Five Preludes for Guitar
by Heitor Villa-Lobos
Composed in 1940 and dedicated to Andrés Segovia, who gave the premiere at the Teatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro in 1943, the Five Preludes are Villa-Lobos's most celebrated guitar works and among the most performed pieces in the entire guitar repertoire. Each prelude bears a poetic subtitle suggesting a different facet of Brazilian life and landscape — Lyric Melancholy, Homage to the Peasant of Brazil, Homage to Bach, Homage to the Indian, and Social Melancholy — and each exploits a distinct aspect of the instrument's resources. The preludes inhabit a unique soundworld that fuses Brazilian choro and modinha traditions with European harmonic language, creating music of both popular accessibility and profound artistic depth.
Editions
Max Eschig
Andrés Segovia, 1954
Original published edition, prepared with Segovia; the authoritative performing text used internationally.
Max Eschig
Editorial staff, 1990
Revised reprint with corrected engraving and updated fingering suggestions reflecting current performance practice.
Bèrben
Ruggero Chiesa, 1975
Italian scholarly edition with detailed performance notes by the guitarist Ruggero Chiesa; widely used in Italian conservatories.