Symphony No. 11 (Villa-Lobos)

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

Symphony No. 11
by Heitor Villa-Lobos
Heitor Villa-Lobos
CatalogueW527
GenreSymphony
Composed1955 (1955):
DedicationSerge and Natalie Koussevitzky
Published1955 (1955): Paris
PublisherMax Eschig
Movements4
ScoringOrchestra
Premiere
Date2 March 1956 (1956-03-02):
LocationSymphony Hall, Boston
ConductorHeitor Villa-Lobos
PerformersBoston Symphony Orchestra

History

On 29 October 1954, along with a number of other prominent composers, Villa-Lobos was commissioned jointly by the Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress and the Boston Symphony Orchestra for a work to celebrate that orchestra's 75th anniversary. In response, he composed his Eleventh Symphony, which was completed in 1955 (Peppercorn 1984, 29). The autograph manuscript of the score, held by the Library of Congress, Washington, DC, is dedicated to Serge and Natalie Koussevitzky. The symphony was first performed in Symphony Hall, Boston, on 2 March 1956 by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by the composer (Villa-Lobos, sua obra 2009, 47). The performance was warmly received in the press (Béhague 1994, 28).

Instrumentation

The symphony is scored for an orchestra consisting of 2 piccolos, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, tuba, tímpani, tam-tam, cymbals, triangle, matraca (a wooden rattle), bass drum, marimba, xylophone, celesta, vibraphone, 2 harps, piano, and strings.

Analysis

The symphony is in four movements:

  1. Allegro Moderato
  2. Largo
  3. Scherzo (Molto vivace)
  4. Molto Allegro
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References
  • Béhague, Gerard. 1994. Villa-Lobos: The Search for Brazil's Musical Soul. Austin: Institute of Latin American Studies, University of Texas at Austin, 1994. ISBN 0-292-70823-8.
  • Enyart, John William. 1984. "The Symphonies of Heitor Villa-Lobos". PhD diss. Cincinnati: University of Cincinnati.
  • Peppercorn, Lisa M. 1984. "Villa-Lobos's Commissioned Compositions". Tempo new series, no. 151 (December): 28–31.
  • Peppercorn, Lisa M. 1991. Villa-Lobos: The Music: An Analysis of His Style, translated by Stefan de Haan. London: Kahn & Averill; White Plains, NY: Pro/Am Music Resources Inc. ISBN 1-871082-15-3 (Kahn & Averill); ISBN 0-912483-36-9.
  • Salles, Paulo de Tarso. 2009. Villa-Lobos: processos composicionais. Campinas, SP: Editora da Unicamp. ISBN 978-85-268-0853-9.
  • Villa-Lobos, sua obra. 2009. Version 1.0. MinC / IBRAM, and the Museu Villa-Lobos. Based on the third edition, 1989.

Further reading
  • Durgin, Cyrus. 1956. "Boston Symphony Orchestra: Villa-Lobos' Symphony No. 11". Daily Boston Globe (3 March): 20.
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