As we all know, Brazil is the largest country in South America, one of the members of the "BRICS" countries, and has a wide range of influence on a global scale. As a melting pot of diverse nationalities, Brazil, in addition to native Indians, has brought together immigrants from Europe, Africa and Asia in the past few hundred years, including Iberians, Romans, Goths, Phoenicians, Jews, Moors and a large number of African black slaves, who after a long period of mixed life and economic development activities, gradually integrated into a Brazilian national community, and jointly created a warm and inclusive Brazilian culture. In 1941, the famous Austrian writer Stefan Zweig, on his return to Brazil, wrote his affectionate book Brazil: The Country of the Future, in which he wrote: "Anyone who comes to Brazil does not want to leave here, no matter where he is, he wants to return to his embrace." Beauty is rare, and perfect beauty is almost a dream. ”
I think it is this inclusive and open culture that interprets and annotates the unique beauty of Brazil, and to find a modern symbol for this culture, it is not the famous writer Paulo Coelho, nor the legendary pelé or Garrincha, but the father of classical music, Heitor Villa-Lobos. Because his great music, which blends a variety of traditions and styles, is an excellent representative of Brazilian multiculturalism, as Zweig's profound insight: "Carlos Gomes (Brazilian 19th-century opera composer) only italianized Brazilian music, and it was Vera Robles who really integrated Brazilian music into the world." His melodies are very expressive and original, with a distinctive color. The colors are lively and poignantly psychedelic, reflecting the incredible beauty and spirit of Brazil. "It can be said that Vera-Robles for Brazil, as Piazzolla for Argentina, has transcended the realm of music, left its independence as a cultural phenomenon, and eventually became a spiritual symbol and cultural symbol of a country and a nation.
One
Villa-Robles was born on March 5, 1887, to a middle-class family in Rio de Janeiro, at a time when Brazil was transitioning from absolute monarchy and semi-colonization to democracy and complete independence. Her mother, Noemia, was a housewife who raised several children, and her father, Raul, worked at the National Library and was a well-known amateur musician. Every Saturday, many of the local leading musicians gather at Vera Robles' home and play until the next morning, a routine musical exchange that lasts for many years. There is no doubt that years of experience played a very important role in the musical enlightenment of Vera Robles.
Vera-Robles
At the age of six, his father changed a viola to a cello, and Vera-Robles began formal studies with his father, and his talent allowed him to improvise soon after. During the same period, Aunt Fifinha often played the preludes and fugues of the average rhythm piano pieces, and Bach's vibrant rhythmic dynamics, competing polyphonic melodies and unworldly emotions attracted Haittle. The great composer played a crucial role in Vera-Robles' creative career, especially in his masterpiece, The Nine Bachianas Brasileiras in the Bach Style, which became a source of inspiration and spiritual inspiration for Vera-Robles.
At that time, a small band called "Choroes" (Choroes) was popular at the family dance of the citizens of Rio de Janeiro, an instrumental group composed of young people who were passionate about popular music, and specialized in playing waltzes, polkas, tango and other dance music. At the same time, they also play various folk tunes using guitars, mandolins, violins, saxophones and black pipes, plus characteristic improvisational variations, such sentimental music is full of Brazilian nostalgia. These "Sholo" musicians became The Idols of Hayttle's mind, and their music became his first source of inspiration. As long as his parents didn't pay attention, he sneaked out of the house and mixed in the ranks of "Sholo" to have fun.
At the age of eight, Hittl lost his father, and his mother, hoping that he would have a legitimate career, sent him to a preparatory class in the university medical department to study, and forbade him to play musical instruments. However, the stubborn Vera-Robles disobeyed discipline and ran away from home at the age of sixteen, resolutely joining the ranks of "Sholo" musicians and beginning to play the cello, play guitar, clarinet or saxophone in cafes, bars, hostels, and theaters. The following year, he wrote his first work: a guitar song called "Pancakes." Since then, he has dedicated most of his music to this instrument.
Two
In 1500, the Portuguese fleet sailed to Brazil and declared it a colony. Since the 16th century, Brazilian music and culture have been heavily influenced by Portugal. In The plantations and mines of Brazil, a large number of black slaves from West Africa worked here, and these Africans brought a complex and bright rhythm of music. European and African cultures merge and collide in this land, eventually forming the unique mixed-race character of Brazilian music. In Brazilian music, you can hear the intricate rhythms of African Hermiola, you can also hear traces of the rhythms of Portuguese poetry, and Indian music can also be found. In the end, these musical elements are best interpreted by the guitar, which Brazilians often see as a percussion instrument, highlighting the strong and distinct rhythmic elements of their musical culture.
By the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, the guitar had occupied an extremely important place in Brazilian music. Brazilian music of this period took two main forms: One was Modinha, a sad song from Portugal, and the other was Lundu, a dance with strong rhythms brought by African slaves. Both forms are both art music and street music, often distinguished by the use of instruments: art music is performed by vocal and piano, and street music is performed by small bands, including guitars. By the late 19th century, the aforementioned "Shoro" band began to flourish, the guitar danced with the people's waltz, polka and tango in a very important role, and every year at the Rio de Janeiro Carnival, the "Shoro" folk musicians gathered in the city center to play freely. History will prove that Vera-Robles has raised the music of "Sholo", which was once only played in cafes, to unprecedented heights and played in every concert hall in the world.
With a sense of historical responsibility and a sense of national mission, Vera Poros embarked on a musical journey that had a profound impact on him. In 1906, at the age of nineteen, Haittle self-financed a trip across northeastern Brazil. He gained insight into the singing styles of local folk singers, witty black songs and dances, folk theatrical performances with dance and singing, improvised song contests, etc., and he wrote down more than 3,000 folk songs, which became an important source of his future creations, as he himself said: "The map of Brazil is my enlightened harmony textbook". Three years later, Vera-Robles made his second trip north, this time to an isolated Indian tribe with a phonograph and a few records, and began his musical experiments. He first played a very conciliatory piece of music, to which the Indians wept like mourners of the dead; then he changed a record record recorded from another tribe, and they burst into laughter, dancing ecstatically while making a gesture of worship to the record player. This strange and interesting experience, the primitive and simple people, and the magnificent and mysterious nature had a major impact on the musical aesthetic of Vera-Robles.
After returning from a journey, the talented Vera-Robles added to his confidence. In 1910 he began writing his solo works and worked as a cellist in an orchestra on track. Three years later, he participated in the performance of the Ballet of Russia, in which the works of Impressionism and Early Modernism greatly stimulated his desire to create. Shortly after marrying the pianist Lucilia Gumaraes, he began writing music reviews, and a musical star was on the rise.
Three
Villa-Robles owes much of his fame to the famous Polish-American pianist Arthur Rubinstein. In early 1918, the pianist came to Rio de Janeiro for a recital, and two manuscript collectors took him to the theater to meet the young Vera Robles, where he was playing his work African Dance. During the break, Rubenstein approached Vera Robles to congratulate him, but was unexpectedly robbed by the other side: "You are a master of skill, you can't understand my music." The next day, however, Vera-Robles took twelve of his colleagues to knock on Rubinstein's door and played his work to him one by one. As a result, the two became lifelong friends. Rubenstein used his solo concerts to promote his work and recorded a full set of recordings.
Vera-Robles directs the cover of his own orchestral portfolio
Vera-Robles began to rise to prominence. In 1922, he accepted his first official draft and composed the Third Symphony, War, which premiered on Brazilian Independence Day of the same year. In 1923, he received funding from the government and philanthropists to perform and publish his own works in Paris, which was warmly welcomed by radical Parisian musicians. On weekends, many well-known artists often come to his apartment to chat and share Brazilian cuisine, and he admits: "Stravinsky's 'The Estedi of Spring' is the greatest music he has ever come into contact with. Four years later, he went to Paris and gave concerts in many European cities, conducting different orchestras to perform his work. During this time, Vera Robles began to gain international prestige in the music industry, and he was a great integrator in the field of music.
In 1930, when Vera-Robles was invited to return to China, he devoted himself to improving music education. Deeply aware of the embarrassing situation of music education in Brazil, he formulated a complete set of school music syllabuses and edited and published many choral songs for mass singing and school education. The following year, he organized a choir called "Civic Discipline", a huge choir of nearly 12,000 people from all walks of life in São Paulo. Later, with the support of then Brazilian President Getulio Vargas, Vera-Robles organized an even larger choir of 400 million students. In 1942, Vera-Robles founded the National Academy of Choral Music, which he wanted to stimulate music education in primary and secondary schools and improve the national musical quality of the entire Brazilian nation.
Brazilian 500 Crozzado 1987 Brazilian composer Vera Robles Centennial Birthday Commemorative Banknote
In his later years, Villa-Robles was appreciated by leopold Stokowski, a well-known conductor who was also of Polish-American descent, and accepted the invitation of the American composer Werner Janssen to come to the United States in 1944 to conduct his works, receive various awards, be commissioned to create new works, and collaborate with major American musicians. In 1957, Vera-Robles turned 70 years old, and the Brazilian Ministry of Education and Culture declared the year "Vera-Robles Year", and official celebrations were held in New York, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and other places. It can be said that this is the highest honor that a person, an artist, can enjoy when he is alive.
Vera-Robles died of cancer in Rio de Janeiro on 17 November 1959 at the age of 72.
Four
Vera-Robles wrote more than 3,000 musical works of various themes in his lifetime, and the number of compositions was staggering. He was once asked, "What is folklore?" His answer was bold and direct: "I am folk music." He then added: "A truly creative musician is able to create from his own imagination a melody that is more reliable and realistic than folk music itself." It is true that he himself rarely directly quotes Brazilian folk melodies in his creations, but his works have penetrated the temperament of Brazilian folk music, and his personality has long been integrated with national identity, and this invisible fusion is the spiritual charm of Vera-Robles music.
Of course, there are more than 3,000 works in Yangyang, but the best of them are enough to rank among the greatest music of the 20th century, including 14 "Shoro" suites, 9 "Bach-style Brazilian Suites" and 17 string quartets. Composed between 1920 and 1929, the "Sholo" suite is a 14 independent pieces composed of different instrument combinations, ranging from guitar solos to symphony orchestras and mixed choruses. In these pieces, Vera-Robles, with his unique skill, elevated the popular music of the citizens "Shoro" to the height of artistic music, such as the third "Woodpecker", written according to the folk songs of the Indians in the Paressis Mountains, depicting the original sound world of the indigenous people of the Brazilian interior, which is inseparable from his experience of traveling north. The fifth song, "The Soul of Brazil", combines all aspects of Brazilian national identity, especially two contrasting themes appear in the middle part, one clear and vibrant, and the other is the heavy rhythm of folk dance, the former symbolizing the young Brazilian nation, and the latter emphasizing the Indian and black elements of the Brazilian nation.
The tenth is the famous "Broken Heart", which summarizes the feeling of facing the magnificent nature, and has become the representative of this suite because of its high degree of modern technique and strong artistic appeal. Of particular note is its orchestration, where Vera-Robles employs a large orchestra and a mixed choir, and employs many superb and special techniques: such as the repetition of instruments within a few octaves; the playing of different chords in a chord by instruments of different races; fragments imitating themes in very high or very low pitches, etc., making the work a model of the most perfect blend of local musical elements with modern compositional techniques. In an introduction to the piece, the composer writes: "The work shows the reaction of a civilized man to the reckless wasteland and his contemplation in the face of the Amazon basin, the state of Marto Grosso and the land on both sides of the Barra River. ...... The Heart of the Brazilian beats in unison with the land of Brazil. ”
Composed in 1930-1945, the "Brazilian Suite in the Bach style" was a firm believer in the natural in-law relationship between Bach music and Brazilian folk music. In Brazilian folk music, for example, each instrumental part has a striking autonomy and independence, which can easily be reminiscent of Bach's polyphonic music. With this belief, he boldly combined Bach's characteristic spirals, polyphonic textures, and rhythmic rhythms with Brazilian folk factors to create these ingenious music. Each of these movements has two names: one of the European Baroque era and the other of The Brazilian native. Examples include the prelude - Embrad (a witty folk song and dance), the kig - the phalanx of the Brazilian interior, the tocata - music competition, the fugue - conversation. It can be said that Vera-Robles uses Brazilian national music materials to expand Bach's polyphonic thinking to a higher level, so that the folk music melody unfolds in it, and finally presents a model of modern music works that combine the characteristics of classical, national and modern multiple styles.
Five
In general, the "Shoro" suite and the "Brazilian suite in the Bach style" are recognized as the representative works of Vera-Robles. But in fact, the 17 string quartets that he has composed for 42 years are also one of the most valuable works in his musical arsenal, and also the best of the string quartets of the 20th century, and some musicologists have praised them as "quartet treasures other than Bartók and Shostakovich". Throughout his life, Vera-Robles explored and pioneered this musical form, and until the year of his death, he was still conceiving his eighteenth string quartet, as Haydn and Beethoven had done in this field.
Cover of the vera-Robles string quartet
For this genre, Vera-Robles once said that her idol was Haydn. But in fact, whether it is the external form or the inner spirit, his works are always far from the classical style. He often put aside the quartet style and directly replaced the whirling with Brazilian folk music, so his string quartet also had a colorful timbre, jumping and bumping like a samba, which I am afraid was beyond the reach of composers in the cold regions. Therefore, Vera-Robles's string quartet is neither melodic as Haydn's, nor philosophical like Beethoven's, nor as lonely and introspective as Shaw's, and his quartet style is more mixed and diverse, both the outward-looking fiery of South American culture and the exquisite introvertedness of European culture, which is full of frustration and tension like the tango music in South America.
If the Bach-style Brazilian Suite is a portrait of the vast coastline of eastern Brazil, the three violins, with a solid cello as the backbone (don't forget that the first instrument of Vera-Robles learning was the cello), offer a better picture of the complex and varied ecosystem and beauty of western Brazil near the Andes. And along with them, the listener is fully appointed to a group of relatively unknown South American composers such as Alberto Ginastera in Argentina or Silverstre Revueltas in Mexico. Like his other genres, Vera-Robles emphasizes the contrast between conflict and extreme material, but not as sour as Shaw or Bartók, and his harmonic terminations are mostly crisp and cheerful, and even the most esoteric and dense ninth string quartet, which musicologists call, unfolds on top of a triplet motive, in a Paganini-style "moto perpetuo" style. In terms of my listening experience, these quartets are better heard than the works of Shaw and Bartók.
When listening to Vera-Robles' string quartet, I often think of a quote from The Taiwanese music critic Mr. Liu Hansheng: "Outside of Astor Piazolla's Tango, I think the Villa-Lobos string quartets should be one of the richest treasures of South American music, like the Amazon rainforest." The only difference is that this music is definitely worth developing deeply, and it will not be destroyed by humans or eliminated by history. "As an outstanding representative of modern Brazilian music and even culture, Vera-Robles may not be as famous as The King of Balls Bailey and the supermodel Gisele Bündchen, but time will tell, and he will stand like the holy icon at the top of Christ Mountain forever in the temple of human music, waiting for generations of music fans to listen to the colorful notes he created.