Description
This doctoral dissertation approaches the origins and development of the first saxophone ensembles in Brazil and demonstrates that this process took place through the symbiotic relationship between opera and band repertoires between 1888 and 1938, and served as the mainspring of Brazilian chamber music for this newly invented instrument. The interaction between concert and popular genres in operatic performances and the band environment led composers to explore new timbres, driving the creation of a specific repertoire for saxophone ensembles. The initial repertoire produced in Brazil had a hybrid character, with sonorities and particularities linked to the development of Brazilian music in the first half of the 20th century, as a result of a transculturation process that took place in philharmonic and military bands. This phenomenon can be observed in the diversity of influences, ranging from Italian opera to Brazilian tango, as well as sacred music and stylized Afro-Brazilian dances. The circulation of national and international genres in the repertoire of these instrumental ensembles occurred through the mediation between orchestral, operatic, and band music, via the practices of transcription, adaptation, and arrangement, which resulted in the production of works specifically written for saxophone chamber ensembles. This process is part of a broader context in which music is seen as the result of social constructions, influenced by historical, political, and cultural events. The diverse approach, involving the cross-referencing of hemerographic sources, musical manuscripts and editions, concert programs, iconographic materials, phonograms, and others, allowed for the identification of traces and events, whose analysis pointed to a symbiotic process that began half a century after the invention of the saxophone. This dissertation reaffirms the commitment to preserving Brazil’s musical heritage, enabling its broad access, dissemination, and a new understanding of the histories of the saxophone in Brazil.
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