The following article sample was reprinted from American String Teacher, vol 72, issue 2 with permission from ASTA and the author.
Playing music from other countries is an effective way to teach students about other cultures and to help them to appreciate the diversity present in different musical languages. Furthermore, world music pieces develop musical skills and introduce new techniques, harmonies, and rhythms through engaging music.
Viajando pelo Brasil I is an interesting piece. It was written by Ernst Mahle, a German-born composer who moved to Brazil at a young age and devoted his life to teaching young musicians and composing music inspired by Brazilian folklore. In six short movements, the strings “travel” around Brazil. Nursery rhymes inspire some movements and others use the folk music style of traditional feasts from different states in the southeast and northeast regions.
This article shows an overview of the Suite, exploring some of the technical and pedagogical skills used throughout the piece. The primary Brazilian elements to be noted in this work are rhythms, including syncopated and offbeat patterns, and modal harmonies. As a music teacher, Mahle composed this piece for one of the intermediate string orchestras in the school he founded in Brazil. Considering the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) String Syllabus parameters, referencing the ensemble and individual instruments’ listed skills, I classify the Suite Viajando pelo Brasil I as a Grade 3 piece
Viajando Pelo Brasil I, Suite para Cordas (1989) “Traveling Around Brazil I, Suite for Strings”
- Eu Não Vim para Ficar (Maranhão) “I Didn’t Come to Stay”
- São João Dararão (Piauí) “St. John’s Song”
- Menino Vá Dormir (Sergipe) “Boy Go to Sleep”
- Meu Guriabá (Alagoas)
- Eh! Morena (Minas Gerais) “Hey! Girl”
- Jacaré (São Paulo) “Alligator”
*Full descriptions and analysis of the movements can be found in the original article on astastrings.org.
Conclusion
Overall, playing the Suite Viajando pelo Brasil I is a great opportunity to work on syncopated rhythms, matching the bow strokes, articulations, and modal harmonies while introducing some shifting. Another feature is the variety of dynamics, tone colors, and styles found in the contrasting character movements representing the different regions of Brazil. It is an excellent piece for a balanced intermediate orchestra as all the instruments are featured and need to have the individual skills to make it work as an ensemble.
Although the composer was not born in Brazil, he is one of the most significant researchers in Brazilian folk music. He did a thorough job transforming folk themes into relevant pieces in terms of musical interest and is a great pedagogical source for string students and teachers. According to Feres-lloyd, “he (Mahle) is one of the most important composers of his generation. Besides his work as a composer, he has been developing a very important pedagogical work in Piracicaba.”
I believe teaching Viajando pelo Brasil I to students in the United States is an opportunity that will challenge them to open their ears to a different musical language while developing their rhythmic skills, technique, and ensemble playing.
Read more by accessing the full article at www.astastrings.org.
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