Heitor Villa-Lobos

20th Century · 1887–1959

Heitor Villa-Lobos learned his trade in the cafés and cinemas of Rio de Janeiro, playing cello in popular bands rather than sitting in conservatory classrooms. Born in 1887, he traveled through Brazil's interior soaking up folk and street music, and those sounds run through everything he wrote. A stay in Paris in the 1920s made his name internationally.

His output is vast, but its heart is the Bachianas Brasileiras, nine works that treat the style of Johann Sebastian Bach and Brazilian popular music as natural partners. From the 1930s he also directed music education across Brazil, organizing school choirs that sang in stadium-sized gatherings.

Start with Bachianas Brasileiras no. 5, for soprano and eight cellos; its wordless opening melody is the most famous thing he wrote. If you like guitar, go next to the 5 Preludes.

196 works in the catalog, across 5 genres. Log what you listen to with Opus, the classical music journal for iPhone.

Chamber

5 Prelúdios, A.419
Bachianas Brasileiras no. 1, for 8 cellos, A.246
Chôros no. 7, for flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, bassoon, violin, cello, and off-stage gong, A.199, "Setemino"
Sexteto místico, for flute, oboe, saxophone, harp, cello, and guitar, A.131, "Mystic Sextet"
String Quartet no. 6, A.468
String Quartet no. 7, A.435
String Quartet no. 8, A.446
2 Chôros, for violin and cello, A.227bis
12 Etudes, A.235
Alma Brasileira, for cello and piano
Assobio a jato, for flute and cello, A.493, "The Jet Whistle"
Bachianas Brasileiras no. 6, for flute and bassoon, A.392
Berceuse, for cello and piano, A.88
Capriccio, for cello and piano, A.91
Cello Sonata no. 2, A.103
Chôros no. 1, A.161, "Tipico brasileiro"
Chôros no. 2, for flute and clarinet
Chôros no. 4, for 3 horns and trombone, A.218
Concerto Grosso for Winds, A.565
Distribuiçao de flôres, for flute and guitar, A.381, "Distribution of Flowers"
Divigaçao, for cello, piano, and drum, A.461
Duo for Oboe and Bassoon
Duo for Violin and Viola, A.463
Fantasia, for saxophone and piano, A.490bis
Melodia sentimental, A.556
O canto da nossa terra, for cello and piano, A.250
O canto do capodócio, for cello and piano, A.251
O canto do cysno negro, for cello and piano, A.122
Pequena suíte for Cello and Piano, A.64
Piano Trio no. 1, A.42
Piano Trio no. 2, A.105
Piano Trio no. 3, A.142
Quintet for Flute, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Harp, A.538
Quinteto em forme de choros, for flute, oboe, clarinet, English horn, and bassoon, A.231
Sonata Fantasia no. 1, for violin and piano, A.51
Sonata Fantasia no. 2, for violin and piano, A.83
Sonhar, for cello and piano, A.86
String Quartet no. 1, A.99
String Quartet no. 2, A.100
String Quartet no. 3, Quarteto das pipocas, A.112, "Popcorn Quartet"
String Quartet no. 4, A.129
String Quartet no. 5, A.263, "Quarteto Popular"
String Quartet no. 9, A.457
String Quartet no. 10, A.468
String Quartet no. 11, A.481
String Quartet no. 12, A.496
String Quartet no. 13, A.503
String Quartet no. 14, A.519
String Quartet no. 15, A.523
String Quartet no. 16, A.526
String Quartet no. 17, A.537
Studio, for guitar
Suite para quinteto dupio de cordas, A.54, "Suite for Double String Quintet"
Suite populaire brésilienne, A.20, "Brazilian Folk Suite"
Trio for Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon, A.182
Élégie, for cello and piano, A.108

Keyboard

Chôros no. 5, A.207, "Alma brasiliera"
Rudepoêma, A.184
5 Canções de cordialidade, A.deest
12 Cirandinhas, A.210
16 Cirandinhas, A.220
A Fiandeira, A.176
Album 1, A.277
Album 2, A.276
Album 3, A.279
Album 4, A.280
Album 5, A.281
Album 6, A.282
Album 7, A.283
Album 8, A.358
Album 9, A.359
Album 10, A.284
Album 11, A.473
A Prole do bebê, A.140, "A família do bebê"
As três Marias, A.411
Bachianas Brasileiras no. 4, A.264
Baliado infantil, A.35
Baliado infernal, A.160
Brinquedo de Roda, A.45
Caixinha de música quebrada, A.256
Carnaval das 8 crianças brasilieras, A.157
Carnaval de Pierro
Children's Carnaval
Chôros no. 1
Chôros no. 2, A.198
Ciclo brasileiro, A.374
Danças características africanas, A.85
Feijoada Sem Perigo, A.deest
Francette e Piá, A.237
Guia Prático, folkloric melodies in 2 volumes, A. 276
Histórias da carochinha, A.148
Homenage a Chopin, A.474
Impressões Seresteiras
Lembranco do sertão, A.252
Marquesa de Santos, A.396
Melodia da montanha, "Mountain Melody"
New York Skyline Melody, A.407
O Gato e o rato, A.76
Ondulando, A.82, "Undulating"
Petizada, A.48
Poema singélo, A.434
Saudades das selvas brasileiras, A.226
Simples coletânea, A.134
Suite Floral, A.117
Suite infantil no. 1, A.53
Suite infantil no. 2, A.67
Sul América, A.217
Tristorosa, A.34
Valsa-scherzo, A.70
Valsa da dor in D major, A.316
Valsa lenta, A.43
Valsa romãntica, A.16

Orchestral

Bachianas Brasileiras no. 2, A.247
Bachianas Brasileiras no. 4, for piano and orchestra, A.424
Bachianas Brasileiras no. 7, A.432
Chôros no. 6, A.219
Chôros no. 11, for piano and orchestra, A.228
Fantasia, for saxophone, 2 horns, and strings, A.490
Guitar Concerto, A.502
Momoprecoce, fantasy for piano and orchestra, A.240
A lenda do caboclo, A.166
Alvorada na floresta tropical, A.513
Amazonas, A.118 Symphonic poem
Bachianas Brasileiras no. 3, for piano and orchestra, A.388
Bachianas Brasileiras no. 8, A.444
Canção do Amor, for guitar and orchestra, W546
Cello Concerto no. 2, A.516
Chôros no. 8, for 2 pianos and orchestra, A.208
Chôros no. 9, A.232
Chôros no. 12, A.233
Ciranda das sete notas, for bassoon and strings, A.325, "Dance in Seven Notes"
Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra
Cortejo nupçial, for organ and orchestra, A.491
Dança dos mosquitos, A.187
Dança frenética, A.144
Danças africanas, A.107, "Danses des indiens métis du Brésil"
Descombrimento do Brasil: Suite no. 1, A.377
Descombrimento do Brasil: Suite no. 2, A.378
Descombrimento do Brasil: Suite no. 3, A.79
Descombrimento do Brasil: Suite no. 4, A.380
Erosão, A.495, "Origem do Rio Amazonas"
Fantasia, for cello and orchestra, A.454
Floresta do Amazonas, symphonic poem for voice, male chorus, and orchestra, A.551
Genesis, A.522
Guitar Concerto, A.501
Harmonica Concerto, A.524
Harp Concerto, A.515
Introduction to the Choros, for guitar and orchestra, A.239
Introduction to the Chôros, W239
Ouverture de l'homme tel, A.508
Rudepoêma, A.310
Rudá, symphonic poem and ballet, A.504, "Dio d'amore"
Sinfonietta no. 1, A.115
Symphony no. 2, 'Ascensão', A.132
Symphony no. 3, "A guerra"
Symphony no. 4, for orchestra and brass, A.153, "A Vitória"
Symphony no. 6,, A.447, "Sobre a linha das montahnas do Brasil"
Symphony no. 7
Symphony no. 8, A.499
Symphony no. 9, A.510
Symphony no. 10, for 3 soloists, chorus and orchestra, A.511
Symphony no. 12, A.539

Stage

Menina nas nuvens, opéra-comique in 3 acts, A. 540
Uirapurú, symphonic poem and ballet A.133, "The Enchanted Bird"

Vocal

Bachianas Brasileiras no. 5, for voice and 8 cellos, A.389
Chôros no. 10, A.209, "Rasga o Coraçao"
2 Paisagens, A.462
As Costureiras
Ave Maria
Bachianas Brasileiras no. 9, A.449
Bazzum
Bendita sabedoria
Bendita Sabedoria: Biblical Settings for Chorus, A.543
Cair de tarde, song for voice and piano, A.544
Cançao do Amor, for voice and orchestra, A.546
Canção de cristal, A.494
Canção do poeta do século XVIII, A.486
Canções típicas brasileiras, A.159
Chôros no. 3, for male chorus and winds, "Picapau"
Cor dulce, cor amabile
Duas lendas amerindias em nheengatu
Epigramma, song for voice and orchestra,, A.173a/4
Historiettes, for voice and piano, A.165
Jardim fanado, A.525
Jose
Magnificat alleluia, for voice, chorus and orchestra, A.553
Modinhas e canções, A.365
Modinhas e canções, A.441
Poème de l'enfant et de sa mère, for voice, flute, clarinet, and cello, A.193
Preces sem palavras
Samba clássico, A.498, "Ode"
Serestas, A.216
Suite para canto e violino, A.95
Teirú, song for voice and piano, A.223/2
Veleiros, song for voice and piano, A.560
Vocalises-Estudos, A.245

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