The experimental music of Hermeto Paschoal e Grupo (1981-93): A musical system in the making

This article looks at the musical principles employed in the unique musical system developed by the Brazilian composer and instrumentalist Hermeto Paschoal. It focuses upon the analysis of a selection of pieces produced between 1981 and 1993, the period in which the composer worked with a group of f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of ethnomusicology 2000-01, Vol.9 (1), p.119-142
Main Author: Lima Neto, Luiz Costa
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
20th century music
Artistic development
Brazil
Brazilian music
Composers
Compositional Techniques
Environmental Influences
Environmental Sound
Ethnomusicology
Experimental Music
Experimentation
Harmony
History of music
Instrumentalists
Melody
Music
Music arrangement
Music composition
Musical improvisation
Musical instruments
Musical rhythm
Musicians
Pascoal, Hermeto
Rhythm
Sound
Sound pitch
Timbre
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Summary:This article looks at the musical principles employed in the unique musical system developed by the Brazilian composer and instrumentalist Hermeto Paschoal. It focuses upon the analysis of a selection of pieces produced between 1981 and 1993, the period in which the composer worked with a group of five musicians in an ensemble called "Hermeto Paschoal e Grupo ". I show how some of the harmonic, melodic, rhythmic and timbral elements of his music were derived from his intuitive childhood experimentations with the sounds of his environment. In later life they would develop into the musical use of unconventional sound patterns, such as those produced by everyday objects, environmental and animal sounds and human speech. I conclude with a discussion of how the composer defines the "authenticity " of his work in terms of a dichotomy between the "natural" and the "conventional", embracing both the music as sound and the social sphere of musical production.
ISSN:0968-1221
1741-1912
1741-1920
DOI:10.1080/09681220008567294