Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5

Between 1930 and 1945, the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos composed a series of nine pieces titled “Bachianas Brasileiras.” Scored for different combinations of instruments and voices, they feature a mix of Brazilian harmonic and rhythmic elements while also reflecting contrapuntal and other baroque, Bachian elements. This Aria is arguably Villa-Lobos best-known work. The lyrics are by Ruth Correa:

In the evening, a dreamy, pretty cloud, slow and transparent, covers outer space with pink. In the infinite the moon rises sweetly, beautifying the evening, like a friendly girl who prepares herself and dreamily makes the evening beautiful. A soul anxious to be pretty shouts to the sky, the land, all of Nature. The birds silence themselves to her complaints, and the sea reflects all of Her [the moon’s] wealth. The gentle light of the moon now awakens the cruel saudade [nostalgic or melancholic longing] that laughs and cries. In the evening, a dreamy, pretty cloud, slow and transparent, covers outer space with pink.

We are performing this moving piece as a memorial to Kurt Behnke, who passed away from Covid-19 early in the pandemic (March 2020). Kurt was an outstanding ‘cellist, member of our orchestra, and good friend to many of us. It is our way of honoring him and all the victims of the pandemic.