A collection of Choro pieces by Brazilian Choro composers, specially arranged for Piano solo. Intermediate to Advanced Level. Choro is an instrumental Brazilian popular music genre which originated in 19th century Rio de Janeiro. Despite it's name, which means "little cry" or "little lament", the music often has a fast and happy rhythm. Choro is considered the first characteristically Brazilian genre of urban popular music.
1.
Zequinha Abreu - Tico-Tico no fuba
"Tico-Tico no fubá" is the title of a renowned Brazilian choro song composed by Zequinha de Abreu in 1917. Its original title was "Tico-Tico no Farelo," but since Brazilian guitarist Américo Jacomino Canhoto (1889–1928) had a work with the same title, Abreu's work was given its present name in 1931. "Fubá" is a type of maize flour and "tico-tico" is the name of a bird, the rufous-collared sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis). Hence, "tico-tico no fubá" means "sparrow in the cornmeal."
Odeon (Tango Brasileiro) was written by Ernesto Nazareth in 1910. The piece is named after the Odeon Cinema where Nazareth played the piano in the waiting room from 1920 until 1924. It is said that his playing was so popular that many attended the cinema just to hear him, without watching a movie. The piece was not well-known during his lifetime, but became popular after lyrics were added by Vinícius de Moraes in the 1960s.
One of Ernesto Nazareth's most famous compositions, published in 1893 by Casa Vieira Machado. It was sold to them for a very small sum, eventually earning them so much money that they gave him an umbrella with a golden handle at party held in his honour. The piece is dedicated to his nephew Gilberto de Meirelles Nazareth, also known as "Gigi."
"Cubanita" was composed by Chiquinha Gonzaga in 1898. It is a habanera, a type of dance that derives from from the French contradanse (itself derived from the English country dance). The contradanse was brought to the Americas by colonists, developing its own distinct style in Cuba, becoming, in fact, the first Cuban dance to gain international popularity.
"Lua Branca" ("White Moon") was composed by Chiquinha Gonzaga in 1910. It is one of her most celebrated compositions and amongst the most famous Brazilian songs. It was originally written as part of the burleta (i.e. comic operetta) "Forrodobó."
"Atraente" (literally "Attractive") was written by Chiquinha Gonzaga in 1877. The piece shot her to sudden fame, with 15 editions printed in 1877 alone. Her success was not viewed positively in all parts of the then patriarchal Brazilian society, with even her own family attempting to destroy copies of the score. They could not, however, prevent its success nor, indeed, the trailblazing career it launched.
