Heitor Villa-Lobos (March 5, 1887 - November 17, 1959) was a Brazilian composer, described as "the single most significant creative figure in 20th-century Brazilian art music". Villa-Lobos has become the best-known South American composer of all time. A prolific composer, he wrote numerous orchestral, chamber, instrumental and vocal works, totaling over 2000 works by his death in 1959. His music was influenced by both Brazilian folk music and by stylistic elements from the European classical tradition, as exemplified by his Bachianas Brasileiras (Brazilian Bachian-pieces). His Etudes for guitar (1929) were dedicated to Andrés Segovia, while his 5 Preludes (1940) were dedicated to Arminda Neves d’Almeida, a.k.a. "Mindinha." Both are important works in the guitar repertory.
Guitar Concerto, W501 (1951)
Dedication: Andrés Segovia
I. Allegro preciso - Poco meno
II. Andantino e Andante (5:21)
III. Cadenza: Quasi allegro - Andante - Quasi allegro - Poco moderato (10:08) {No score available for me}
IV. Allegro non troppo (13:19)
Eduardo Fernández, guitar and English Chamber Orchestra conducted by
The concerto was written for the Spanish guitarist Andrés Segovia, to whom the score is dedicated. Initially in three movements and titled Fantasia concertante, Villa-Lobos later added a cadenza at Segovia's request, and changed the title to Concerto for Guitar and Small Orchestra (Villa-Lobos, sua obra 2009, 60-61). According to another version of the story, the situation was quite the reverse: Segovia commissioned the work with the stipulation that there should be no cadenza and the work be titled Fantasia concertante. Villa-Lobos, however, ignored these demands, supplying an extended cadenza and insisting the work be called a concerto (Tarasti 1995, 351-52). The concerto was first performed on 6 February 1956 in Houston, Texas, by Andrés Segovia and the Houston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by the composer. A reduction for guitar and piano was published in Paris by Max Eschig in 1955, who also published the full score in 1971 (Villa-Lobos, sua obra 2009, 60-61).