Largely self-taught, Villa-Lobos embraced the spectrum of Brazil, from its flora and fauna to its peoples and culture.
The musical life of Heitor Villa-Lobos is once again on display, with Rio’s Villa-Lobos Museum reopening its doors this week.
In celebration of Brazil’s Bicentennial year, 1822 – 2022
This week’s Brazilian Minute: The Musical Life of Heitor Villa-Lobos
Catch up with other Brazilian Minute episodes you may have missed!
Script from Audio:
Welcome to Brazilian Minute, brought to you by the Consulate-General of Brazil in Chicago and the Brazilian Foreign Ministry’s Cultural Department.
If I say “Brazilian Music” you might think Bossa Nova, Samba, MPB, or Brazilian Jazz. But one of Brazil’s most famous musicians is known for his classical music. Composer Heitor Villa-Lobos.
Born in Rio de Janeiro on March 5th, 1887, Villa-Lobos moved to Paris in 1923. There, he met many of the top composers and artists of the day, including Prokofiev, Stravinsky, and Picasso.
Villa-Lobos wrote about 2000 works – from guitar inventions to symphonies and chamber music. Often drawing on the ethnic variety of Brazil itself.
He’s best known for his ‘Bachianas Brasileiras’, nine compositions that combine the spirit of Johann Sebastian Bach with the powerful rhythms and folk styles of Brazil.
Each year, Brazil’s National Classical Music Day is celebrated in his honor.
Read and listen to new weekly episodes of The Brazilian Minute. It’s brought to you by the Consulate General of Brazil, in Chicago and the Brazilian Foreign Ministry’s Cultural Department.
More on: The Musical Life of Heitor Villa-Lobos
The Villa-Lobos Museum
Composer Heitor Villa-Lobos carried the influence of 1922’s Week of Modern Art forward to the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim, and many of the great names of MPB, including Chico Buarque, Uakti, and Caetano Veloso.
Plan a visit to the Villa-Lobos Museum (Museu Villa-Lobos) in Rio de Janeiro. You’ll gain a better understanding of his contributions to Brazilian music.
Organic creativity
Spacious gardens surround this colonial-era mansion in Botafogo. It’s an idyllic setting for preserving the musical life of Heitor Villa-Lobos. Founded in 1960 by Villa-Lobos’s second wife, it is home to thousands of original documents, manuscripts, and personal letters.
This is an impressive collection. For example, there are 1,600 photographs, programs, and posters of his concerts, in addition to sound and audiovisual files. In 2019, the museum digitized much of the collection to ensure a lasting legacy.
In 2020 Museu Villa-Lobos presented its first virtual exhibition, “Native Brazilian Music”. Most importantly, more than 50 images and recordings of Brazilian songs were included. Plus, the museum also presents a variety of cultural and educational activities. This includes music concerts and performance art.
Reopening
Closed to the public during the COVID-19 shutdown, The Villa-Lobos Museum will reopen this week, on March 7, 2022. Hours of operation are from 10 am to 5 pm.
Importantly, the museum’s website states “ The exhibition “Memories of Arminda”, since June 2021 available on the Google Arts & Culture platform, makes its “in-person” debut, and will be open from Monday to Friday, from 10 am to 5 pm.
“Memories of Arminda” deals with the trajectory of Arminda Villa-Lobos (1907-1985), the “Mindinha de Villa-Lobos”, second companion of the composer and first director of the Villa-Lobos Museum (1960-1985).
Visit the museum’s website for more information:
Location
The Villa-Lobos Museum
R. Sorocaba, 200
Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, Brazil
22271-110 map
Phone: +55 21 2226-9020
Music, Travel, Friends and Fun! 2022 marks Connect Brazil’s 25th year.
The Musical Life of Heitor Villa-Lobos
Did you enjoy ’The Musical Life of Heitor Villa-Lobos’? If you did, why not join us at Connect Brazil?
Sign up for our emails on music, travel, friends, and fun. Listen to our ‘always live’ streaming station and our streaming music channels, always free. Browse our Lifestyle Directory. Click here to like our Facebook page and here for Brazilian events coast to coast.
