Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Bachiana Brasileira No. 5 ( Villa-Lobos)



In keeping with music from Latin America, listen to what is certainly considered a definitive performance of a beloved piece by Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959). Victoria de los Ángeles is incomparable! Also, listen to Bidu Sayão!

This is the fifth Bachiana from the series of nine suites, which constitutes the complete series Bachianas Brasileiras. This one is scored for soprano and orchestra of violoncelli (1938/45).

The two movements are:
Aria (Cantilena) (lyrics by Ruth V. Corrêa)
Dansa (Martelo) (lyrics by Manuel Bandeira)
Posted by Milagro Vargas at 8:19 PM
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7 comments:

  1. UnknownApril 8, 2017 at 5:35 PM

    I absolutely love this vocalize. I’ve heard it done in a few orchestrations, with voice and guitar, as well as with two violins and voice. Each time I hear it I find new colors and love the unique harmonic and textural language that Villa Lobos uses. The second movement is new to me; the pizzicato mixed with heavy string writing provides a really unique accompaniment for the voice, and I’m very impressed with how this singer manages to hum so high with such consistent timbre.

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  2. AshleighApril 9, 2017 at 8:41 PM

    The legato of the soprano is beautifully written. The accompaniment is not what I would have expected with the pizzicato. I agree, it is very unique. The second movement has moments when it seems like it was taken out of an opera. When the humming starts at the end, the melody sounds very Latin American. Wonderfully sung.

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  3. UnknownApril 9, 2017 at 9:28 PM

    Another favorite of mine, possibly because I absolutely love the cello. This is one of the more exotic tributes to
    Bach and even though Villa- Lobos was certainly influenced by Spain and France, there is an unmistakable feel of the Brazilian jungle and the indigenous people about much of his music. This is some of his best writing that combines lush strings with a seamless vocal line.

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  4. UnknownApril 9, 2017 at 10:30 PM

    The harmonies and the color. Without text, the listener can hone in on these aspects of the music. I love the early music influence as well as the dramatic changes in harmonies. The humming sounds like different vowels, and i love the way she handles the dynamics within the humming.

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  5. Marjorie S.April 16, 2019 at 9:16 AM

    I thought it was so beautiful. This piece has such gorgeous sound world to it and I feel that it exemplifies "duende." The vocalise fits beautifully over the orchestra of cellos. It feels very complete, which I think is one of the characteristics that makes a composition good.

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  6. YaoyunApril 16, 2019 at 11:49 PM

    The opening is so attractive, which created by the lyrical and legato vocal line with charming cello voices. I feel that the characteristic rhythm of cellos sounds very traditional and also feel the melodic and lyrical vocal line shows the French influence. I really enjoyed the humming part honestly.

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  7. TrevorApril 21, 2019 at 12:54 AM

    For my final soapbox moment I need to quickly comment on how underrepresented Spanish music STILL is! Somehow we focus on all the European oldies when so much music is out there that is influenced by that music while creating completely enticing soundscapes! This piece by Villa-Lobos is truly incredible and captures everything that a voice without words should have, and then we he adds text he stays true to much of its stresses. Obviously I have heard of Villa-Lobos prior to this, but there is just so much good music out there that I hope it all gets performed and performed well!!

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