Villa-Lobos Song of the Black Swan. for Double Bass and Piano

Villa-Lobos extracted this song from a symphonic poem titled Naufragio de Klednikos (Shipwreck of Kleonikos), which premiered in Rio’s Teatro Municipal in August 1918. The derived piece was originally composed for cello (or violin) and piano, and suggests a subtle tribute to Saint-Saens Cygne. The symphonic poem was based on writing by Teixeira Leite Filho, and is one of three large works intended to reflect an idealized reminiscence of ancient Greece. The shimmering of water in the piano accompaniment and the hauntingly sentimental melody of the Black Swan reflect a similar nostalgia. An excerpt taken from Villa-Lobos’s literary source, Filho writes “A swan begins to cry, softly floating on the waters of a lake, with immense profundity, in the lament of his song.”

Heitor Villa-Lobos was bom in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1887. He is considered one of the most significant South American composers in history, best known for his integration of Brazilian folk music and South American Indian music with traditional European compositional influence. His prolific body of work include operas, symphonies, symphonic poems, chamber music, choral works, piano pieces, and songs. He is perhaps best known for his Bachianas Brasileiras, which represented a Brazilian adaptation of Bach’s music. He was also highly sought after as a conductor all over the world. Heitor Villa-Lobos passed away in 1959 in his native Rio at the age of of 72.