Saravá (Homage to Vinicius de Moraes)

Saravá, for orchestra is an homage to Vinicius de Moraes, a Brazilian poet, playwright, diplomat, songwriter and lyricist of a great number of songs which became classics in the Brazilian music repertoire. The piece celebrates his life and legacy, highlighting aspects of his career which encompasses an enormous body of works, including essays, poetry, lyrics and his famous play Orfeu da Conceição, later adapted into the film Black Orpheus.

During the course of this piece, there are hints from his encounters and collaborations with some of Brazil’s most celebrated composers, such as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Claudio Santoro, Baden Powell, Edu Lobo, Ary Barroso, Pixinguinha, Toquinho, among others. The work itself is not necessarily tied to the musical sonorities of his time; in fact, it was conceived as a rhapsody: free, emotional and exuberant in character as I saw fit to celebrate such an iconic and seminal composer.