Villa-Lobos and Donga

I came across a great book by the guitarist and former Museu Villa-Lobos Director Turibio Santos, called Heitor Villa-Lobos and the Guitar. Originally published by the Museu in 1975, an English translation from Wise Owl Music came out in 1986. Here's a cool chapter about Villa's early days amongst the choroes.

Donga is Ernesto Joaquim Maria dos Santos (1890-1974). He wrote what is often considered the first Samba. That disc dropped 100 years ago, in 1916.

A few years ago I posted this at Tumbling Villa-Lobos. It gives another picture of Villa-Lobos hob-nobbing with the top popular musicians of the day.

"I went out for some bohemian fun with [historian Sergio Buarque de Holanda & journalist Pedro Dantas] the other night. With Villa-Lobos and Gallet, too. We went for an evening of guitar music and a drop of cachaça [cane liquor] with three true Brazilians - Pixinguinha, Patricio, and Donga."
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The sociologist & cultural anthropologist Gilberto Freyre meets the greatest popular musicians - sambaistas - of Rio de Janeiro, from a diary entry in 1926. As usual, Villa-Lobos is right in the middle, as is his colleague Luciano Gallet. This is from the fascinating book The Mystery of Samba: Popular Music and National Identity in Brazil, by Hermano Vianna.

Turibio Santos plays Introdução aos Choros

Here's an archival video of Turibio Santos playing the rare Introdução aos Choros, with the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo directed by Diogo Pacheco. The Introduction to Choros is a "Symphonic Overture" to the Choros series, and includes themes from a number of Choros. Note that the first Choros, for solo guitar, is played immediately following the Introdução.

The video is undated; my guess, based on hairstyles, would be late 1970s.

VL on Cultura FM - November 2007

Here are Villa-Lobos performances upcoming on Cultura FM from Sao Paulo. Listen here on the Internet. Times are local Sao Paulo times, one hour ahead of EST.

Nov. 10, 2007
10:00 CIRANDA - Academia Brasileira de Música: VILLA LOBOS - Uirapurú. Orquestra Sinfônica da Paraíba. Dir.: Eleazar de Carvalho./ Egberto GISMONTI - Memória e Fado. / Água e Vinho. Marcos Vinícius (violão)/ Ricardo TACUCHIAN - Transparências. Richard Albagli (vibrafone). Max Lifchitz (piano)/ Claudio SANTORO - Estudo n° 1/ Duas Invenções a Duas Vozes / Três Prelúdios. Gilda Oswaldo Cruz (piano)

Nov. 11, 2007
19:00 NOVO MUNDO - A Música das AméricasHeitor VILLA-LOBOS - Choros n° 4. Quinteto Villa-lobos./ Aaron COPLAND - Suite Billy The Kid. Orquestra Sinfonica da radio Tcheca de Brastilava sob direção de Stepehn Gunzenhauser. / Francisco MIGNONE - Maracatu do Chico Rei. Orquestra Sinfoncia do estado de São Paulo sob direção de John Neschiling.

Nov. 12, 2007
20:00 O BRASIL DE VILLA-LOBOS com Turíbio SantosSymphony n° 2 Ascenção Radio Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart e Dança do Índio Branco: Jose Ed. Martins (piano).

Nov. 15, 2007
22:00 SALA DE CONCERTO.VILLA-LOBOS - Descobrimento do Brasil (Quatro suites). Orquestra Nacional da Radiodifusão Francesa. Reg.: Heitor Villa-Lobos. / GUERRA PEIXE - Museu da Inconfidência. Orquestra Sinfônica Jovem de Milwaukee. Reg.: Manuel Prestamo.

Nov. 19, 2007
20:00 O BRASIL DE VILLA-LOBOS com Turíbio Santos.Sonata n° 2 ,Cello e piano ,Wolfgang Haufer (cello). Steven Swedish (piano). Suíte para voz e violino - A Menina e a Canção. Quero ser Alegre. Sertaneja. Jennifer Foster (soprano). Benny Kim (violino). 5 Prelúdios. Jodacil Damasceno

Nov. 24, 2007
10:00 CIRANDA - Academia Brasileira de Música.VILLA-LOBOS - Concerto para violão. Sharon Isbin (violão). Fialrmônica de Nova York. Dir.: José Serebrier./ Egberto GISMONTI - A fala da paixão. Sujeito a guincho. / Francisco MIGNONE - Valsas choro 1 a 6 Francisco Mignone (piano) / CAMARGO GUARNIERI - Suite mirim. Beatriz Balzi (piano).

Nov. 25, 2007
19:00 NOVO MUNDO - A Música das Américas.Alberto GINASTERA - Suite Panambi. Filarmonia Hungarica sob direção de Zoltan Rozsnyai./ Heitor VILLA-LOBOS - Sinfonia n° 6: sobre as linhas das montanhas do Brasil./ Guilhermo RIFFO - Suite Ritual de la Tierra. Orquestra Sinfonia nacional Juvenil do Chile. Dir.: Guilhermo Riffo.

Nov. 26, 2007
20:00 O BRASIL DE VILLA-LOBOS com Turíbio Santos.O Guia pratico por Clara Sverner- 11 cadernos.

Andy Summers at the Villa-Lobos Museum

Police guitarist Andy Summers visited the Villa-Lobos Museum in Rio de Janeiro in February 2003.

"Like many guitarists I have lived with this music through most of my playing life. Lived with these seminal works by Villa Lobos that sit in your head like a monolithic presence. Like a place you know and love, it is music that you invariably return to once again to take in its exotic aroma."

Here is his really interesting interview with the VL Museum Director Turibio Santos.

I've been listening to Summers' One Train Later on his OTL MySpace page. This is really cool! I love his story about Roxanne starting out as a Bossa Nova. Buy the book - you'll find out the significance of "The Farting Zombies".