores and Parts.……….....…… 80 Appendix C: Issues Concerning the Choral Writing in the Nonetto Including Practical Suggestions to Facilitate Modern Performances……………...……...…………………. 81 Appendix D: Issues Concerning the Percussion in the Nonetto ....……………………..……… 84 Practical suggestions to facilitate modern performances; instrument definitions and appropriate substitutes; mystery of listed but unused instruments; part divisions for three players. 2 List of Music Examples Chapter 2: Example 1: Debussy Nocturne measure 2 and Villa-Lobos Quatuor II measure 89 Example 2: Quatuor II m. 77, choir only Example 3: Quatuor III m. 107 – 111 Example 4: Quatuor II, measure 96 Example 5a and b: Quatuor I measures 69-71 and III measure 3, b theme, celesta Example 6: Quatuor II measure 56, celesta Example 7: Quatuor I measure 187, harp Example 8a: Quatuor I measures 38 – 41 Example 8b: Quatuor II measures 63-64 Example 9: Quatuor III measures 33, celesta, and 172 – 173, harp Example 10: Quatuor I measures 90 - 93 Example 11: Quatuor II measures 1 -2 and Nonetto measures 22 - 23 Example 12: Comparison of similar themes from Quatuor, Nonetto and Chôros no. 7 Example 13a-c: The main themes of the Quatuor, present in 43.5% of the total measures Chapter 3: Example 1: Multiple-percussion set-ups for Stravinsky, Milhaud, and Villa-Lobos Example 2: Nonetto, rehearsal 49: Timpani and xylophone (1 player) Example 3: Nonetto, rehearsal 19 and 24: reco-reco Example 4: Nonetto, rehearsal 7, voices only Example 5: Nonetto, rehearsal 9, voices only Example 6: Nonetto, rehearsal 49, voices only Example 7: Nonetto, final seven measures Example 8: Nonetto, rehearsal 40 Example 9a and b: Nonetto, rehearsal 11, piano, and 16, harp Example 10a: Nonetto, rehearsal 2: score order altered to highlight rhythmic layers Example 10b: Nonetto, rehearsal 31 Example 11: Nonetto, measures 1 – 3, woodwinds Example 12a and b: Nonetto, rehearsal 1 and 17, clarinet Example 13: Nonetto, rehearsal 13 Chapter 4: Example 1: Choros no. 3, initial presentations of Nozani-ni and Enama kocê themes. Example 2: Choros no. 3, rehearsal 5, chorus Example 3: Choros no. 3, rehearsal 4, chorus Example 4: Choros no. 3, rehearsal 15 to 16, rhythmic reduction of choral parts Introduction The years from 1922 to 1925 proved to be a time of many new experiences, new opportunities, and changes for Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887 – 1959). He traveled outside of Brazil for the first time, lived in the vibrant musical culture of Paris for a year, and saw his music begin to be recognized internationally. During this time he was also part of a community of modernist Brazilian artist who began to turn their backs on the strong European influences that had for so long dominated Brazilian culture. These artists searched for ways to embrace their home country and infuse its rhythms, color, and language into their creations. Prior to 1922, the music of Villa-Lobos reflected that of the European composers whose works he had been studying on his own as well as performing regularly as a cellist in the Teatro Municipal. This Rio de Janeiro company performed classical and modern European works, including the Brazilian première of Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, and hosted Sergey Diaghilev and his Ballet Russe in both 1913 and 1917. The French influence on Villa- Lobos grew due to his study of d’Indy’s composition book Cours de composition musicale and his friendship with Darius Milhaud when Milhaud lived in Brazil from 1918 to 1920. Villa- Lobos used French titles, expression marks, and texts during the decade of the 1910s and often 4 imitated impressionistic style, using scales, harmonies, and instrumentation similar to those used by Debussy and d’Indy. In a large part, Villa-Lobos was motivated by the desire to become accepted by the Brazilian elite and critics who mostly ignored Brazilian classical composers. In 1922, Villa-Lobos presented his Quatuor and other works at the “Week of Modern Art” in São Paulo, a festival organized by modernist artists to raise public awareness of the achievements of Brazilian writers, composers, and visual artists. In the Quatuor Villa-Lobos sought to give an impression of daily Brazilian life, though the work largely sounded