Heckel Tavares

A classical composer, Hekel Tavares created a kind of music which blurred the boundaries between popular and classical music. Against the will of his father, who wanted him to be an accountant, Tavares started his musical studies with an aunt. He arrived in Rio in 1921 and studied orchestration with J. Otaviano. He had the first hit of his more than 100 compositions with "Sussuarana" (lyrics by Luís Peixoto) in 1927. Later came "Casa de Caboclo" (his biggest hit, lyrics by Luís Peixoto, recorded by Gastão Formenti in 1928), "Guacira" (with Joraci Camargo), "Leilão" (with Joraci Camargo, recorded by Jorge Fernandes in 1933), "Favela" (with Joraci Camargo), "Chove!...Chuva!..." (with Ascenso Ferreira), "Bahia" (with Álvaro Moreira), "Banzo" (with Murilo Araújo), "Na Minha Terra Tem" (with Luís Peixoto), "Felicidade" (with Luís Peixoto), "Minha Terra," "Leilão," "O Que eu Queria Dizer ao Teu Ouvido" (lyrics by Mendonça Júnior, recorded in 1933 by Jorge Fernandes), "Caboclo Bom" (with Raul Pederneiras, recorded by Jorge Fernandes in 1942), "Felicidade," and others. The influence of the Semana de Arte Moderna (Modern Art Week, 1922) upon Tavares oriented his search for a synthesis between the sophistication of classical music and Brazilian folk genres. Professionally, he started as a composer in revues, the first being for Stá na Hora, by Goulart de Andrade (1926). In the same year he conducted the orchestra of the Teatro Glória in the revue Plus-ultra. In 1927 he wrote the music and worked as a pianist for the opening play at the Teatro de Brinquedo, continuing to work there as a pianist. In 1928, Patrício Teixeira recorded "Eu Ri da Lagartixa." His first classical composition was the symphonic poem André de Leão eo Demônio de Cabelo Encarnado, based on a poem by Cassiano Ricardo, which was recorded and released. From 1949 to 1953, he explored several different Brazilian regions researching folklore. The results can be observed in his classical pieces like the symphonic piece O Anhangüera, for orchestra, choir, and soloists, where Tavares employed the culture of the Tucuna Indians, or Alto Solimões, including their percussion instruments and melodic motifs, for Oração do Guerreiro. He also wrote Concerto for piano and orchestra, Concerto em Formas Brasileiras, for violin and orchestra, O Sapo Domado, and A Lenda do Gaúcho. Fernando de Bortoli wrote in 1996 Hekel Tavares -- O Mais Lindo Concerto Para Piano e Orquestra (São Paulo).