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Villa-Lobos in Israel

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 February 2010

Lisa M. Peppercorn
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Extract

Heitor Villa-Lobos's sole visit to Israel, in 1952, was significant in several ways. During a stay of a few days, he presented himself as conductor of his own works, lectured on his pedagogical ideas by explaining and demonstrating his manosolfa system, and was inspired to compose a symphonic poem based on his impressions of Israel, which he dedicated to that country. Seven years later, in 1959, it was in Israel that Villa-Lobos's Concerto for Harmonica and Orchestra, a work commissioned by John Sebastian, the American virtuoso harmonica player, was first performed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Tempo , Issue 169: 50th Anniversary 1939–1989 , June 1989 , pp. 42 - 45
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

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References

1 Letter of 28 December 1972.

2 Not 1953, as listed in the catalogue of the Villa-Lobos, Muscu (Villa-Lobos - sua Obra, 2nd ed., Rio de Janeiro, 1972, p.42)Google Scholar.

3 Personal communication from the late Kathc Jacob, a longtime collaborator of Kestenberg in both Berlin and Israel, who was present at this demonstration. (Letter of 2 January 1973).

4 ‘Sic crinncm sich bcstimnit, dass das Wcrk auf mcinc pcrsönlichc Anrcgung hin komponiert und Israel zur Vcrfügung gcstcllt worden ist, und dass ich Villa-Lobos im Sonimer 1953 in scineni New Yorker Hotel im Jahre dcr Fcrtigstellung besucht habe - er war an der Arbeit, gleich-zeitig, an drei Partituren, die vor ihm aufseineni Schreibtisch lagen, cine war (glaubc ich) ein Haifenkonzert und cine die Odisséia. Er vcrsprach die Partitur für Dczeniber und pünktlich im Dczeniber kam sic in Tel Aviv an’.

4 Applcby, David P., in Heitor Villa-Lobos, A Bio-Bibliography (Greenwood Press, 1988), p. 117Google Scholar, W 524, states that the premiere took place with the US Air Force Orchestra, John Sebastian (harmonica), Guillcrmo Espinoza (conductor), no date. This information is erroneous, and transcribed from Villa-Lobos - sua Obra, p.47. See further my review of the Appleby volume in Tempo No. 166.

6 Letter to the author dated 12 August 1981.

7 Kindly made available by John M. Ferguson and reproduced by his permission in a letter dated 21 September 1982.