7th Part - Contemporary Guitar Music on Books... Turibio Santos

...The case of Heitor Villa-Lobos would remain to be an exception. Being himself a guitarist, his language on the instrument has had the privilege of opening new paths.
Turibio Santos

Heitor Villa-Lobos e o violão
(Heitor Villa-Lobos and the guitar)
Publisher: Museu Villa-Lobos, Rio de Janeiro, 1975
Author: Turibio Santos


The concise book of Turibio Santos is a pioneering text with great information that has contributed in many research themes.

In the first chapter, Turibio Santos presents the relationship between Villa-Lobos and the strong Brazilian popular culture, his early writings of aspiring composer and all of these converging towards a vast and pioneering oeuvre dedicated to the guitar, in ambiances from a city "quiet and bourgeois" as Rio de Janeiro to the bustling, cosmopolitan Paris.

The author perceives the four parts of Suite Popular Brasileira – Mazurka-Choro, Schottisch-Choro, Valsa-Choro and Gavotta-Choro – as a musical portrait of the belle époque of Rio, and as "an embryo of Studies and Preludes". It also notes that the Chorinho, music composed in 1923 in Paris, is the only piece that "the lower range of the instrument has important role, as will happen from the Twelve Studies made in 1929" (SANTOS, 1975, p. 9).

In Chapter 2, he submits two of the most important moments in the history of the guitar of the twentieth century: Andres Segovia and Heitor Villa-Lobos meeting – here’s the famous description of this occasion, firstly, giving the speech to Villa-Lobos, and then to Segovia – and the creation of the 12 Studies. The author states: "On the one hand, Villa-Lobos opened a new vision for the instrument, a new technical and aesthetic standard, being Segovia the first beneficiary, and secondly, the great Spanish virtuoso helps in spreading the genius of Brazil throughout the world" (p. 14).

Chapter 3 is about the 12 Studies, which have written between 1924 and 1929. Turibio believes that many of the ideas in this series would be accumulated in the musical world of Villa-Lobos, long time before. Some of the reflections of Turibio Santos about Studies:

- Study 1 - regard it as a miniaturized Bachianas Brasileiras. Interesting his view that: "Although the use of open strings and chromaticism, in a single position, gives the guitar its maximum volume, the Well Tempered Clavier is constantly present" (p.16);
- Studies 2, 3 and 9 - development of formulas in the Carcassi, Carulli and Aguado way, and, in the accompaniment, it has had "influence of Chorão (musician from Choro style), although totally dominated by the scholar creator seeking to fill the gaps in the repertoire of the instrument" (p. 15);
- Studies 4 and 6 - very similar constructions to popular accompaniments;
- Studies 7, 10, 11 and 12 - these would be the great challenge for technique and an invitation to the innovations of the series;
- Study 10 - rhythmic cells derived from Samba or African music (p.19);
- Study 11 - an imitative treatment of cello sound in a song with Brazilian features, in contrast to the slightly impressionist ornamentation. In the central section: "the effect of campanela – at times using five 'E' notes from guitar and contrasting it with the fourth string D – marks a date in the history of the instrument" (p.20).

Turibio Santos perceived the last three studies as an arsenal for the appearance of the Preludes of 1940, mainly after shades of Study 11.

He warns about the complexity and the necessary effort in the implementation of these works by the students, adding special care, ie, there is the right time to do it.

Chapters 4 and 5 refer to the Preludes. Turibio Santos makes clear that Villa-Lobos’ output had been a constant call to the guitar, whether original works or transcriptions – at all times of his career, the composer always returns to the guitar.

In Prelude 4 "homage to the Brazilian Indian", the author notes the "perfect use" of the resonances of the guitar. "It appears throughout the work of Villa-Lobos, but here are overlaid, moreover, by the melody played with natural harmonics". He notes similarities among the central section of Prelude 4, Prelude 2 and Study 11, namely "a melody on the bass strings accompanied by an arpeggio based on a single position, presenting on instrument fret-board" (p.27).

At the end of the book, there is an extensive list of guitar works by Heitor Villa-Lobos, gathering transcriptions, chamber music with guitar and lost pieces. This list was established by the poet and composer Herminio Bello de Carvalho, great name of Brazilian artistic area – together, he, Jodacil Damaceno and Turibio Santos had had contacts with Villa-Lobos (between 1956 and 1958 in Rio), keeping notes and memories later adapted for this book.

For generations the name of Turibio Santos has been written in the history of the great performers of the guitar, and it is going to continue, certainly. This book is another fact that shows such greatness; his clear thinking to formally register all this information from Villa-Lobos himself, and shared in the 1970s, inspired numerous issues, because of his very perceptive version, even a glimpse of the magnitude that would be the work of Villa-Lobos, just more than 10 years after the composer's death (see the topic "The results of a work").

The book is out of print. Probably it can be found in university libraries, music centres and Villa-Lobos Museum (Rio de Janeiro).

More:
www.turibio.com.br