Piano Concerto No. 4 (Villa-Lobos)

Last updated
Piano Concerto No. 4
Concerto by Heitor Villa-Lobos
Heitor Villa-Lobos (c. 1922).jpg
Heitor Villa-Lobos
CatalogueW505
Composed1952 (1952): Rio de Janeiro, Paris, New York
Dedication Bernardo Segall
Published1979 (1979): Paris (reduction for two pianos)
PublisherMax Eschig
Recorded1970 (1970) Gilberto Tinetti  [ pt ], piano; Orchestre national de France (ORTF), conducted by Jean Fournet. (issued 2013 on CD, Homenagem a Gilberto Tinetti II, LAMI 014).
Duration27 minutes
Movements4
Scoring
  • piano
  • orchestra
Premiere
Date9 January 1953 (1953-01-09):
Location Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh
ConductorHeitor Villa-Lobos
PerformersBernardo Segall, piano; Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

The Piano Concerto No. 4, W505, is a composition for piano and orchestra by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, written in 1952. A performance lasts about 27 minutes.

Contents

History

Villa-Lobos composed his Fourth Piano Concerto in 1952, beginning in Rio de Janeiro, continuing work in Paris, where he finished the second movement, and then in New York where he completed the work. [1] It was commissioned for the pianist Bernardo Segall, to whom the score is dedicated. Segall gave the first performance in Pittsburgh on 9 January 1953 with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, conducted by the composer. [2]

Instrumentation

The work is scored for solo piano and an orchestra consisting of piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (tam-tam, cymbals, coco, bell, bass drum), and strings.

Analysis

Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh (venue of the concerto's premiere) Syria Mosque, Oakland Neighborhood, Pittsburgh, PA.jpg
Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh (venue of the concerto's premiere)

The concerto has four movements:

  1. Allegro non troppo
  2. Andante con moto
  3. Scherzo (Allegro vivace) – Cadenza
  4. Allegro moderato

The first movement is not in any traditional form, but instead consists of eight successive sections built around two themes, both of which are exposed in the first section. The first theme is predominantly contrapuntal in texture and features quartal harmonies, while the second theme is homophonic and uses tertian harmonies. [3]

The second movement, like the first, is a chain form, in this case made up of six sections employing a main theme and two secondary themes. Recurring structures built on the main theme cause it often to resemble a chaconne. [4]

The third movement is a scherzo but, instead of the conventional ABA form, has two central sections (in an ABCA´ pattern), deploying two main themes and six shorter melodic ideas interspersed with material recalled from the previous two movements. A fifth, concluding section is an extended cadenza summarizing the thematic material of the three movements presented up to this point. [5]

The finale, like the other movements, is in chain form, but consists of just three large sections. Its main theme, stated at the outset, recalls the second theme from the scherzo. This gives way to a new theme, and then to a third theme based on the first movement's principal theme. The second section expands on the main theme, while the third section dwells on the second and third themes. The movement is brought to a close with a return of the opening material from the first movement. [6]

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cello Concerto No. 1 (Villa-Lobos)</span>

The Cello Concerto No. 1, Op. 50, was composed by Heitor Villa-Lobos in 1913 as his first large-scale work, showing the influence of Tchaikovsky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">String Quartet No. 3 (Villa-Lobos)</span>

String Quartet No. 3 is the third of seventeen works in the medium by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, and was written in 1916. A performance lasts approximately twenty-three minutes.

<i>Chôros No. 2</i>

Chôros No. 2 is a duet for flute and clarinet written in 1924 by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. It is part of a series of fourteen numbered compositions collectively titled Chôros, ranging from solos for guitar and for piano up to works scored for soloist or chorus with orchestra or multiple orchestras. and in duration up to over an hour. Chôros No. 2 is the shortest in the series, a performance lasting only about two-and-a-half minutes.

<i>Chôros No. 10</i> Work by Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos

Chôros No. 10 is a work for chorus and orchestra written in 1926 by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. It is part of a series of fourteen numbered compositions collectively titled Chôros, ranging from solos for guitar and for piano up to works scored for soloist or chorus with orchestra or multiple orchestras, and in duration up to over an hour. Chôros No. 10 is of moderate length, one performance recorded by the composer lasting just under thirteen minutes.

<i>Chôros No. 11</i> Musical composition by Heitor Villa-Lobos

Chôros No. 11 is a work for piano and orchestra written in 1928 by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. It is part of a series of fourteen numbered compositions collectively titled Chôros, ranging from solos for guitar and for piano up to works scored for soloist or chorus with orchestra or multiple orchestras. Chôros No. 11 is the longest in the series, a performance lasting over an hour.

<i>Chôros No. 9</i> 20th-century orchestral work by Heitor Villa-Lobos

Chôros No. 9 is an orchestral work written between 1929 and 1942 by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. It is part of a series of fourteen numbered compositions collectively titled Chôros, ranging from solos for guitar and for piano up to works scored for soloist or chorus with orchestra or multiple orchestras, and in duration up to over an hour. A recorded performance of Chôros No. 9 made by the composer lasts almost 28 minutes.

<i>Chôros No. 6</i>

Chôros No. 6 is an orchestral work written between 1925 and 1942 by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. It is part of a series of fourteen numbered compositions collectively titled Chôros, ranging from solos for guitar and for piano up to works scored for soloist or chorus with orchestra or multiple orchestras, and in duration up to over an hour. Chôros No. 6 is one of the longer compositions in the series, lasting about 25 minutes in performance.

<i>Chôros No. 8</i>

Chôros No. 8 is a work for orchestra and two pianos, written in 1925 by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. It is part of a series of fourteen numbered compositions collectively titled Chôros, ranging from solos for guitar and for piano up to works scored for soloist or chorus with orchestra or multiple orchestras, and in duration up to over an hour. A recording of Chôros No. 8 conducted by the composer lasts 22 minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symphony No. 1 (Villa-Lobos)</span> First symphony of Heitor Villa-Lobos

Symphony No. 1O Imprevisto is a composition by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, written in 1916. A performance lasts about twenty-five minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symphony No. 2 (Villa-Lobos)</span>

Symphony No. 2, Ascensão (Ascension) is a composition by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, written between 1917 and 1944.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symphony No. 3 (Villa-Lobos)</span>

Symphony No. 3 is a composition by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, written in 1919. A performance lasts about 35 minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symphony No. 10 (Villa-Lobos)</span>

Symphony No. 10, Sumé pater patrium: Sinfonia ameríndia com coros (Oratorio) is a composition by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, written in 1952–53. The broadcast performance of the world-premiere performance under the composer's direction lasts just over 67 minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symphony No. 11 (Villa-Lobos)</span>

Symphony No. 11 is a composition by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, written in 1955. A performance lasts about twenty-five minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symphony No. 12 (Villa-Lobos)</span>

Symphony No. 12 is a composition by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, written in 1957. A performance lasts about twenty-five minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piano Concerto No. 1 (Villa-Lobos)</span> Piano concerto by Heitor Villa-Lobos

Piano Concerto No. 1, W453, is a composition for piano and orchestra by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, written in 1945. A performance lasts about 38 minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piano Concerto No. 5 (Villa-Lobos)</span>

The Piano Concerto No. 5, W 521, is a piano concerto by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, written in 1954. One performance recorded under the composer's baton lasts 18 minutes, 48 seconds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piano Concerto No. 2 (Villa-Lobos)</span>

The Piano Concerto No. 2, W487, is a piano concerto by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, written in 1948. A performance lasts about 28 minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piano Concerto No. 3 (Villa-Lobos)</span>

The Piano Concerto No. 3, W512, is a composition for piano and orchestra by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, written in 1952–57. A performance lasts about 26 minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guitar Concerto (Villa-Lobos)</span>

The Guitar Concerto, W501, is a work for solo guitar and small orchestra written by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos in Rio de Janeiro in 1951. A performance lasts about 18 minutes.

References

  1. ↑ Peppercorn 1994, p. 139.
  2. ↑ Villa-Lobos, sua obra 2009, p. 58.
  3. ↑ Della Tonia 2015, pp. 50–53.
  4. ↑ Della Tonia 2015, pp. 61–63.
  5. ↑ Della Tonia 2015, pp. 69–74.
  6. ↑ Della Tonia 2015, pp. 79–84.

Cited sources

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.