38 respostas neste tópico

[Harry Jess]

Hello, friends! I'm a new member from Norway, I can understand a little Portuguese because I know some Spanish. I prefer to write in English if that's OK, but in case of emergency I can also try to write in Spanish. The reason why I speak some Spanish is that in winter time in Northern Europe, Spanish-speaking places such as The Canary Islands are easily accessible. But I am also very interested in Portuguese and I have some teaching books that I use. Therefore I hope I can also learn more Portuguese on this forum! I have also ordered a Voboam from one of the members of this forum, Luciano Faria, and after a lot of complications (Luciano's car crash etc) , I will finally get my Voboam in January/February. I really look forward to that!!!! But my topic is:what is a chorus? I am a great admirer of Heitor Villa-Lobos' guitar music, and I want to get some good advice from his compatriots. Right now I am focusing on his Chorus No. 1, the chorus I like best of all. What is the most typical of a chorus? I have heard Villa-Lobos himself play this chorus and I was impressed by his ability as a performing guitarist. Should his interpretation be the one to aim for? It's a difficult chorus to play up to tempo, I think. Is playing more slowly a mortal sin?
Best regards
Harry

[Alvaro Henrique]

The correct spelling is Choros.

Choro (or chorinho) is a musical style. It is the Brazilian popular instrumental music.

Heitor Villa-Lobos, as others Brazilian nationalistic composers, featured lots of choro elements in his music. His 14 Choros are one of his main works, and it is kind of a classical-oriented view of the choro, roughly speaking.

Please look on youtube for Pixinguinha, Waldyr Azevedo and Jacob do Bandolim to get a glimpse of first-rate choro playing.

[huh]

Hi Harry, welcome, nice to see you here!

First of all, I moved the topic to the main area, ok?
Second, I think you mean "Choro" and not Chorus.

Choro is a brazilian musical style, very popular specially in the Southeast of the country: Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo mainly.
I think there are other members that can explain better and in detail what the Choro is.

Villa-Lobos took this brazillian popular style and composed a series of 14 choros, each one for a different set of instruments.
Each choro of this series is a classical composition with influence of the popular style of Choro.

The Choro no.1 is for the guitar.

As long the right way to write the name of the piece is "Choro", it is incorrect to call it "Choros no.1" (with the "s" - plural) as usually we find published.

Just to make a point: There are 9 Bachianas Villa Lobos composed, and we dont't call each one of them as "Bachianas no.X", but we call it by the singular form "Bachiana no.X". As well, each choro should be named after the singular and not after the plural.

Hope others can help clarify what is a choro, and put some examples here.

Edited: Alvaro posted simultaneously!

[Harry Jess]

huh, em Dec 20 2008, 09:55 PM, disse:

Hi Harry, welcome, nice to see you here!

First of all, I moved the topic to que main area, ok?
Second, I think you mean "Choro" and not Chorus.

Choro is a brazilian musical style, very popular specially in the Southeast of the country: Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo mainly.
I think there are other members that can explain better and in detail what the Choro is.

Villa-Lobos took this brazillian popular style and composed a series of 14 choros, each one for a different set of instruments.
Each choro of this series is a classical composition with influence of the popular style of Choro.

The Choro no.1 is for the guitar.

As long the right way to write the name of the piece is "Choro", it is incorrect to call it "Choros no.1" (with the "s" - plural) as usually we find published.

Just to make a point: There are 9 Bachianas Villa Lobos composed, and we dont't call each one of them as "Bachianas no.X", but we call it by the singular form "Bachiana no.X". As well, each choro should be named after the singular and not after the plural.

Hope others can help clarify what is a choro, and put some examples here.

Edited: Alvaro posted simultaneously!

Very good, Huh! I had problems in finding the right area, but it's definitely very good to be here! Yes it is important to get the details correct. singular when it is singular, and plural when plural. That' good old grammar for an old Senior High School teacher! So it's Chôro No. 1. A most attractive piece. Is it rigth to put a circumflex over the o? I hope others will tell something more about the characteristics of a Chôro, but nevertheless I think I can get a good impression by looking at the names Alvaro mentioned on YouTube! I'm glad to know you are one of the Moderators here. I can tell you that I have also posted a PM to Luciano.
Best regards
Harry

[FZanon]

In fact Villa-Lobos expected his two major series, the 14 Choros and the 9 Bachianas, to be always spelt in the plural, so the audience would know each piece was part of a larger collection. Also because each of the pieces is "plural' in the sense of being a compilation of several different ideas.
Having said that, choros as a musical genre evolved in the latter part of the 19th Century, mostly in Rio de Janeiro with a strong influence of Northeastern musicians who emigrated to the (then) capital.
In short, it is a development of European dances like the polka, schottish, waltz etc. informed by a more syncopated and playful performance style, typical to the musicians of African background.
The typical choros group was somewhat similar to a baroque ensemble: two or three woodwind soloists (usually flute or clarinet), 2 or 3 guitars and a tambourine (pandeiro) as the ripieno and basso continuo. It was and remains essentially an instrumental genre, although there are some famous choro songs, like Carinhoso, Meu Caro Amigo, etc.
At first it was only a style of performance, but then a massive amount of composers started to write original music. By the 1920's it had a repertoire of its own, its own conventions, its own cultural milieu, etc. By this time the 7-string guitar was also thoroughly incorporated, what enhanced the interest of bass lines. That was the choros' heyday.
After commercial radio, the genre of samba started to take over and, with the excepcion of luminaries like Pixinguinha and Jacob do Bandolim it was looked at as an old-fashioned art.
In the 1990's a very strong revival started, and today we have almost a second Renaissance, with virtuosos flourishing in the whole country and creating new repertoire.
One can safely say that Choro today is a genre apart from everything else. It has its own history and it requires expertise from the players, learning methodology, deep knowledge of repertoire, sensitivety to stylistic conventions, in short, like jazz and Indian music, it is as much of a cultural phenomenon as classical music is.

[Ricardo Dias]

Welcome, Harry.
The name of the rhytm is "choro', but Villa-Lobos one is called "Choros" because it starts a series of 14 works, as Huh told, for many different instruments.
And Alvaro's advice is good, these names are the "real" choro. And, about Choros 1, avoid Bream's interpretation: I love him, for me he is the best, but in this music he was not in his best days. That is not a choro!

[Harry Jess]

FZanon, em Dec 20 2008, 10:20 PM, disse:

In fact Villa-Lobos expected his two major series, the 14 Choros and the 9 Bachianas, to be always spelt in the plural, so the audience would know each piece was part of a larger collection. Also because each of the pieces is "plural' in the sense of being a compilation of several different ideas.Having said that, choros as a musical genre evolved in the latter part of the 19th Century, mostly in Rio de Janeiro with a strong influence of Northeastern musicians who emigrated to the (then) capital.In short, it is a development of European dances like the polka, schottish, waltz etc. informed by a more syncopated and playful performance style, typical to the musicians of African background. The typical choros group was somewhat similar to a baroque ensemble: two or three woodwind soloists (usually flute or clarinet), 2 or 3 guitars and a tambourine (pandeiro) as the ripieno and basso continuo. It was and remains essentially an instrumental genre, although there are some famous choro songs, like Carinhoso, Meu Caro Amigo, etc.At first it was only a style of performance, but then a massive amount of composers started to write original music. By the 1920's it had a repertoire of its own, its own conventions, its own cultural milieu, etc. By this time the 7-string guitar was also thoroughly incorporated, what enhanced the interest of bass lines. That was the choros' heyday. After commercial radio, the genre of samba started to take over and, with the excepcion of luminaries like Pixinguinha and Jacob do Bandolim it was looked at as an old-fashioned art. In the 1990's a very strong revival started, and today we have almost a second Renaissance, with virtuosos flourishing in the whole country and creating new repertoire. One can safely say that Choro today is a genre apart from everything else. It has its own history and it requires expertise from the players, learning methodology, deep knowledge of repertoire, sensitivety to stylistic conventions, in short, like jazz and Indian music, it is as much of a cultural phenomenon as classical music is.

Thank you very much, FZanon! A wealth of information here! It also makes me humble: who am I trying to play a Choro with so many implications and aspects?

Ricardo Dias, em Dec 20 2008, 10:25 PM, disse:

Welcome, Harry.The name of the rhytm is "choro', but Villa-Lobos one is called "Choros" because it starts a series of 14 works, as Huh told, for many different instruments.And Alvaro's advice is good, these names are the "real" choro. And, about Choros 1, avoid Bream's interpretation: I love him, for me he is the best, but in this music he was not in his best days. That is not a choro!

Thank you, Ricardo, for your nice words of welcome! I am quite overwhelmed by the way I have been received. Is this a national virtue? Yes, I have been warned agaist Bream's interpretation, mainly because of his staccato chords. But I think I have to leave you now, it's in the middle of the night up here! See you tomrrow!

[Mário André]

Hello, Harry!

Nice to see you here! I hope you can publish this site to your friends who has similar doubts. It would be so nice...
We may have questions/curiosities about the music (s) from your country, too...

Hugs,

Mário André.

Wow... this cultural exchange is being so pleasurable!

[huh]

Hey, as we say here, living and learning...
So, ChoroS no1 it is!

To get a reference on Villa Lobos guitar music performance, I heavily recommend the Fabio Zanon's recording:

http://www.amazon.com/Villa-Lobos-Complete...c/dp/B000000FT6

From his reply above you have a glimpse of his knowledge and why he is considered a worldwide reference on the guitar works of Villa Lobos.

[Ricardo Dias]

The best Choros 1 I've heard alive was Zanon, as a encore. Jodacil agree with. Talking about Jodacil, give a look at the topic "Presente de Natal 3", and download the cd. Vila's Preludio 2 is a kind of choro, too, and Jodacil plays it in a great way.

Just making it clear, to avoid any misunderstood, we have severe rules about trading music or any copyrighted material here, but this cd was offered by Jodacil himself.