Date of composition: 1926-1926
Premiere: 11 November 1926 at the Teatro Lírico, Rio de Janeiro,
by the Grande Orquestra da Empresa Viggiani, the Coro de artistas brasileiros and the German Male Choir under the direction of the composer
Duration: 13 minutes
Performances by the Berliner Philharmoniker:
for the first time on 27 September 1956 under the direction
of Eleazar Carvalho and with the choir of St Hedwig's Cathedral.
In the undergrowth of the Brazilian rainforests lives the blue bunting. This is not a cerulean party accoutrement, but rather a bird species measuring approximately 17 cm, whose males boast a dazzling blue-black plumage. Brazil’s national composer, Heitor Villa-Lobos, paid musical tribute to this exotic grosbeak. The song of the blue bunting, or Azulão da mata in Portuguese, can be heard right at the beginning of his Chôros No. 10, played by the flute. Throughout the piece, other bird calls from the Amazonian rainforest intermingle with the symphonic texture, creating a truly unique atmosphere.
The collection of 14 Chôros is, alongside the Bachianas Brasileiras, among Villa-Lobos’ most renowned works. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he grew up surrounded by the city’s characteristic street music known as chôro: a blend of European immigrants’ folk music and the musical traditions of African slaves. As a young man, Villa-Lobos even played guitar in traveling musical theatre ensembles. Later, he refined the melodies and rhythms of chôro in compositions for various ensembles, ranging from solo guitar to large-scale works such as Chôros No. 10, which employs both a chorus and full orchestra. On his extensive travels across Brazil, he also encountered indigenous music and numerous folk styles, enriching his musical vocabulary.
A transformative moment for Villa-Lobos’ musical development came during the tours of the legendary Ballets Russes, which introduced him to the music of Igor Stravinsky. In 1923/24, he studied in Paris – at the same time as Aaron Copland – deepening his understanding of compositional technique. Upon his return to Rio de Janeiro, Villa-Lobos quickly became the most influential musician not only in his country, but across the South American continent. He devoted his career to merging Brazilian folk and traditional elements with the European classical tradition.
Chôros No. 10 was premiered in 1926 at a concert held in Rio de Janeiro in honour of the Brazilian President Washington Luís, conducted by the composer himself. The performance featured the Coro de Artistas Brasileiros alongside the German Men’s Choir. The piece begins with an orchestral section, where fragments of melody, birdsong, and rhythmic figures evoke a sense of anticipation. Gradually, these elements coalesce into a powerful, exhilarating stomping rhythm. The chorus enters with onomatopoeic syllables (ja-ka-tá ka-ma-ra-já), which Villa-Lobos claimed were derived from the Incan language, even if their explosive consonants rather give the impression of a human rumba shaker. Soon, a melancholic melody emerges, borrowed from the older Brazilian composer Anacleto Augusto de Medeiros. To this tune, the chorus sings the poem Rasga o coração by Catulo da Paixão Cearense, which juxtaposes human pain and suffering with the “immensity of the sky and the sea.” The mournful song collides with the exuberance of nature; urban environment meets rainforest.