FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF MUSIC

FLAUSINO VALE WORKS FOR VIOLIN SOLO:

“26 PRELUDIOS CARACTERISTICOS E CONCERTANTES PARA VIOLINO SÓ”

By

PEDRO OSEIAS EGEU MAIA DA SILVA

A Treatise submitted to the

College of Music
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Music

2020
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Pedro Oseias Egeu Maia da Silva defended this treatise on March 26, 2020.
The members of the supervisory committee were:

Shannon Thomas
Professor Directing Treatise

Evan A. Jones
University Representative

Katarzyna (Kasia) Bugaj

Committee Member

Alexander Jimenez
Committee Member

The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members and
certifies that the treatise has been approved in accordance with university requirements.

ii
 To my family:
Oséias da Silva (Dedéia)
Maria Ivonete (Nenet)
Zacarias Maia (Naozin)

iii
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Primeiramente, gostaria de deixar meus agradecimentos a minha mãe e meu pai (Dedéia
and Nenet), por tudo que eles fizeram por mim. Muito obrigado por todas as horas de esperas em
ensaios, a poeirona do busão do Santa Rita, as caronas para cima e para baixo, as marmitas em
baixo de árvores, por sempre acreditar em mim e no Zaquinha, e muitas outras coisas. Obrigado
Zaquinha, meu naozin ou jamanta chatissa cabeça de melancia veia prodi amassada, por ser um
exemplo de pessoa, de disciplina, pelo músico que és, pelas horas de golzin jogados (com bola
de futebol, de tenis, ou latinhas na rua), e por muitas horas da melequinha. Amo vocês três.
Dr. Shannon Thomas, words cannot express how grateful I am to have met you. Thank
you for your help and support through all these years. Both my professional and personal life
would not be the same if it were not for your dedication and love for your students and music.
Thank you for being the best role model I could have had these past few years.
Thank you to my dear committee; Dr. Alexander Jimenez with whom I shared the stage
with and learned so much from these past years, Dr. Kasia Bugaj and Dr. Evan Jones for being
such wonderful role models for us at FSU. I am very thankful for all your support and help
through my research.
I would like to also acknowledge all my friends who in one way or another influenced me
to be the person I am now. The list would be too long if I put everyone’s name here but know I
am grateful for each one of you! Last but not least, thank you Dr. Amy Bradley for helping me
with my writing.

iv
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Musical Examples .............................................................................................................. vi

List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ ix

Abstract ............................................................................................................................................x

INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................................1

Survey of Literature ....................................................................................................................2

1. FLAUSINO VALE: A MAN OF MANY FACETS ...................................................................7

Early Years ..................................................................................................................................7

Belo Horizonte and Brazilian Modernism ..................................................................................9

Brazilian Composers of the Period ...........................................................................................13

2. “26 PRELÚDIOS CARACTERÍSTICOS E CONCERTANTES PARA VIOLINO SÓ” .......18

Compositional Characteristics: The Essence of Vale’s Music .................................................18

“Suíte Mineira”: The Genesis of the Preludes...........................................................................20

26 Prelúdios: A Performer’s Guide ...........................................................................................22

3. GRADED REPERTOIRE..........................................................................................................53

CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................................................56

APPENDICES ...............................................................................................................................58

A. TITLE TRANSLATION, DEDICATEE, YEAR OF COMPOSITION ..............................58

B. GLOSSARY OF TERMS .....................................................................................................60

BIBLIOGRAPHY ..........................................................................................................................62

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH .........................................................................................................65

v
 LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES

Example 2.1. Batuque, mm. 1-4. ...................................................................................................23

Example 2.2. Batuque, mm. 37-39 ................................................................................................23

Example 2.3. Suspiro d'alma, mm. 1-3 ..........................................................................................24

Example 2.4. Escravos de Jó, mm. 1-3..........................................................................................25

Example 2.5. Devaneio, mm.1-2 ...................................................................................................25

Example 2.6. Brado Íntimo, mm. 1-5 ............................................................................................25

Example 2.7. Tico-tico, m. 1 ..........................................................................................................26

Example 2.8. Tico-tico, m. 27 ........................................................................................................26

Example 2.9. Sonhando, mm.6-7 ...................................................................................................27

Example 2.10. Johannes Brahms, Waltz, Op. 39, No. 15, mm.1-3 ................................................28

Example 2.11. Sonhando, mm. 19-23 ............................................................................................28

Example 2.12. Repente, mm 1-3 ....................................................................................................30

Example 2.13. Repente, mm. 16-17 ...............................................................................................30

Example 2.14. Repente, mm. 28-29 ...............................................................................................31

Example 2.15. Repente, mm. 4-5 ...................................................................................................31

Example 2.16. Repente, mm. 8-9 ...................................................................................................31

Example 2.17. Repente, mm. 40-47 ...............................................................................................31

Example 2.18. Rondó Doméstico, mm. 1-5 ...................................................................................32

Example 2.19. Rondó Doméstico, mm. 40-51 ...............................................................................32

Example 2.20. Interrogando o Destino, mm 23-33 .......................................................................33

Example 2.21. Casamento na Roça, mm. 24-26............................................................................34

Example 2.22. Canto da Inhuma, mm.1-6 .....................................................................................37

vi
Example 2.23. Asas Inquietas, mm. 1-13 ......................................................................................37

Example 2.24. Asas Inquietas, mm. 34-35 ....................................................................................37

Example 2.25. Fritz Kreisler, Schön Rosmarin, mm. 1-2 ..............................................................38

Example 2.26. A Porteira da Fazenda, mm. 1-3 ...........................................................................38

Example 2.27. Ao Pé da Fogueira, mm 24-34 ..............................................................................39

Example 2.28. Requiescat In Pace(a), mm. 1-2 ............................................................................40

Example 2.29. Requiescat In Pace(b), mm. 1-2 ............................................................................40

Example 2.30. Viola Destemida, 3rds, mm. 13-16. .......................................................................40

Example 2.31. Viola Destemida, 6ths, mm. 21-24 ........................................................................41

Example 2.32. Viola Destemida, mm. 1-6 .....................................................................................41

Example 2.33. Pai João, mm. 1-5 .................................................................................................43

Example 2.34. Pai João, 3rds and artificial harmonics, mm. 11-14..............................................44

Example 2.35. Pai João, mm. 28-31 .............................................................................................44

Example 2.36. Pai João, mm 48-49 ..............................................................................................44

Example 2.37. Folguedo Campestre, mm. 1-2 ..............................................................................45

Example 2.38. Folguedo Campestre, mm. 18-19 ..........................................................................45

Example 2.39. Folguedo Campestre, mm. 28-29 ..........................................................................45

Example 2.40. Folguedo Campestre, mm. 34-35 ..........................................................................45

Example 2.41. Tirana Riograndense, mm. 1-5..............................................................................47

Example 2.42. Prelúdio da Vitória, mm. 55-65. ...........................................................................47

Example 2.43. Mocidade Eterna, mm. 1-3 ....................................................................................48

Example 2.44. Mocidade Eterna, mm. 41-44 ................................................................................48

Example 2.45. Implorando, mm. 1-6 .............................................................................................49

Example 2.46. Viva São João, mm. 1-10 .......................................................................................50

vii
Example 2.47. Viva São João, mm. 23-27 .....................................................................................50

Example 2.48. A Mocinha e o Papudo, mm. 63-65 .......................................................................50

Example 2.49. Acalanto, mm 1-4 ..................................................................................................52

viii
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1. Orquestra do Cinema Odeon (Odeon Cinema Orchestra) in 1923. Vale is the violinist
of the group (Furthest right in the picture) ............................................................................12

Figure 1.2. In the picture above from right to left: Vale, Villa-Lobos, and Celso Brant (Brazilian
music critic) can be seen in one of the times Vale met Villa-Lobos in Belo Horizonte in
1947 .......................................................................................................................................15

Figure 2.1. Viola caipira ................................................................................................................19

Figure 2.2. Cover page of the manuscript of Vale's Suíte Mineira; March 1932 ..........................21

Figure 2.3. Vale's note on top left corner of Sonhando's score ......................................................28

Figure 2.4 Casamento na Roça, note on top left of the score ........................................................34

Figure 2.5. Inhuma bird .................................................................................................................34

Figure 2.6. Map of occurrences of Inhumas ..................................................................................35

Figure 2.7. Candomblé ceremony ..................................................................................................42

ix
 ABSTRACT

This treatise provides an examination of Flausino Vale’s background and a performer’s

guide to the 26 Prelúdios Característicos e Concertantes para Violino Só. It considers technical

elements, such as performance practice issues and extended techniques, and the meanings of

titles, as well as other Brazilian cultural elements that are helpful in creating a convincing

performance of the preludes. The first chapter discusses Vale’s life, the historical period in which

he lived, and composers and artists who influenced him. The second chapter explains cultural

aspects that influenced his compositional style and provides a discussion of each prelude. The

third chapter provides a graded repertoire list in which the preludes are paired with traditional

violin repertoire, as well as a dictionary of terms Vale uses in the preludes. Vale is one of the few

Brazilian composers who has managed to integrate traditional Brazilian culture with traditional

Western music, and these preludes deserve attention on international stages and violins studios

alike.

x
 INTRODUCTION

Hailed as the “Brazilian Paganini” by Heitor Villa-Lobos, Brazilian composer Flausino

Vale is not a well known composer in Brazil and is even lesser known internationally.1

Consequently, literature showcasing Vale and his works is limited, and the few existing sources

on Vale are in Portuguese, making it difficult for English speakers to learn about him and his

works. This treatise aims to fill this gap and bring attention to Vale’s life and music, focusing

specifically on the 26 Prelúdios Característicos e Concertantes para Violino Só (26

Characteristic and Concertantes Preludes for Solo Violin). My research will broaden Vale’s

impact while creating a resource that will be valuable to violinists and teachers in the English-

speaking world.

This treatise provides material about the composer’s background, a performer’s guide

with technical information on the pieces, as well as specific cultural information from Brazil that

is necessary for creating a convincing performance of the preludes. These pieces are musical

depictions and can be considered “audible pictures” of Brazilian cultural characteristics; each

prelude displays a peculiar trait of this region, ranging from nature sounds to traditional

celebrations or cultural events. In Vale’s music one can discover the landscape of the state of

Minas Gerais, rhythms brought by African slaves, melodies of Brazilian native Americans,

sounds of the fauna, and elements of Brazilian folklore. This information should inspire a

performer’s interpretation. Each title is full of meaning, ranging from the opening of a farm door

in the countryside of Minas Gerais to the song of the Tico-tico bird. Each prelude is dedicated to

someone who was either part of Vale’s life or a well-known musician, which adds another layer

of significance to the music.

1 Leonardo Feichas, Da Porteira da Fazenda ao Batuque Mineiro, (Curitiba: Editora Prismas, 2016), 28.
1
 In this study, I explain the essence of Vale’s musical style, the relationship between his

life experiences and his music, and cultural, historic, and aesthetic characteristics of the Preludes.

Vale’s work deserves to be known for its unique language and compositional style. Vale is one

of the few Brazilian composers who has managed to integrate traditional Brazilian culture with

traditional Western music, and my research will integrate this information into an effective

performer’s guide.

Furthermore, Vale joins the ranks of composers that include Biber, Bach, Paganini,

Ysaye, and Bartók, whose works have contributed to the canon of solo violin music. The purpose

of this treatise is also to bring light to a less familiar composer as his preludes deserve a

prominent place in modern concert halls and violin studios.

Survey of Literature

Da Porteira da Fazenda ao Batuque Mineiro: o Violino Brasileiro de Flausino Vale

(From the farm’s gate to the Batuque from Minas gerais: The Brazilian violin of Flausino Vale)

by Leonardo Feichas inspired me to study Vale’s violin work. Professor Feichas has been

researching Flausino Vale and his works for several years and is a leading specialist on the

subject. His book is essential to this treatise since he conducted interviews with Vale’s children

and had access to Vale’s house, private library, and documents. His book is in four parts: the first

chapter is about Vale’s life; the second is about the twenty-six preludes and their compositional

styles and dedicatees; the third chapter is an analysis of the preludes; and the last chapter touches

on performance practice and musical gestures. Also by Feichas, the article Fichas

Interpretativas, which he wrote for the XXII Congress of the National Association of Research

and Graduate Studies in Music in Joao Pessoa, BR, provides specific information to improve

2
interpretation of the preludes. It offers charts on some of the preludes’ forms, keys, meters, and

dedications.

Another important source to this treatise is the dissertation Os 26 Preludios

Caracteristicos e Concertantes Para Violino Só, de Flausino Vale: Aspectos da Linguagem

Musical e Violinística (The 26 Characteristic and Concertantes Preludes for Solo Violin, by

Flausino Vale: Musical and Violinistic Aspects) by Dr. Hermes Cuzzol Alvarenga. Alvarenga,

Professor of Violin at Universidade Federal da Paraíba, was one of the first violinists to

champion Vale’s preludes. His treatise presents information on Vale’s surrounding environment

and discusses the different kind of musical languages Vale uses in his works. The Prelúdios, as

said in the title, can be Característicos (Characteristic) or Concertantes. He offers a parallel

between the Prelúdios that are characteristic (more inclined to musical aspects) with the ones

that explore the violinist aspects, which are the concertizing Prelúdios.

Journalist Camila Fresca has gathered thorough information on Vale. Her dissertation

“Uma extraordinaria revelação de arte”: Flausino Vale e o violin brasileiro (“An Extraordinary

Revelation of Art”: Flausino Vale and the Brazilian Violin) provides detailed information on

Vale and his works for solo violin. It is divided into five parts. The first two chapters cover

Vale’s personal life and his work as a musician. The third chapter discusses his writing career

and how his poetry influenced his music. The fourth chapter mentions and briefly discusses all of

his compositions. The last chapter is dedicated to his 26 Preludes for Solo Violin. Fresca’s work

is the most comprehensive because it uses information from Feichas and Alvarenga’s work.

Feichas, Alvarenga, and Fresca’s works are very informative regarding Flausino Vale’s life and

his career, and they also provide different types of ideas and analyses of the Prelúdios.

Elementos de Folk-lore Musical Brasileiro (Elements of Brazilian Musical Folklore) is

by Flausino Vale himself. Vale was a diligent researcher and history teacher. He traveled

3
extensively in Brazil, especially in his home state of Minas Gerais, researching popular culture

and nature. He transcribed bird melodies and learned about the tradition of different cultures and

religions from the places he visited. His book is divided into six chapters. The first chapter is

dedicated to folklore and its definition, the formation of Brazilian nationality, the first orchestra

in Brazil, and Vale’s opinions on the innate musicality of Brazilian aborigines. The second

chapter delves deeper into the music by native Brazilian-Americans. It discusses the dances and

songs of different tribes who inhabited or still live in Brazil. The following chapter considers the

music brought by the Africans and how it influenced Brazilian music. It touches on the traditions

and religions that were brought by the slaves and how it intermingled with other cultures. The

fourth chapter is how the popular music, religions, poetry, and traditional costumes brought by

Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, and Africans integrated in Brazil. The fifth chapter focuses on

Brazilian music, what the mixing of cultures became, and the different genres created. The last

chapter is dedicated to choir music, how it started, and how it was adopted by churches. This

book is important as it offers insight into Vale’s personal ideas about folklore and music in

general. A lot of the preludes are inspired by folklore characteristics; therefore, it is essential to

use his writings to understand how Vale views the preludes.

Do Conservatório à Escola (From the Conservatory to the School) by Sergio Freire,

Alice Belem, and Rodrigo Miranda is a great source regarding the environment of Belo

Horizonte in which Flausino Vale wrote the preludes. It provides information on the musical

activities in the city, such as its bands, soirees, radios, silent movie orchestras, the conservatoire,

festivals, and the School of Music. It also gives great detail on compositional characteristics of

composers from the time and where the new music in Brazil was heading. This book helps us

understand the society that Vale experienced when he moved to the capital of Minas Gerais.

4
 The website O Fabuloso Mundo da Arte (The Fabulous Art World) contains several

articles, documents, pictures, and videos on Brazilian music, film, theater, dance, and historical

patrimony. The article on Flausino Vale is valuable to the research because it not only provides

information about Vale, but also about the Semana de Arte Moderna de 22 (The Week of

Modern Art of 22). This week was an art festival that marked the start of Brazilian modernism.

During this period, changes in politics, economy, and culture influenced various artists. Semana

de Arte Moderna de 22 especially affected the large cities in Brazil, and Belo Horizonte was

certainly impacted.

Another useful source is Escola Franco Belga e o Violino Solo Brasileiro (Franco

Belgian School and the Solo Violin from Brazil) by Zoltan Paulinyi. This book is about two

well-known Brazilian violinists from the twentieth century: Marcos Salles and Flausino Vale.

Chapter four contains a biography of Vale. It explores Salles and Vale’s musical friendship, the

origins of Vale’s school of playing, Vale’s legacy as a violinist, and his arrangements and

transcriptions of other composers’ works. Even though Vale was not classically trained, this

book provides information on where his violin technique foundation may have come from, and

how his music and Salles’ are important to the Brazilian classical music field.

Finally, the following scores and media sources will be used: the score of the 26

Prelúdios Caracteristicos e Concertantes Para Violino Só by Camila Fresca, the CD containing

the recording of the preludes by Jerzy Milewski, and Claudio Cruz’s modern video recording of

the preludes. Milewski’s CD is an important source for performance practice because Milewski

had direct contact with some of Vale’s acquaintances and students. The score by Fresca is the

first complete edition of all twenty-six preludes supplemented with her own preface. The

fingerings and bowings in the score were edited by Claudio Cruz, who is currently one of the

most preeminent violinists in Brazil. Claudio Cruz’s video recording will be useful to compare

5
with Milewski’s CD to analyze how time and research have impacted performers’ approaches to

the preludes.

6
 CHAPTER 1

FLAUSINO VALE: A MAN OF MANY FACETS

Early Years

In 1894 Flausino Vale was born in the small city of Barbacena, a municipality in the state

of Minas Gerais in Brazil. His own description of his birth day can be found in the small

notebook he called “Caderno de notas curiosas” (Notebook of Curious Notes), in which he made

annotations about his life:

Meu Nascimento

“Em 6 de Janeiro de 1894 as 4 ½ da tarde, na rua general Ozorio casa Mo. 7, na cidade de
Barbacena, nasceu o inocente Flausino dos Reis Rodrigues Valle, filho legítimo de
Francisco Hermenegildo Rodrigues Valle and Da. Maria Augusta de Campos Valle, o
qual Flausino foi batizado na Igreja Matriz na mesma cidade em 11 de Fevereiro de
1894, pelo Monsenhôr José Augusto Ferreira da Silva, serviram de padrinhos– Flausino
Augusto de Campos, seu avô, pai de sua mãe, e Da. Cornelia Umbelina de Assis, sua avó,
mãe de seu pai…”2

My Birth

January 6th of 1894 at 4:30pm, at the General Osório St. No. 7, in the city of Barbacena,
was born the innocent Flausino dos Reis Rodrigues Valle, son of Francisco
Hermenegildo Rodrigues Valle and Mme. Maria Augusta de Campos Valle; Flausino was
baptized at the main church of the same city in February 11th of 1984 by monsignor José
Augusto Ferreira da Silva; godfathers: Flausino Augusto de Campos, his grandfather, and
Mme. Cornelia Umbelina de Assis, his grandmother, mother of his father....3

Vale came from a family of amateur musicians: his father played clarinet, and his mother

played piano. They passed down their passion for music to each of their children—three of them

played violin and the other two played the piano. Vale began playing the violin at the age of ten

and received lessons from his uncle, João Augusto Campos, for only four and a half years. He

2 Feichas, 15.
3 All translations from the Portuguese are my own unless otherwise noted.
7
also studied music theory with Camilo Castro, who was a member of a well-known musical

family in the city. Vale wrote the following about his studies with his uncle:

“João Augusto de Campos, nascido em Barbacena: meu tio materno e meu único
professor de violin, com quem fiz o curso em 4 ½ years. Foi ele discípulo de Joaquim
Manoel de Macedo. Comecei a estudar com ele aos 10 anos de idade, terminando com os
estudos de Gaviniés e os 24 Caprichos de Paganini. Em 1912 meu tio abandonou
definitivamente a música, transferindo-se para o Rio e dedicou-se ao comércio de
laticínios, fazendo parte da firma “Ernesto boock.”4

João Augusto de Campos, born in Barbacena: my maternal uncle and my only violin
teacher, with whom I studied four and a half years. He was a pupil of Joaquim Manoel de
Macedo. I started to study with him when I was ten years old, finishing my studies
playing Gaviniés etudes, and the 24 capriches by Paganini. In 1912 my uncle abandoned
music, moved to Rio [Rio de Janeiro] to work in the dairy industry, becoming a member
of the “Ernesto Book” company.

At the age of 14, Vale started making public appearances as a violinist. He performed in

the Grande Festival Artístico (Grand Artistic Festival) in 1908, and in 1912 he played for festival

artístico-musical em benefício dos pobres (festival artistic-musical in benefit of the poor). In

these festivals artists recited poetry, singers performed songs accompanied by piano, and Vale

played violin pieces by Moritz Moszkowski, Vittorio Monti, and Franz Schubert.5

In addition to musical activities, Vale had a special interest in flora and fauna from a

young age. His writings, such as the poem O Pássaro Selvagem, highlight his love for the forest

and birds. In this excerpt from the poem, he exalts nature and draws a parallel between bird calls

and the music of Chopin and Beethoven:

“…Quando é plácida a selva, em dia pleno,

Um trillo ali se escuta, ali um treno,
E a todo instante melodias se ouvem,
Quais fossem de Chopin ou de Beethoven!”6

…When the jungle is placid, in a splendid day,

A trill can be heard, over there a lament,

4 Camila Frésca, “Uma Extraordinária Revelaçāo de arte: Flausino Vale e o Violino Brasileiro,” thesis, (UNESP,
2008), 15.
5 Ibid., 16.
6 Ibid., 12.

8
 And melodies can be heard all the time,
Like the ones by Chopin or Beethoven...

On the other hand, Vale had a pastime that was in contradiction with his love for nature. From a

young age, he learned how to hunt birds from his grandfather. In his Notebook of Curious Notes,

Vale wrote that he received a shotgun as a gift from his uncle in 1904. He later sold the shotgun

in order to afford moving to Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais, to continue his studies

in law and music.

Belo Horizonte and Brazilian Modernism

Vale’s move to the newly built city of Belo Horizonte in 1912 at the age of eighteen was

a significant change in his life. He moved to Belo Horizonte in order to study law and to work as

a musician. The following description in Vale’s notebook indicates his interest in moving to Belo

Horizonte because the new environment would serve his intellectual and personal growth:

“Vim para Bello Horizonte no dia 1-6-12; parti às 4 da manhã e cheguei às 11, vim
diretamente para casa de meus tios (…) vim com o intuito de tocar em cinema e estudar a
minha custa. No dia 3 do mesmo eu jà tocava no ‘Parque Cinema’ (…) Vim muito
saudoso.”7

I came to Belo-Horizonte on 06-01-12; left at 4am and arrived at 11, came straight to my
uncle and aunt’s house: (…) I came with the intent to play for movies and to study,
providing for myself. On the 3rd of the same month I was already playing in the ‘Park
Cinema’ (…) I came very homesick.

Belo Horizonte was created with the influence of the ideals of modernity and industrial

development that happened in Brazil at that moment. The city was modeled after Paris’s

modernist style, bringing improvements in technology and infrastructure to the city, and, most

importantly for Vale, a vibrant cultural life. These ideals were a reflex of the Belle Époque. The

Belle Époque was a period during the end of the nineteenth century up until the first World War,

7 Feichas, 19.
9
when Europe went through a phase of technological and industrial development. France was the

continent’s cultural capital, and Paris went through great renovations. These French influences

reached not only Europe, but also many countries outside Europe including Brazil. In Brazil the

Belle Époque lasted until the 1920’s.8 This movement instigated two important historical events

that led Brazilian people to change their way of thinking and their behavior. These two events

were the abolishment of slavery in 1888, and the transition of Brazil becoming a republic in 1889

after being an Empire for a long time. After this point in history, Brazilian society influenced by

the European nationalism, created their own nationalism conceiving an independent identity and

an artistic voice inspired by Brazilian elements.

The Belle Époque also influenced Brazilian society to leave rural customs behind in order

to move toward modernity. As a result, people moved from rural areas to big cities. The

population in Belo Horizonte that was of fourteen thousand people in 1901, reached fifty-five

thousand people in 1920, and it would be of almost four hundred thousand people by the end of

Vale’s life.9 Therefore, cultural activities bloomed in Belo Horizonte during the first half of the

twentieth century. Vale was moving into a musical environment that had bands, soirées, movie

orchestras, radio programs, recitals, a music conservatory, serenade parties, home serenades, ball

parties, and several religious festivities. Vale took part in almost all of these activities.

The soirées usually took place in families’ homes. Poets would recite poems, composers

would share their new pieces, and musicians would sing and play, very much like the European

saloons of the nineteenth century. Because Vale preferred playing in a more intimate space than

8 Natália Casado Lima, “A Belle Époque e seus reflexos no Brasil," thesis, (Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo,
2006), 2.”
9 Frésca, 29.

10
in larger concert halls, the soirées were his favorite events to participate in as a musician. 10 In

these events he had the opportunity to perform chamber music and his own solo compositions.

Vale also worked as a professor. The School of Music in Belo Horizonte was created in

1901 and the Music Conservatoire in 1925.11 Their establishment was due to the demand for

musical training in the city from both the bourgeoisie who valued musical education and the

orchestras that were in need of musicians. Vale joined the conservatoire as a faculty member in

1927, but not as a violin or composition teacher. Instead, Vale was a history teacher at the

institution and remained there until the end of his life.12

Vale also played in a professional orchestra. He was the concertmaster of the Sociedade

de Concertos Sinfônicos (Society of Symphonic Concerts) for many years.13 Founded in 1925,

the orchestra was the first symphonic group formed in Belo Horizonte. They remained together

for a significant amount of time. Similarly to many of the musicians of his time, Vale’s main

source of money when he moved to Belo Horizonte was playing for movie orchestras. The so-

called orchestras were actually chamber groups that played for silent movies. The most common

formation for these groups were violin, cello, bass, flute, and clarinet (Fig. 1.1). These chamber

groups would also participate in theater plays and operas.

In addition to the activities in Minas Gerais, Vale was also connected with what was

happening in other states in Brazil and in other countries. He was an assiduous subscriber to

cultural magazines and traveled a lot within Brazil. He made several trips to Rio de Janeiro and

even attempted to move there. Due to these trips, he became friends with some influential

10 Feichas, 25.
11 Ibid., 23.
12 Frésca, 54.
13 Ibid., 34.

11
 Figure 1.1. Orquestra do Cinema Odeon (Odeon Cinema Orchestra) in 1923.
Vale is the violinist of the group (Furthest right in the picture).

composers and writers who were established in the Brazilian capital, most noticeable of these

interactions were the violinist Zino Francescatti, composers Heitor Villa-Lobos and Francisco

Mignone, and the intellectual Mário de Andrade. Villa-Lobos, Francisco Mignone, and de

Andrade are well-known figures in Brazilian history and are influential figures in Vale’s life and

output.

Mário de Andrade (1893-1945) was a well-known writer and intellectual who influenced

most of the artists in Brazil during the twentieth century. He was the first writer to document

information on Brazilian art music. Before him, researchers were more focused on texts of songs

rather than the music itself.14 De Andrade is considered to be the father of Brazilian

ethnomusicology. After his efforts, more researchers on Brazilian folklore music began to

appear. De Andrade traveled to numerous parts of the country gathering and providing material

14Suzel Ana Reily, “Introduction: Brazilian Musics, Brazilian Identities,” British Journal of Ethnomusicology 9,
no.1 (2000): 2.
12
for others to develop. Besides collecting material, he also dedicated time to studying the national

repertoire, trying to codify the Brazilian musical voice.15

De Andrade was a central figure in Brazilian Modernism and as such provided the

philosophical ideas of the artistic movement called Semana da Arte Moderna de 22 (Week of

Modern Art of 22).16 The Modernism movement led by de Andrade reunited artists from

different fields, such as literature, painting, sculpture, architecture, and music. Their ideal was to

break the custom of emulating European cultural ideas and to create something that was unique

to Brazil. He influenced several of the next generation of Brazilian composers including Luciano

Gallet, César Guerra Peixe, Francisco Mignone, Camargo Guarnieri, and Heitor Villa-Lobos.17

Brazilian Composers of the Period

Villa-Lobos (1889-1959) is, without a doubt, the most well-known Brazilian composer.

His large oeuvre includes pieces for orchestra, chamber music, and solo.18 True to Brazilian

modernism ideals, Villa-Lobos was in search for Brazilian sounds. He travelled Brazil for

several years. He visited several states from all five regions in which Brazil is divided. During

his travels, he played with many local Brazilian street-music bands to learn the different aspects

and characteristics of Brazilian traditional music. Villa-Lobos also toured extensively in Europe.

When Rubinstein went to Brazil for concerts in Rio de Janeiro, he became friends with Villa

Lobos and proposed that Villa-Lobos tour abroad. Villa-Lobos went to Paris in 1923 for a year

15 Ibid, 4.
16 Manu Legraf, “Apostila Do Curso História Da Música Brasileira Instituto de Artes da Unesp 1 Introdução ao
Estudo da Música (Erudita) no Brasil", 4.
17 Ibid., 5.
18 Marisa Gandelman, “Villa-Lobos,” Museu Villa Lobos, 2007,

http://museuvillalobos.org.br/villalob/index.htm.

13
and returned in 1927 to stay another three years.19 Even though he achieved success and enjoyed

Europe, Villa Lobos stayed truthful to the Modernism movement ideal. This is evident in his

own words:

Sim, sou brasileiro e bem brasileiro. Na minha música eu deixo cantar os rios e os mares
deste grande Brasil. Eu não ponho mordaça na exuberância tropical de nossas florestas e
dos nossos céus, que eu transponho instintivamente para tudo que escrevo.20

Yes, I am Brazilian, very much Brazilian. In my music you can hear the seas and
rivers of my great Brazil sing. I do not hide out the exuberance of our tropical forests
and of our blue skies that I instinctively transpose to everything that I compose.

Further evidence on how nationalism influenced Villa-Lobos is shown in an interview during a

European tour in which he said, “I don’t use folklore, I am the folklore."21 This embodies Villa-

Lobos’ internalization of Brazilian modernism.

Villa-Lobos and Vale were close acquaintances, and without hesitation, Villa-Lobos’

works and way of thinking were an influence on Vale. They met several times, and Villa-Lobos

was very fond of Vale. (Fig. 1.2) More than one time, the well-known composer referred to Vale

as the “Paganini brasileiro.”22

Several other well-known composers were influenced by the Modernism movement and

were also an influence on Vale, such as Francisco Mignone (1897-1986) and Mozart Camargo

Guarnieri (1907-1993). Mignone was classmates with and studied under Mário de Andrade.

Mignone’s music uses folk and popular melodies as a starting point of his compositions. He

wrote pieces in Brazilian street styles, such as the choro, the modinha, and the valsas, and his

pieces employs names such as Fantasias Brasileiras (Brazilian Fantasia). In 1943, Mignone

conducted the Sociedade de Concertos Sinfonicos (Society of Symphonic Concerts) in Belo

19 Lisa M. Peppercorn, “H. Villa-Lobos in Paris,” Latin American Music Review / Revista de Música
Latinoamericana 6, no. 2 (1985): 237, https://doi.org/10.2307/780202.
20 Vanessa Schütt, “Música e Fala,” Museu Villa Lobos, 1996.

http://museuvillalobos.org.br/villalob/musica/index.htm.
21 Monica Hart, “Villa-Lobos, Heitor (1887-1959)", Piano Society, http://www.pianosociety.com/pages/Villa-Lobos.
22 Frésca, 71.

14
Horizonte, while Vale was concertmaster of the orchestra. Vale made a good impression on

Mignone, who said:

...A interpretação de Flausino Vale foi magnífica, tendo conseguido manter em suspenso
toda a platéia, que o ouviu como que em êxtase. Artista por temperamento, o violinista
mineiro soube comunicar o que sente aos que o escutam, resultando daí a compreensão
fácil e intuitiva das suas execuções…23

…Flausino’s interpretation was magnificent- he was able to keep the audience’s

attention the whole time, they heard the performance with delight. A natural artist,
the violinist from Minas Gerais knew how to communicate his feelings to whom
was listening, resulting in an easy comprehension of his performance…

Figure 1.2. In the picture above from right to left: Vale, Villa-
Lobos, and Celso Brant (Brazilian music critic) can be seen in
one of the times Vale met Villa-Lobos in Belo Horizonte in
1947.

Camargo-Guarnieri is another example of many composers who chose to engage with the

Brazilian Modernist and Nationalist movement. As all the other composers mentioned

23 Frésca, 57.

15
previously, he was also connected to Mário de Andrade who became his mentor when he was

twenty-one years old. Camargo-Guarnieri was a fierce advocate of using national elements to

compose. This can be seen in the letter he wrote to the Brazilian musical community speaking in

favor of Brazilian Modernism and against dodecaphonic technique:

[I want to alert you of the great threats to the musical culture of Brazil, due to our
young composers’ infatuation with progressive theories of music that are inimical
to the true interests of Brazilian music […] These composers preferred to ignore
the rich musical traditions of Brazil and produce music according to false and
sterile aesthetic principles […] that favor improvisation and charlatanism, pseudo-
science instead of original research, and scorn talent, culture, and the exploration
of the rich experiences of the past, which are the bases of the true work of art.]24

Like Villa-Lobos and Mignone, Vale certainly followed the ideals of Brazilian

Modernism defended by Camargo-Guarnieri in his letter. Vale’s 26 Preludes for Solo Violin

connects traditional violin playing with elements of the mineiros (people originally from the state

of Minas Gerais) folklore. He was able to combine the European musical tradition of violin

playing with melodies and rhythms from the Brazilian natives and Africans who came to Brazil

as slaves. While it is clear that he appreciated and played traditional violin repertoire and also

met some of the most known musicians from the period, such as Zino Francescatti and Horowitz,

Vale was also a lover and a dedicated researcher of Brazilian folklore. Although he was able to

combine both European and Brazilian culture, this is not what made Vale unique. Several other

Brazilian composers also combined European musical aspects with Brazilian traits, such as

Villa-Lobos, Mignone, and Camargo Guarnieri for instance; therefore, Vale’s significance comes

from the genre in which he composed the prelúdios: the solo violin genre.

24 Mozart Camargo-Guarnieri, “Carta Aberta aso Músicos e Críticos do Brasil,” November 7th, 1950.
https://fredericomb.files.wordpress.com/2016/09/guarnieri-carta-aberta.pdf.

16
 In conclusion, from the year 1888, when slavery was abolished in Brazil, to the 1950s

was a period of significant change in politics and society. Brazilian society was discovering their

own identity. This was rather difficult due to the mixing of cultures in Brazil. Since Brazil was

dominated by European culture for a long time during the Imperial period, artists and

intellectuals like Mário de Andrade, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Francisco Mignone, and Flausino Vale

found it valid and important to research and insert aspects of traditional culture to art music.

Doing this kind of research and using folklore aspects in their music was a trade-mark of

composers during the period. Well-known Brazilian composers like Heitor Villa-Lobos,

Francisco Mignone, Radamés Gnatalli, and César Guerra-Peixe were all influenced by three

important events: the ideals of the Brazilian Modernism movement led by Mário de Andrade, the

nationalistic wave created by the abolition of slavery, and Brazil becoming a republic. With

Vale’s 26 prelúdios, the story was not different. They are clearly influenced by the ideals of

Brazilian Modernism and the nationalistic movement as well. In the prelúdios, one finds sounds

from Brazilian fauna or flora, specific rhythms brought to Brazil by the slaves, melodies from

Brazilian natives, music from traditional Brazilian festivities and daily activities, and even

sounds that try to emulate Brazilian landscapes. Vale’s prelúdios are treasures in the solo violin

canon, showcasing folklore characteristics of Brazilian art music literature.

17
 CHAPTER 2

“26 PRELÚDIOS CARACTERÍSTICOS E CONCERTANTES PARA

VIOLINO SÓ”

Compositional Characteristics: The Essence of Vale’s Music

As mentioned before, the beginning of the twentieth century in Brazil was a period

influenced by the Belle Epoque and the Modernism. Artists from all fields were creating art

related to their own environment. Vale was a history professor with a great love for nature and

folklore. He did a lot of research on nature sounds and street culture, which he shared in his

book, Elementos do Folklore Brasileiro.

Before going into more detailed information about the specific characteristics of each

prelude, it is important to be aware of some characteristics of Brazilian culture. Caipira culture is

an important part of Brazilian culture. The Portuguese word Caipira comes from the indigenous

word kai-pira, which literally means “big grass.”25 The name is used to refer to countryfolk,

people who live in rural villages or on farms in the countryside.26 As urban life developed in

Brazil because of the influence of the Belle Epoque, the caipiras moved to the cities and brought

their cultural traditions (way of being, clothing, their own food) with them. The state of Minas

Gerais, where Vale grew up, is known for being the state of the caipiras, and the distinctive

characteristics of their musical style and traditions can be heard in Vale’s preludes.

The viola caipira instrument is important in Vale’s musical culture, and therefore, its

influence on his compositions remains evident. A Brazilian viola caipira is a descendent of the

25 C. R. Brandão, “Os caipiras de São Paulo.” São Paulo: Brasiliense (1983),

https://journals.openedition.org/caravelle/310.
26 Dicionário Online de Português, 2009, s.v. “Caipira,” by 7Graus, https://www.dicio.com.br/caipira/ (accessed

January 5, 2020).
18
Portuguese violas, which have their roots in Arabic instruments, such as the lute.27 It is similar in

shape and construction to a guitar, but it has either five or six pairs of strings (Fig. 2.1). One of

the main characteristics of the viola caipira is playing parallel thirds and sixths, and Vale uses

them extensively in his preludes to represent caipira music. Another technique Vale uses to

evoke the viola caipira is pizzicatos. While pizzicato articulation is common in the classical

violin literature, Vale uses the technique extensively in the preludes to reflect the style of playing

the caipira.

Figure 2.1. Viola caipira

27Ieda Maria Alves, “Viola caipira,” Britannica Escola (2020), https://escola.britannica.com.br/artigo/viola-

caipira/487863 (accessed January 6, 2020).

19
“Suíte Mineira”: The Genesis of the Preludes
Before Vale conceived the idea of writing the 26 preludes, he composed a set of nine

preludes (which are part of the final version of the 26 preludes) that he titled Suíte Mineira. The

word mineiro or mineira is used to designate anyone or anything with origins in the state of

Minas Gerais.28 Vale’s title, therefore, indicates his vision for these short pieces to evoke the

place and soundscape of Minas Gerais. The set includes the following preludes:

1. Batuque (Op. 1) Allegro, 1922, G Major

2. Suspiro d’alma (Op. 2) Andante, 1923, C Major

3. Devaneio (Op. 3) Allegreto, 1924, A Major

4. Brado íntimo (Op. 4) Andantino, 1924, A Major

5. Implorando (Op. 5) Barcarolla 1924, A Major

6. Tico-tico (Op. 6) Allegreto, 1926, G Major

7. Marcha fúnebre (Op. 7) 1927, G Minor

8. Sonhando (Op. 8) Allegro/moderato, 1929, G Major

9. Repente (Op. 9) Allegro, 1924, A Major/ D Major/ G Major

Vale’s intention was for the preludes to be performed together as a set. This is evident for a few

reasons. First, the order in which they appear here is not the same as in the final version of 26

preludes. The opus numbers do not agree with the dates in which the preludes were composed.

When arranged this way, there is a variety of tempos between fast and slow (F and S), which was

a common practice in the suites from the baroque period (F-S-F-S-S-F-S-S-F).

28 Infopédia Dicionários Porto Editora, 2003, s.v. “Mineiro,” by Porto Editora,

https://www.infopedia.pt/dicionarios/lingua-portuguesa/mineiro (accessed January 8, 2020).
20
 Figure 2.2. Cover page of the manuscript of Vale's
Suíte Mineira; March 1932.

Second, as Camila Fresca claims, the keys of the preludes are all G or A, and the reason

Op. 9, Repente, is placed last in the set, even though it was written earlier than some of the others

is because it incorporates both tonalities (G and A), and thus serves as the closing piece of the

set.29 Third, performed together, these preludes would last no longer than fifteen minutes, which

makes it easy to include the set on a recital program.

Lastly, a clear thematic relationship exists among these preludes. Besides the noticeable

influence of folk culture, which will be discussed later, almost all of these preludes’ titles are

related to the human experience. It is debatable whether Vale was expressing his own

experiences or if he was aiming to access a more collective notion of the human experiences of

29 Fresca, 119.
21
Brazilian mineiros. Table 2.1 shows the literal translations of the pieces with titles related to

inner personal experiences.

Table 2.1. Title and translations of preludes No. 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 23.

Title Translation
2. Suspiro d’alma Sigh of a soul
3. Devaneio Daydream
4. Brado íntimo Intimate supplication out loud
6. Marcha fúnebre Funeral March
7. Sonhando Dreaming
23. Implorando Begging with fervor

26 Prelúdios: A Performer’s Guide

Vale composed the first the first Prelude, Batuque, in 1922. The batuque is an afro-

Brazilian dance usually accompanied by percussion, viola caipira, and sometimes voice. This

dance has its origins in Cabo Verde, Angola, and Congo, and it evolved into many other types

when it arrived in Brazil. One of the main functions of this dance when it arrived on the Atlantic

Coast was entertainment for the slaves to sing and dance.

Mario de Andrade describes the batuque in his book Aspectos da Música Brasileira. He

explains that the music starts with an introduction played by the viola caipira which is called

baixão. He describes the dance as a circle of people with two or three pairs of men and women

dancing in the middle of it. The dance consists of calm body movements along with small

movements of the feet, head, and arms. The dancer’s movements accelerate as the music

becomes more vivid and “rapturous.”30

30 Mário de Andrade, Dicionário Musical Brasileiro, (Belo Horizonte: Editora Itatiaia, 1989), 53.
22
 It is reasonable to say that Vale was familiar with the batuque dance, as his music follows

the structure of the dance Andrade describes. Vale begins the prelude with pizzicato chords,

which recalls the baixão played by the viola caipira (Ex. 2.1).

Example 2.1. Batuque, mm. 1-4

After this introduction, the music accelerates, just like in the dance. As Vale notes in the

score, the prelude should be performed in less than 40 seconds. In the faster section, Vale

provides the indication “com rusticidade no meio do arco,” which means the performer should

play the section rustically in the middle of the bow. (Ex. 2.2)

Example 2.2. Batuque, mm. 37-39

The prelude Suspiro d’Alma literally means Soul’s Breath or Sigh of a Soul. It is also the

title of a poem written by Almeida Garret. The poem was set to music by composer Carlos

Gomes at the end of the nineteenth century. Gomes was one of the first composers to use

Brazilian nationalistic elements and was also known for his operas. It is likely that Vale’s

prelude was inspired by Gomes’s song, since Gomes was a well-known composer who was a

major influence in the modernist movement in Brazil. The poem is as follows:

23
 Suspiro que nasce d’alma, that the flower of your lips has died…
Que à flor dos lábios morreu... A heart that doesn’t understand it [the
Coração que o não entende sigh]
Não no quero para meu. that does not want me.
A sigh born of the soul

Falou-te a voz da minha alma, but your [soul’s] voice did not
A tua não na entendeu: understand:
Coração não tens no peito, You have no heart,
Ou é diferente do meu. Or it is so different from mine.
My soul’s voice spoke to you,

Queres que em língua da terra Do you want an earthly language

Se digam coisas do céu? to say heavenly things?
Coração que tal deseja, A heart that wishes such a thing
Não no quero para meu. I do not want for me.

In Gomes’s version of Suspiro d’alma, it is interesting to note that each verse is repeated twice.

Vale’s prelude follows suit. He writes a ritornello for each phrase, shown in Ex. 2.3. Vale’s

prelude is also characterized by parallel thirds from beginning to end, recalling Brazilian caipira

music.

Example 2.3. Suspiro d'alma, mm. 1-3

In prelude No. 3, Devaneio, there are two links with Brazilian folklore. The piece is

based on a folk song called Escravos de Jó. The word devaneio means daydream. Perhaps Vale

wrote this as a nostalgic devaneio of his childhood singing a folk song that is widely known in

Brazil even today. The first five notes of the Escravos de Jó (shown in Ex. 2.4) and Vale’s

Devaneio (the top voice in Ex. 2.5) follow the same intervallic structure and rhythmic pattern,

demonstrating that Vale’s prelude was inspired by the folk song.

24
 Example 2.4. Escravos de Jó, mm. 1-3

Example 2.5. Devaneio, mm.1-2

While most of Vale’s preludes have ties to Brazilian folklore or nature, some of them are

more related to inner-personal experiences as mentioned before. Brado Íntimo, Prelude No. 4, is

one of those preludes. The word íntimo means intimate, and brado translates as “supplication out

loud”; the music clearly expresses these ideas and the contradiction between “intimate” and “out

loud” found in the title. The first four measures are an interpolation of two contrasting gestures:

one calm, in which Vale uses a pianissimo dynamic and a natural harmonic, and another in lower

in register in which Vale indicates forte and impetuous (Ex. 2.6). The prelude has a fantasia-like

character, and Vale uses this character to give freedom to the performer.

Example 2.6. Brado Íntimo, mm. 1-5

Tico-tico has ties to Brazilian nature as well as to a violinist friend of Vale. The prelude is

dedicated to the Brazilian pedagogue Marcos Salles, who was well known for his talent as a

teacher. In Brazil Salles is remembered for his superb bow arm technique. As Brazilian-Polish

25
violinist Jerzy Milewski points out, “He solved all the problems of any violinist who listened to

his suggestions.”31 Because of Salles’ bow technique, Vale was able to employ challenging right-

arm techniques such as arpeggiated ricochet. Tico-tico highlights the stroke throughout as an

homage to Salles’ ability and influence (Ex. 2.7).

Example 2.7. Tico-tico, m. 1

The title of Prelude No. 5, Tico-tico, is also the name of a bird. The tico-tico bird can be

found from the southern tip of South America in Argentina to the south of Mexico. Vale alludes

to the bird call at the end of the prelude, mimicking its song using artificial harmonics (Ex. 2.8).

Example 2.8. Tico-tico, m. 27

Another cultural tie in this prelude is the Brazilian choro song Tico-tico no fubá, which

was written by Zequinha de Abreu in 1917, only a few years before Vale wrote his own Tico-

tico. Abreu’s choro song is known around the globe and has been arranged for a variety of

instruments and ensembles. It has also been performed by leading orchestras, including the

Berlin Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic.

31 Feichas, 233.
26
 Prelude No. 6, Marcha Fúnebre, does not have musical ties to Brazilian culture or nature.

It was one of the first preludes Vale wrote in 1927 as part of the Suite Mineira. It has a curious

history regarding its dedicatee. The manuscript shows that Vale initially dedicated this prelude to

the memory of his uncle: “em memória do meu tio Vincente” (in memory of my uncle

Vincente).32 However, after the death of Ernesto Ronchini, a violinist, conductor and professor at

the Instituto Nacional de Música (National Institute of Music), Vale changed the prelude’s

dedication. He removed the dedication to his uncle and wrote “em memória de Ernesto

Ronchini” (in memory of Ernesto Ronchini), who died in 1931, four years after the prelude was

composed.33

In Sonhando, Prelude No. 7, the main theme of the moderato section is a quote from

Johannes Brahms’s Waltz, Op. 39, No. 15.34 The three-eighth-note pick up to m. 6 in Vale’s

prelude (Ex. 2.9) imitate Brahms’s three-eighth-note pick up to mm. 2 and 3 in the Waltz, except

at a whole step lower (Ex. 2.10).

Example 2.9. Sonhando, mm.6-7

32 Hermes Cuzzuol Alvarenga, “Os 26 Prelúdios Característicos e Concertantes Para Violino Só, de Flausino Valle:
Aspectos Da Linguagem Musical e Violinística,” thesis, (UFRGS, 1993), 85.
33 Víctor Chagas de Abreu, “A transcrição para a viola de arco do prelúdio n.6, Marcha Fúnebre, de Flausino Vale

(1894-1954) e a relação com elementos musicais identificados em obras fúnebres de compositores como Beethoven,
Chopin e Guerra-Peixe,” thesis, (UFMG, 2016), 3.
34 Feichas, 116.

27
 Example 2.10. Johannes Brahms, Waltz, Op. 39, No. 15, mm.1-3

In Sonhando Vale explores the pizzicato technique to allude to the viola caipira. As Vale

indicates in the score, this prelude is supposed to be played “Sem auxílio do arco” (without the

“help” of the bow) and “Alla guitarra.” Moreover, he was very detailed about which finger the

performer should use to play each pizzicato. As shown in Fig. 2.3, Vale provided a guide in the

score indicating the following: D = right hand, E = left hand, P = thumb, and m = middle finger.

In the music, each note is marked with a letter designating the specific finger that should be used

to pluck the note (Ex. 2.11). This impacts the articulation and the rhythmic structure, having

specific notes or beats receiving greater emphasis. The result is a violinist without a bow holding

the instrument like a viola caipira and using a technique to pluck the strings similarly to a viola

caipira player or guitarist.

Figure 2.3. Vale's note on top left corner of Sonhando's score

Example 2.11. Sonhando, mm. 19-23

28
 Prelude No. 8, Repente, refers to a Brazilian art form based on improvisation of verses.

The Portuguese expression “de repente” means “all of a sudden.” The repente art form is usually

performed by two singers who duel with each other, accompanied by a viola caipira and often

also a percussion instrument called pandeiro. The pandeiro is a common Brazilian percussion

instrument which combines a whole drum set into one small instrument that can be held with one

hand. There are different kinds of repentes; the two main types are Repente de Viola Caipira—a

slow repente in which singers are accompanied by viola caipiras—and the Embolada—which is

faster and usually accompanied by a pandeiro. For this faster type of repente, the singers

improvise the words, challenging one another with the cleverness of their verses.

Vale’s repente leans toward the faster embolada style and is divided into two parts: the

first is more energetic and the second more lyrical. In a typical embolada the singers improvise

the words but the melody remains the same. As shown in Examples 2.14, 15, and 16, Vale

mirrors this characteristic, using the same melody as the theme throughout the prelude. The only

difference is that he uses a different key each time it appears: A major, D major, and G major. In

Elementos do Folclore Musical Brasileiros (Elements of Brazilian Musical Folklore), Vale

describes the musical script of a Repente:

O desafio vem a ser um diálogo, cantado, em que dois poetas se digladiam, fazendo
perguntas enigmáticas ou contando valentia de parte à parte; no primeiro caso, termina
quando um deles não acha saída para uma rima difícil, provocando hilaridade na
assistência; no Segundo, a coisa vai se esquentando, até que entra família no meio dos
versos.35

The challenge is the dialogue, sung, in which two poets compete, asking enigmatic
questions or telling their macho achievements; first, [the challenge] finishes when one of
the poets do not find a response for a difficult rhyme [or verse], provoking laugher [in the
audience]; second, the dispute gets heated, even family [each other’s’] is included into
the verses.

35Flausino Rodrigues Vale, Elementos de Folk-Lore Musical Brasileiro, (São Paulo: Companhia Editora Nacional,
1936), 87.
29
Vale continues, confirming the influence of the viola caipira in this type of music:

A versalhada é sempre acompanhada à viola. E o ultimo verso de cada quadra serve de

início à seguinte… Entre uma estrofe e outra, os cantadores ficam temperando a viola,
numa espécie de harpejado, o que da tempo para o preparo da resposta.36

The verses are always accompanied by a viola. The last phrase of each quatrain works as
a beginning to the new verse…in between on strophe and another, the singers ‘season’
the viola, with something like an arpeggiato, which gives time to prepare for the reply.

Brazilian violinist and professor Hermez Alvarenga observes another connection to

Vale’s passion for the viola caipira in this prelude. According to Alvarenga, the antecedent

phrase shown in Exs. 2.12, 2.13, and 2.14 correspond to an introduction played by the viola

caipira that precedes the singers’ entrance in a repente. The consequent phrase, which Vale

writes in parallel sixths, represents the singers (Ex. 2.15 and 2.16). 37

Example 2.12. Repente, mm 1-3

Example 2.13. Repente, mm. 16-17

36 Vale, (1936), 87.

37 Alvarenga, 31.
30
 Examples 2.14. Repente, mm. 28-29

Examples 2.15. Repente, mm. 4-5

Examples 2.16. Repente, mm. 8-9

In the brief B section, the interpolation of melodies on the D and G strings creates the

effect of dialogue between voices, evoking the dialogue of the singers in an embolada (Ex. 2.17).

Example 2.17. Repente, mm. 40-47

Rondó Doméstico, Prelude No. 9, is one of the few preludes for which the date of

composition is unknown. It also does not have a relationship with Brazilian folklore or nature.

According to Leonardo Feichas and Mercia Braga this prelude is inspired by Vale’s daily life. It

is the representation of a familial scene, which Braga describes as “a alegre correria de seus

pirralhos que lhe interrompem uma terna melodia” (his happy brats running around interrupting a

31
beautiful melody).38 This familial scene is reflected in the title, which translates to domestic

rondo, and it can also be heard in the music. The piece opens with an allegro rondo in 2/4 that is

vivacious and sparkly, which evokes children running and playing (Ex. 2.18).

Example 2.18. Rondó Doméstico, mm. 1-5

It dissolves into a slow, cantabile section in 4/4 meter, but this lyrical section is

interrupted by the return of the rondo in m. 48 (Ex. 2.19).

Example 2.19. Rondó Doméstico, mm. 40-51

Another prelude in which Vale does not use Brazilian characteristics is Prelude No. 10,

Interrogando o Destino, which translates as “Interrogating Destiny,” was written in the 1930s.

This prelude was dedicated to well-known French virtuoso violinist Zino Francescatti. This may

be why this prelude is one of the most technically difficult. Among the challenging techniques

Vale uses in Interrogando o Destino are harmonics, left hand pizzicato of four-voice chords,

38 Feichas, 124.
32
regular left hand pizzicato, and a whole section in which the performer plays three string

simultaneously, as shown in Ex. 2.20.

Example 2.20. Interrogando o Destino, mm 23-33

Vale’s Prelude No. 11, Casamento na Roça, is inspired by a traditional choreographed

dance performed during the Festas Juninas (festivities of July) in Brazil. Casamento means

wedding, and na roça means “being in the country side.” Therefore, this dance consists of

choreographed wedding dances in the countryside. These celebrations are thrown in homage to

three Catholic saints: Saint Peter, Saint John, and Saint Anthony of Padua. Saint Anthony is

known as the Saint of love––people believe he will find you a husband or wife. For this reason,

party-goers stage a wedding celebration. While the couples dance, a narrator tells a story that

guides the dancers through the ceremony, and at the end of the dance, the bride and groom get

married.

Vale included specific markings about the pizzicato in this prelude, similar to those in

Sonhando. As shown in Figure 2.4, “Ind” indicates the pizzicato should be played with the index

finger and “m” with the medium finger. “L.n.” or “lugar normal” (usual place) is an indication

for the bow to be placed in the usual contact point, which in this case is closer to the bridge,

since Vale’s gives the opposite indication sulla tastiera earlier in the music. Vale also uses

33
quarter-tone intonation in this prelude in chromatic sections, as indicated by the note “O Si# e o

Dób são ¼ tone” (the B-sharp and the C-flat are ¼ tone), shown in Ex. 2.21.

Figure 2.4 Casamento na Roça, note on top left of the score

Example 2.21. Casamento na Roça, mm. 24-26

Figure 2.5. Inhuma bird

O Canto da Inhuma, Prelude No. 12, is another prelude inspired by folklore and nature.

The inhuma (Fig. 2.5) is a bird typically found in the Amazon region but, as shown in the map in

34
Fig. 2.6, can be also be found in several other regions of Brazil, such as Bahia, São Paulo,

Parana, and Minas Gerais.

The inhuma bird makes a strange, loud noise; in English, it is known as the Horned

Screamer. Because of its loud call, this bird in known as the “police bird” in the Amazon region;

locals believe that whenever something bad is about to happen, whether a natural disaster or the

presence of hunters, the inhuma’s scream alerts other animals of the danger.

Figure 2.6. Map of occurrences of Inhumas

Inhuma was a common subject of inspiration for composers during Vale’s time because

composers were incorporating sounds of nature in their music, and the inhuma was a common

bird in Brazil. Other compositions inspired by this bird include three songs by Renato Andrade, a

famous viola caipira player and composer. According to Vale’s notes, this prelude is about a

dialogue between the male and female inhuma.39

39 Feichas, 233.
35
 Nossos violeiros possuem ritmos inusitados e desconhecidos, acordes que as regras
acadêmicas proscrevem mas que os ouvidos aceitam. E só o violeiro nascido nos
impérvios sertōes é capaz de executar, com impecável mastria, a belíssim toada, tão
comum entre eles: O Canto da Inhuma, em que arremedam ora o macho, ora a fêmea, ora
o casal dessa irrequieta ave, que anda em bandos, cujo canto étao interessante. Fiz uma
transcrição dessa música para violin e creio ser o primeiro a trazê-la para o
pentagrama…40

Our viola caipira players know unusual and not well-known rhythms, chords that the
academic rules proscribe but that the ears accept. Only the violeiros born in the
impervious hinterlands is able to execute, impeccably, the beautiful toada, so common
within themselves: the Canto da Inhuma, in which first the male bird sings, then the
female, then both together this restless bird, that walks in groups, which the call is so
interesting. I wrote a transcription of this music for violin, and I believe to be the first one
to write it into music staff…

Other aspects that reference folk culture in this prelude were written by Vale in the score.

As seen in Ex. 2.22, Vale asks the performer to hold the violin like a guitar (como guitarra).

Also in the score, Vale leaves the following note shown in Ex. 2.22: “Toada Sertaneja, muito

comum entre os violeiros” (Toada Sertaneja, very common within the viola caipira players).

Therefore, the prelude is also a toada, a genre of music played by viola caipira. Although its

characteristics can vary, the toada usually has a text that is short in length, a slow tempo, and

melodies that are usually sung in parallel thirds. It is believed that toadas came from Portuguese

fados and troubadour poetry. The way Vale alludes to the viola playing in this prelude is by

using a pedal bass with left hand pizzicato, while the melody sings on top in double stops as seen

in Example 2.22. In addition, Vale uses two staves, mimicking the scoring style popular for viola

caipira repertoire.

Prelude No. 13, Asas Inquietas, is one of the two preludes that makes use of a mute. Asas

Inquietas, means restless wings, referring to birds. Vale does not quote any specific bird. The

music itself is repetitive. The first section is faster, and its eight measures theme repeats

40 Feichas, 233.
36
 Example 2.22. Canto da Inhuma, mm.1-6

insistently through the whole section (Ex. 2.23). The middle section is a waltz. In Vale’s waltz

(Ex. 2.24), one can hear Vale’s reference to another popular waltz that is a classic of the violin

repertoire: Schön Rosmarin by Austrian violin virtuoso and composer Fritz Kreisler. (Ex. 2.25)

They are very similar in style and use the same opening gesture in G major.

Example 2.23. Asas Inquietas, mm. 1-13

Example 2.24. Asas Inquietas, mm. 34-35

37
 Example 2.25. Fritz Kreisler, Schön Rosmarin, mm. 1-2

In his prelude No. 14, A Porteira da Fazenda, Vale once again conjures up life in the

country side of Brazil. A Porteira da Fazenda literally means the farm’s gate. Porteiras have

been the themes for other songs, such as O Menino da Porteira (The boy of the gate) by Teddy

Vieira, which also became a movie in 2009.

Vale’s prelude is dedicated to the most well-known Brazilian composer, Villa Lobos,

who gave Vale the nickname “the Brazilian Paganini.” To imitate the sound of a gate opening,

Vale writes whole step intervals for two measures followed by a percussive sound which

represents to the noise of a gate opening. The whole step interval should be played with extra

pressure. This musical gesture is repeated in the end of the prelude as if the gate that was opened

in the beginning, is now being closed (Ex. 2.26). The rest of the prelude is written to be played

using pizzicato, alternating the violin “a la guitarra” which means to play the violin like a guitar

back to regular pizzicato with the violin on the performer’s shoulder.

Example 2.26. A Porteira da Fazenda, mm. 1-3

Ao Pé da Fogueira literally means by the “foot” of the bonfire (by the bonfire). Vale’s

Prelude No. 15 was written for Agnelo França, and it is the most famous of the preludes. It

became well known because Jascha Heifetz wrote an accompanying piano part for it and then

recorded it. Fogueira means bonfire, which is common tradition at the festivities of June––every
38
party has at least one.41 Silvio Castanheira describes the idea of this preludio and its relationship

with the caipira people in his article Um Artista e Sua Obra: Flausino Vale (An Artist and his

works: Flausino Vale):

“Ao Pé da Fogueira, ele trata a fogueira como figura principal, sem fazer notar isso na
composição, que retrata a dança ao lado da mesma com saltos e arrastar do pés muito
característicos dos caipiras.”

[In] Ao Pé da Fogueira, he treats the bonfire like the main character, without making this
noticeable in the composition, which alludes to a dance next to the bonfire with jumps
and [dance moves] that are very characteristic of the caipiras.42

Vale uses the articulation of slurs, syncopation, and intervals to create short, disconnected

motives that suggest the feeling of being by a crackling fire. He also uses thirds and sixths

extensively in this prelude, which again refers to the viola caipira (Ex. 2.27).

Figure 2.27. Ao Pé da Fogueira, mm 24-34

Vale composed Requiescat In Pace in memory of his mother. The title is in Latin and

means rest in peace. He writes a short dedication on top of the score: “À memória de minha

saudosa mãe Maria Augusta de Campos Vale” (In memory of my dear mother Maria Augusta de

41 Festas Juninas (Festivities of June) will be addressed with further information in the section with prelude Viva São
João.
42 Silvio Castanheira, “Um Artista e Sua Obra: Flausino Vale,” Correio do Dia (1954).

39
Campos Vale). Vale wrote two version of this prelude; both versions feature the same melody,

but the second version is written mostly in harmonics (Exs. 2.28 and 2.29). The continuous

pizzicato works like an ostinato, and it alludes to bells. Vale writes, “Os pizzicati sempre fortes,

imitando o dobre dos sinos” (The pizzicatos [should] always [be played] with strength, imitating

the sound of the bells).43

Examples 2.28. Requiescat In Pace(a), mm. 1-2

Example 2.29 Requiescat In Pace(b), mm. 1-2

Prelude No. 17, Viola Destemida, is literally translated as “Fearless Viola.” Once again,

Vale incorporates the characteristics of the viola caipira; for example, Viola Destemida has

many parallel thirds and sixths, and it is written entirely with pizzicatos (Exs. 2.30 and 2.31).

Example 2.30. Viola Destemida, 3rds, mm. 13-16

43Flausino Vale, Os 26 Prelúdios Característicos e Concertantes Para Violino Só, (São Paulo: Criadores do Brasil:
Editora da Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, 2011), 36.
40
 As Vale indicates, the music is to be played “pizz. até o fim” (pizzicato until the end; Ex.

2.32). Even melodies under slurs that are expected to be played with the bow are indicated to be

played with pizzicato (Ex. 2.30 and 2.31).

Example 2.31. 17(b). Viola Destemida, 6ths, mm. 21-24

Example 2.32. Viola Destemida, mm. 1-6

Vale composed two versions, a and b, of this prelude as well. The differences between

the two are small– the performer should use the bow to play a few measures of the (a) version

while the (b) version is written in pizzicato in its entirety. Because Vale uses pizzicato

extensively in Viola Destemida, the dedicatee of this prelude should be taken into consideration.

It is dedicated to violin virtuoso Ruggiero Ricci. It is not known if Vale composed this prelude

thinking of Ricci or dedicated it to him after the piece was complete. Important to note is that

Ricci was famous for his left-hand technique— he wrote a technique book called “Left-hand

Violin Technique,” and it is probable that Ricci and Vale met in one of Ricci’s trips to Brazil.

The literal translation of the title of Prelude No. 18, Pai João, is “Father John.” The word

Pai has a variety of meanings, often associated with religion. It could be a reference to a priest,

which is highly possible since the state of Minas Gerais is predominantly Catholic. Another

connotation lies in the lesser known Afro-Brazilian religion Candomblé practiced by a smaller

41
segment of the population (approximately 127 thousand Brazilians).44 In this religion the word

Pai is used for the highest-ranked person in the hierarchy of the cult. Music plays an important

role in Candomblé as it is used as a vehicle to connect their world with that of their gods, often

referred to as Orixá.

It is difficult to know the specific musical characteristics of all Candomblé rituals; for a

long time, practitioners of this religion were persecuted by Christians, leaving Candomblédians

reticent to share their ceremonial traditions. However, we do know that music is utilized to

connect the religious with their Orixá. Candomblé rituals are always accompanied by music,

usually with voice and percussion instruments like agogô and tambor (percussion instruments

with a skin stretched over a cylindric body of wood or metal, found in different sizes and shapes,

Fig. 2.7).45

Figure 2.7. Candomblé ceremony

44 Claudio Roberto Nakai, “Candomblé,” Museu Afro Brasil, 2007.

http://www.museuafrobrasil.org.br/pesquisa/indice-biografico/manifestacoes-culturais/candomble
45 Infopédia Dicionários, https://www.infopedia.pt/dicionarios/lingua-portuguesa/tambor, (accessed January 13,

2020).

42
 Based on recordings of these rituals, the comparison is clear between the structure of a

Candomblé ceremony and that of Vale’s prelude Pai João. Vale emulates the structure of

alternating percussion and voice while evoking the sound of percussion instruments using

extended violin techniques. At the beginning of the piece, Vale includes a note indicating,

“imitando o tambor” (imitating the tambor, Ex. 2.33).

Example 2.33. Pai João, mm. 1-5

Vale explains how this extended technique should be performed using the body of the

violin to resemble a tambor:

Para imitar o tambor, traz-se a mão esquerda para a base do violin, para bater junto; e com a
direita, bate-se em cima, no tampo, próximo ao braço,…conservando-se o violin na posição
normal. Embaixo, bate-se com a frente do polegar; em cima, com o lado lateral do polegar e
com as polpas do indicador e médio da mão direita, ao mesmo tempo…46

To imitate the tambor, bring your left hand to the base of the arm of the violin; and with the
right [hand], you hit the top, on the top, close to the arm…using the violin in the ordinary
position. With the left hand hit the back of the instrument with the thumb; on the top [of the
violin] with the side of the thumb, index, and middle finger of the right hand at the same
time…

In the religious ceremony, after the introductory call is made by the tambor, the voices

enter. Vale emulates the voices by using thirds, artificial harmonics, and sixths (Exs. 2.34 and

2.35); additionally, a special request by the composer makes the violin sound very similar to a

voice: in measure 48 (Ex. 2.36), Vale writes, “Este trecho deve ser todo tocado sobre a corda Sol,

primeiro com o dedo 2, e em seguida com o dedo 1” (This passage should be played in the G

46Vale, (2011), 42.

43
string, first with the 2nd finger, then with the first finger.

Example 2.34. Pai João, 3rds and artificial harmonics, mm. 11-14

Example 2.35. Pai João, mm. 28-31

Example 2.36. Pai João, mm 48-49

Folguedo Campestre is the title for Vale’s prelude No. 19. The literal meaning of

folguedo is to take a break/to have fun and campestre means rural. In this circumstance, the

literal meaning agrees with the expression’s cultural meaning. Folguedos are ludic folkloric

celebrations and dances that happen yearly in Brazil. It is usually a conglomerate of music,

dance, and theater. Most of the folguedos have cultural and religious origins from the people that

formed Brazilian society (natives, Africans, and Europeans). One of the most common folguedos

is called Bumba Meu Boi, a dance based on the legend of a bull’s death and resurrection.
44
 Vale’s Folguedo is simple in structure. He uses two short themes throughout the prelude,

adding interest through changes in tessitura and variations in the thematic setting (Exs. 2.37,

2.38, and 2.39). Most specifically, Vale incorporates sixths and pizzicato to highlight the playful

nature of the dance (Ex. 2.40).

Example 2.37. Folguedo Campestre, mm. 1-2

Example 2.38. Folguedo Campestre, mm. 18-19

Example 2.39. Folguedo Campestre, mm. 28-29

Example 2.40. Folguedo Campestre, mm. 34-35

45
 Tirana Riograndense, prelude No. 20, is a dance that originated in the Iberic Peninsula,

more specifically the Azores islands, brought to Brazil by immigrants.47 Riograndense is the

name Brazilians use for a person, food, object or anything from the Southern state of Rio Grande

do Sul. Therefore, Tirana Riograndense is a Tirana from the state of Rio Grande do Sul. More

specifically, tirana is a folkloric dance that has several types depending on the region in Brazil.

This dance was widely diffused through Latin America, and you can find different types of

tiranas in Brazil, Chile, Peru, and other countries.

Vale’s prelude was written for Renato Almeida, a musicologist who wrote a book called

História da Música Brasileira (History of Brazilian Music), from where the theme of Vale’s

prelude was taken. In this excerpt, Vale describes a tirana and highlights his inspiration to write

this prelude:

É dança sapateada… Diz um autor que é ela açoriana. Comum não só nos Estados sulinos,
como no Brasil central, por exemplo, Bahia, em que os senhores de engenho, tomavam
parte…No Rio Grande do Sul é uma dança de par solto, com sapateados, acompanhada de
viola e canto, alternando-se este com a dança. Renato Almeida, em sua estupenda História
sa Música brasileira, página 81, exibe uma, belíssima, a qual, aproveitei e fiz dela uma
adaptação para violin só…48

It is a tap-dance style dance… According to the author, it is Azorean. Common not only in
the southern states, but also in the center of Brazil, like for example Bahia, in which the land
and slave owners took part of…In Rio Grande do Sul, it is a dance for couples, with tap-
dance, accompanied by viola caipira and voice, alternating with the dance. Renato Almeida
in his stupendous Historia da Música Brasileira, page 81, show a beautiful Tirana, which I
made an adaption for solo violin…

As a performance practice note, the few recordings of Vale’s tirana are usually faster

than the usual tempo people use to dance this dance. Therefore, I find it very beneficial to listen

not only to performances of Vale’s tirana, but also to watch several dance performances of this

47 Vale, (1936), 89.

48 Feichas, 176.
46
style. Vale’s prelude, like the dance, it is in 6/8 meter, and it alternates between a forward faster

tempo marked Allegreto, and a recitative slower section, moderato (Ex. 2. 41).

Example 2.41. Tirana Riograndense, mm. 1-5

Prelúdio da Vitória translates to prelude of victory. According to Feichas, Guatemóc

Vale (Vale’s son) said that this victory refers to World War II when the Allies finally won the

war.49 This prelude is the one that presents the most technical difficulties of all the preludes. It

explores techniques that Vale did not explore so often with other preludes, such as chromaticism,

tenths and octaves. The second half of this prelude is mostly written in octaves with several parts

that recall the technical difficulty level found in Paganini (Ex. 2.42).

Example 2.42. Prelúdio da Vitória, mm. 55-65

Mocidade Eterna is one of the most well known of Vale’s preludes along with Ao Pé da

Fogueira. The title Mocidade Eterna translates to eternal youth. Vale highlights this youthful

energy by including the Jeté stroke’s sparkly nature as its main characteristic (Exs. 2.43 and

49 Feichas, 181.
47
2.44). Jascha Heifetz, Isaac Stern, and Zino Francescatti all performed and recorded this famous

prelude.

Example 2.43. Mocidade Eterna, mm. 1-3

Example 2.44. Mocidade Eterna, mm. 41-44

Written in 1924, prelude No. 23 Implorando is placed near the end of the set but was one

of the first to be composed. The prelude is dedicated to Cláudio Santoro, the most preeminent

Brazilian composer after Villa-Lobos. Implorando means to beg with fervor or to implore, and

for this reason it is part of the preludes related to the human experience.

This prelude is marked with the tempo marking Barcarolla. Barcarolla is a style of either

music or poetry. Both styles have origins in Italy and make references to the sea. In music,

Barcarolla is a Venetian song usually in 6/8 meter.50 One of the most famous barcarollas in

music literature is Jacques Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann. Implorando follows the usual 6/8

meter of a Barcarolla. The root word of barcarolla is barca, translated as boat in Italian. The

lilting of a boat is reflected in the first few measures of the piece (Ex. 2.45).

50 Encyclopedia Britannica editors, “Barcarolle,” Encyclopedia Britannica, 2014,

https://www.britannica.com/art/barcarolle (accessed January 23, 2020).

48
 Example 2.45. Implorando, mm. 1-6

The prelude Viva São João is another prelude in which Vale borrows the folkloristic

characteristics of Brazilian culture. In addition to being a Catholic saint and symbol, São João, or

Saint John, is one of the parties that occurs during the festivities called Festas Juninas, translated

as Parties of June. Festas Juninas are country-inspired parties with country music, food, clothes,

and traditional dances. People shout “Viva Sao Joao” (Cheers to Sao Joao) when the fireworks

are fired during these parties. São João festivities are celebrated mostly in Brazil, Portugal, Italy,

and Spain, but are also celebrated in Canada, brought by the French, and in the United States

through the people who practice voodoo in New Orleans.

Dedicated to Isaac Stern, Viva São João was written in the 1940s and was one of the last

preludes Vale composed. In his Viva São João, Vale uses intervals of sixths from the beginning

to the end. A short melody in the middle section resembles the country style called sertanejo,

which also uses viola caipira and singers singing in parallel intervals similar to some other

preludes. In this style called sertanejo, it is traditional to have a short introduction by the viola

caipira before the voice comes in. This is found in the music of viola caipira player and

composer Renato Andrade. Vale proposes the same kind of structure. The introduction in the

beginning represents the viola caipira in a sertaneja song style (Ex. 2.46) and the middle section

represents the voice singing the melody (Ex. 2.47).

49
 Examples 2.46. Viva São João, mm. 1-10

Example 2.47. Viva São João, mm. 23-27

Prelude No. 25 titled A Mocinha e o Papudo, like Prelúdio da Vitória, is technically

challenging. Besides the usual techniques Vale explores in most of his preludes, such as thirds,

sixths, and left hand pizzicato, in this prelude he also explores fingered octaves in a large portion

of the piece (Ex. 2.48).

Example 2.48. A Mocinha e o Papudo, mm. 63-65

A Mocinha e o Papudo can be seen as a Brazilian version of Beauty and the Beast.

Mocinha means young woman, and papudo translates literally as a person who is talkative;

however, papudo can also be a folklore figure: a man who walks around scaring and kidnapping

children in his bag.

50
 The last prelude of the collection is Acalanto, prelude No. 26. The exact year of its

composition is not known, but it was one of the last preludes written in the 1940s. Acalanto is a

song style with African roots as explained by Vale:

“Entre os cantos com raízes na África, ordenam-se: o acalanto ou acalento, que vem a ser
a berceuse brasileira…Um outro gênero muito nosso, derivado de um costume do tempo
da escravatura, é nosso berceuse, que aqui se chama acalanto ou, melhormente, acalento.
São em regra, pequeninos trechos, a maioria das vezes com letras próprias para
amendrontar crianças, a fim de que durmam depressa”51

Among the songs with African roots, are: acalanto or acalento, which comes to be the
Brazilian berceuse…Another genre very much ours, comes from a costume of the slavery
period, it’s our berceuse, which here is called acalando or acalento. They are [most of the
time] little songs, most of the time with lyrics to scare the children, for them to sleep
quickly.

These songs are common within Brazilian popular culture–– every kid knows a handful

of them. They usually have a peaceful and naive melody, but the text is cynical and intends to

scare the children into going to sleep. This verse of the song Nana Neném (Sleep Little Baby) is

an example of acalanto:

Nana neném/Nana neném/Que a cuca vai pegar

(Sleep little baby/Sleep little baby/ that [otherwise] cuca52 is going to get you)

Another example is Boi da Cara Preta (Black faced Ox):

Boi, boi boi/ boi da cara preta/ pega esse menino(a) que tem medo de careta
(Ox, ox, ox/ black faced ox/ get this little boy/girl who is scared of grimace)

Similarly to the popular songs, Vale’s preludio has a simple melody (Ex. 2.49). The main

characteristic of this prelude that makes it dark and perhaps scarier is the use of the mute

throughout the piece. It changes the color and the mood of the prelude, which could be more

open and less obscure without it.

51 Vale, (1936), 78.

52 Cuca is a word used in children stories or books for a witch from Brazilian popular culture.
51
Example 2.49. Acalanto, mm 1-4

52
 CHAPTER 3

GRADED REPERTOIRE

In order to help teachers and students choose or assign repertoire I have inserted Vale’s

preludes in the graded repertoire list created by violinist Kurt Sassmannshaus, professor of violin

at University of Cincinnati and founder of the website www.violinmasterclass.com.53

Sassmannshaus assigns repertoire beginning at level 6; therefore, I inserted Vale’s preludes into

levels 3 and 4 based on the description provided by Sassmannshaus. He does not provide a

description or repertoire for level 5. Several concepts were taken into consideration regarding the

placement of the preludes, such as difficulty of bow strokes and left-hand techniques, extended

techniques, and musical complexity of each prelude. Vale’s preludes can be found in the list

marked in italics.

Level 3 (Description only)

First through third position with shifting

Double stops with two fingers
Three and Four voice chords
Bow strokes: detaché, legato, martelé, elementary spiccato, elementary sautillé
Elementary vibrato on long notes
Deliberate bow distribution
Elementary sounding point control

Vale 6. Marcha Fúnebre

Vale 16. Requiescat In Pace (a)
Vale 26. Acalando

Level 4 (Description only)

First through Fifth position with shifting

Smooth and continuous vibrato
Bow strokes: martelé, spiccato, sautillé, collé

53 Kurt Sassmannshaus, “Violin Solos,” Violin Masterclass: the Sassmannshaus tradition for Violin Playing, 2004.
http://violinmasterclass.com/en/graded-repertoire/violin-solos, (accessed February 02, 2020).

53
Vale 7. Sonhando
Vale 8. Repente
Vale 9. Rondó Doméstico
Vale 20. Tirana Riograndense
Vale 4. Brado Íntimo

Level 6

Bach, J.S. Partita in E-Major, BWV 1006

Bach, J.S. Partita in D-minor (without Ciaconna), BWV 1004
Hindemith Sonata for Solo Violin, Op. 31, No. 1
Hindemith Sonata for Solo Violin, Op. 31, No. 2
Prokofieff Sonata for Solo Violin, Op. 115
Vale 2. Suspiro d’alma
Vale 3. Devaneio

Level 7

Bach, J.S. Sonata in G-minor, BWV 1001

Bach, J.S. Partita in B-minor, BWV 1002
Bach, J.S. Sonata in A-minor, BWV 1003
Vale 5. Tico-tico
Vale 14. A Porteira da Fazenda
Vale 15. Ao Pé da Fogueira
Vale 16. Requiescat In Pace (b)
Vale 19. Folguedo Campestre
Vale 23. Implorando

Level 8

Bach, J.S. Ciaconna from Partita in D-minor, BWV 1004

Bach, J.S. Sonata in C-Major, BWV 1005
Vale 12. Canto da Inhuma
Vale 13. Asas Inquietas
Vale 17. Viola Destemida (a & b)
Vale 24. Viva São João

Level 9

Bartok Sonata for Solo Violin

Ysayë Six Sonatas, Op. 27
Bertold Hummel Suite for Solo Violin Op. 78
Vale 1.Batuque
Vale 10. Interrogando o Destino
54
Vale 11. Casamento na Roça
Vale 18. Pai João
Vale 22. Mocidade Eterna

Level 10

Ernst The Last Rose of Summer

Paganini Nel Cor Piu Non Mi Sento
Paganini God Save the King
Wieniawski Variations on God Save the Queen
Vale 21. Prelúdio da Vitória
Vale 25. A Mocinha e o Papudo

55
 CONCLUSION

The 26 Preludes for Solo Violin by Flausino Vale combine a variety of inspirations,

including Brazilian nature and landscape, popular culture, and religious rituals. His

compositional style was influenced by Brazilian modernism and the Belle Époque, and his music

is a reflection of his varied life experiences. Vale was part of a group of artists who were creating

a new perspective for their art, borrowing characteristic elements from their homeland of Brazil.

His preludes reflect these ideals, as they evoke the sounds of Brazilian nature and cultural

traditions.

The preludes fall into three different categories based on their specific characteristics.

The largest category includes the preludes influenced by popular culture: Batuque, Devaneio,

Sonhando, Repente, Casamento na Roça, Canto da Inhuma, A Porteira da Fazenda, Ao Pé da

Fogueira, Viola Destemida, Pai João, Folguedo Campestre, Tirana Reiograndense, Viva São

João, A Mocinha e o Papudo, and Acalanto. Another category includes the preludes that relate to

inner feelings and experiences: Suspiro d’Alma, Devaneio, Brado Íntimo, Marcha Fúnebre,

Rondó Doméstico, Requiescat In Pace, Mocidade Eterna, and Implorando. Finally, the preludes

inspired by nature include Tico-tico, Canto da Inhuma, Asas Inquietas, and Mocidade Eterna.

Interrogando o Destino and Preludio da Vitória are the most technically challenging and do not

fit into the previous categories; rather, they seem to highlight violinistic virtuosity. Perhaps they

were inspired by the Gaviniés or Paganini Caprices, which Vale studied with his uncle.

Vale is one of the few Brazilian composers who integrated traditional Brazilian culture

with traditional Western music in the unaccompanied solo violin repertoire. This treatise

comprises information about Vale’s background, his environment, and Brazilian society and

culture, creating a performer’s guide for an effective interpretation of Vale’s preludes. Vale’s

56
work features a distinctive language and compositional style, and his preludes deserve a

prominent place in modern concert halls and violin studios.

57
 APPENDIX A

TITLE TRANSLATION, DEDICATEE, YEAR OF COMPOSITION54

1. Batuque- Music used by slaves to sing and dance. Originated from Angola, Cabo Verde,
and Congo. Dedicated to Jacinto de Meis. 1922.

2. Suspiro d’Alma- “Sigh of Soul.” Another suspiro d’alma written by Carlos Gomes
(known Brazilian opera composer); it is a modinha. For Francisco Chiafitelli: violinist,
studied with Ysaye in Brussels Conservatory. Taught in Rio de Janeiro. 1923.

3. Devaneio- daydream; it has to do with fantasia, utopia. For Raul Laranjeira: violinist and
teacher in Sao Paulo. 1924.

4. Brado Íntimo- “Intimate supplication out loud” or intimate vehement complaint. For José
M. Mattos: Orchestral musician and teacher in Belo Horizonte, close friend of Vale.
1924.

5. Tico-Tico- Brazilian bird. For Marcos Salles: well known Brazilian violinist and
composer. 1926.

6. Marcha Fúnebre- Funeral March. In the memory of Ernesto Ronchini: Vale’s uncle.
1927.

7. Sonhando- Dreaming. For Leonidas Autuori: violinist from Sao Paulo who lived in Rio
de Janeiro, also lived in Belo Horizonte for a while. Studied with Torquato Amore. 1929.

8. Repente- “Unexpected” “Suddenly,” improvisation, verses made up on the spot. For

Torquato Amore: Cesar Thompson’s student at the Prussels Conservatory, lived in Belo
Horizonte for a while. 1924.

9. Rondó Doméstico- Domestic Rondo, Rondo written at home, or inspired by his home.
Edgard Guerra: violinist, composer, and teacher at National School of Music in Rio de
Janeiro, taught Claudio Santoro. 1933.

10. Interroganto o Destino- Interrogating Destiny for Zino Francescatti. 193?.

11. Casamento na Roça- Wedding in the Countryside. For Nicolino Milano: court musician,
composer, and teacher at National School of Music. 1933.

12. Canto da Inhuma- Song of the Inhuma (Brazilian bird) for Oscar Borgeth: violinist with
an international career, won several prizes and orchestra positions. 193?

54 Information found on Uma Extraordinária Revelação de Arte. Frésca, 124.

58
13. Asas Inquietas- uneasy wings, bird reference. For Ernest N. Doring: American editor who
published two works by Vale on Violin and Violinists, from Chicago. 193?

14. A Porteira da Fazenda- The Farm’s portress (gate). For Villa-Lobos. 1933.

15. Ao Pé da Fogueira- By the ‘foot’of the bonfire (by the bonfire). For Agnelo França:
composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher at the National School of Music, taught Villa-
Lobos, Radamés Gnattali, and Guerra Vicente. 193?.

16. Requiescat In Pace- Latin for “rest in Peace” for his [Vale’s] mom Maria Augusta de
Campos Vale. 19??.

17. Viola Destemida- Fearless Viola (Brazilian country Instrument that looks like a guitar).
For Ruggiero Ricci. 1939.

18. Pai João- “Father John” title of a famous “moda de viola”- moda is usually a short song
played by the viola caipira, sometimes sung as well. For Jascha Heifetz. 1939.

19. Folguedo Campestre- Rustic or rural traditional festivity, from the country side. For
Francisco Mignone. 19??.

20. Tirana Riograndense- Tirana is a dance originated in the Iberic Peninsula brought to
Brasil by immigrants. Tirana Riograndense is a Tirana from the state of Rio Grande do
Sul. For Renato Almeida: musicologist who wrote the book from where the theme of the
prelude was taken. 19??.

21. Prelúdio da Vitória- Prelude of Victory. For Paulina d’Ambrosio: soloist, studied with
César Thompson in the Prussels Royal Conservatory, taught violin and viola at National
School of Music in Rio de Janeiro. 19??.

22. Mocidade Eterna- Eternal Youth. For Orlando Frederico: violinist and teacher at the
National Institute of Music, taught Guerra Peixe and Oscar Borgerth. 194?.

23. Implorando- imploring, begging. For Cláudio Santoro. 1924.

24. Viva São João- Cheers to Sao Joao. Sao Joao besides being Saint John is a period of
festivities that happens in July. Country inspired party- country music, food, clothes,
traditional dances. For Isaac Stern. 194?.

25. A Mocinha e o Papudo- Brazilian version of Beauty and the Beast: Mocinha is the
beauty, and papudo is the beast. For Henryk Szeryng. 194?.

26. Acalanto- lullaby, songs sung for babies. For flutist Steban Eitler. 194?.

59
 APPENDIX B
GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Colhida na História da Música Brasileira, de Renato Almeida: collected from the [book]
History of Brazilian Music, by Renato Almeida

Com garbo: with courtesy, politely

Com rusticidade no meio do arco: [To play] rustically in the middle of the bow

Como guitarra: [to play] like a guitar

Deve ser tocado em 40 segundos: should be played in 40 seconds

Esse trecho deve ser todo tocado sobre a corda Sol, primeiro com o dedo 2, e em seguida
com o 1: this section should all be played on the G string, first with the second finger, then with
the first finger

Imitando o tambor: imitating the tambor (Brazilian percussion instrument)

Impetuoso: Impetuous, sudden, impulsive

Indicador: Index finger

L.n. (lugar normal): usual place (contact point, in the context of prelude No. 11 not sulla
tastiera)

Mão direita: right hand

Mão esquerda: left hand

Médio: medium, middle [finger]

Médio: middle finger

O si# e o Dób são ¼ de tom: The B# and the Cb are ¼ tone: The B sharp and C flat are ¼
tone.

Os pizzicato sempre fortes, imitando o dobre dos sinos: the pizzicatos always forte, imitating
the ringing of the bells

P.n. (Posição normal): usual [playing] position (in the context of prelude No. 12 meaning violin
on the shoulder, not como guitarra)

60
Pode-se tocar em posição normal com o segundo dedo e apoiando o polegar na extremidade
do espelho: [you] can play [the pizzicato] in a normal position with the second finger, and the
thumb is used for support touching the fingerboard [on the side]

Polegar: [pizz], thumb

Ponta do arco: tip of the bow

Sulla tastiera: on the fingerboard

Talão: at the frog

Toada sertaneja, muito comum entre os violeiros: Country song, very common within the
violeiros [viola caipira players]

61
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 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Brazilian violinist, Pedro Maia, has an extensive experience performing as a soloist and

chamber musician. He has played in some of the most prestigious venues throughout Asia, South

America, and North America including Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Sala São Paulo, Seoul

National Theater, among others. He had his debut as a soloist at the age of fifteen with the

ArtBrasilia Symphony Orchestra, and he often performed both as concertmaster and soloist with

many orchestras at the Brasilia School of Music and University of Brasilia. Pedro has recently

done his Mexican debut soloing the four seasons by Piazzolla with the Orquesta Filarmonica

Tlaxcalan. Pedro is a founding member of Cosmos New Music ensemble, which had their

Carnegie hall debut at Weill Hall on spring of 2018. He is also a member of Trio Nobile and

Eppes String Quartet. He has won several chamber music competitions, such as MMTA and

Great Composers Competition, and he is often invited to judge youth string competitions in

Florida.

As an orchestral musician Pedro is a member of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra and

the Mobile Symphony Orchestra and holds the principal second violin position with the Albany

Symphony. Pedro has performed with some of the leading conductors in the world including

Paul Tortelier, Ira Levin, Kurt Masur, Emil Tabakov, among others. His orchestral and chamber

music engagements have gotten Pedro to collaborate with artists such as Shlomo Mintz, Itzhak

Perlman, Roberto Diaz, Alex Klein, Yo-Yo Ma, Albrecht Mayer, Gilles Apap, Igudesman and

Joo, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, among others

An active pedagogue as well, Pedro has years of experience teaching students from the

most diverse backgrounds. He has a private studio in Tallahassee, FL, and he has also taught in

festivals in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, USA, and Mexico. He was a graduate teaching assistant at

65
Florida State University, where he taught chamber music as well as technique class for

undergraduates. He is a coach of the Tallahassee Youth Orchestra, where he coaches middle and

high school students.

Besides the musical activities, Pedro is a Global Leaders Program’s alumnus, which

furthered his knowledge in leadership, teaching artistry, marketing, and management. Pedro

holds a bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance from the University of Southern Mississippi, a

master’s degree in Violin Performance from Florida State University, and a Doctoral of Music

degree at Florida State University as well. His principal teachers have included Erich Lehninger,

Katia Andrade, Nadia Nedialkova, Stephen Redfield, and Shannon Thomas.

66