The current project proposes a research work on the Villa-Lobos´s Sonata Fantasia N.

1
“Desesperance” exploring the piece interpretation.

Composed on 1912, the sonata presents a fusion of musical styles: on one side the
influence of late French romantic music, and on the other Villa-Lobos´s close relation with
Brazilian popular music. This fusion of styles that was present on Villa-Lobos works throughout
his life is the starting point to this project, that will investigate in which ways the features of
French Belle Époque were absorbed by Villa-Lobos and in which way they were applied and
turned in to Brazilian in the Sonata Fantasia N.1.

Associating a bibliographic survey, the musical analyses of the Sonata Fantasia N.1
score and interviews with renowned violinists that frequently play the sonata in recitals, this
project intend a research work that will provide theoretical and practical material to assist
performers in the preparation of a more informed interpretation of the piece.