Estudo em Polca
by Gilberto Eloízio
The polka is a dance in pairs, originating in Bohemia in the 19th century, which later spread throughout Europe and was brought to Brazil by descendants of that region. The polka is characterized by a binary tempo, usually in ternary or rondo form. The typical accompaniment is written as a two-measure phrase: the rhythm mostly commonly is that seen in the left hand of the piano score (fig 1).
Figure 1. Example of polka’s characteristic accompaniment in
Arariboia by Chiquinha Gonzaga.
This distinctive jumping bass quality gave polka its rhythmic character and influenced the development of the dance choreography marked by quick hops on tiptoe. Eloizio’s Estudo em Polca extensively explores this rhythmic motif in the first two sections of the study (fig.2).
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Figure 2. Polka’s rhythmic motif in
Estudo em Polca by Gilberto Eloízio.
In Brazil, the genre acquired a slower tempo that enables syncopation and is commonly written as a dotted eighth followed by a sixteenth note (fig 3). Given this characteristic, Bruno Kiefer points out that polka was influenced by Cuba and Haiti’s habanera, which was exported to Spain and arrived in Brazil around 1866. The habanera is also written in binary tempo and exhibits a similar motif in the accompaniment.[1]
Figure 3. Variations in the rhythmic division of polka’s accompaniment.
The modulation scheme of the polka frequently follows a standard structure: for pieces in a major key, the second part in the relative minor, and the third in the subdominant key. For pieces in a minor key, the second part modulates to the relative major and the third section to its parallel major. The Estudo em Polca by Gilberto Eloísio illustrates this modulations scheme: written in E minor, section B modulates to the relative major in G major. However, section C modulates to the relative major instead of the parallel major of E major.
Notes:
[1] Bruno Kiefer, Música e dança popular: sua influência na música erudita, 18.
Gilberto Eloízio
Gilberto Eloizio was born in Diamantina, Minas Gerais, and at the age of 10, he began his musical studies under the guidance of his grandfather, Otto Paulo Guedes. Eloizio earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Trumpet Performance from the Federal University of Minas Gerais. Currently, Eloizio is a member of the Marine Corps of the Navy in Rio de Janeiro.
Polka
Listening Examples
About the
Polka
The polka officially arrived in Brazil in 1845 after its great success and popluarity in Europe. Its first performance took place at the Sao Pedro Theater in Rio de Janeiro, and it quickly became part of the entertainment of the Brazilian aristocracy.[1] The dance also gained acceptance by the middle class of Rio de Janeiro and was soon disseminated to the rest of the country, including rural areas of Brazil.
The polka introduced an intimate dance for couples replacing collective dances, such as the quadrille and the minuet. Henrique Cases, a researcher of Brazilian vernacular music, indicates that the Brazilianization of the genre “facilitated syncopation and the communication of music with the body, providing the terrain for the ‘wiggles’ and so many other expressions that were used to describe the sensuality with which the Brazilian polka was danced.”[2] The polka also represented an emergent middle class that, through music and dance, desired a more liberal culture breaking with the conservative and patriarchal structure represented by the elite.
The popularity of pianos in the 1850s, the main instrument used in private gatherings to invigorate meetings of the elite, propelled the growth of polka in Brazil. Its integration into the middle classes made possible the emergence of pianeiros; professionals hired to animate elite events in private parties and work in the new centers of entertainment that included clubs, orchestras, cinema, theaters, and popular spaces. As a result, the pianeiros disseminated the polka and gained fame for their performance, most often characterized by melancholy and lyrical playing in opposition to polka’s original cheerful and bouncy character. These performance characteristics were also common among the chorões who replaced the piano by the trio of guitar, cavaquinho, and flute and animated the parties of the lower classes. The chorões were known for taking only the main ideas from the scores and playing them “by ear,” thus displaying great freedom of interpretation.[3] Consequently, the musical genre gained multiple interpretations incorporating musical practices that reflected the experiences of social groups marginalized by the elite and, as a result, embraced national qualities.
Felipe Malaquias’ analysis of the dissemination of polka in Brazil highlights the importance of the genre in bringing together different social classes in Rio de Janeiro. He writes:
The polka had a role as cultural and social mediator in the population because in playing polkas, pianists circulated in the hall of the elite; and it was to listen to polkas that the elite frequented the small theaters of the popular classes.[4]
In this context, the pianeiros’ freedom of interpretation and musicality was an aspect that promoted the integration of different classes that, through music, shared common spaces that otherwise would not have been possible.
The popularity of the polka in Brazil is also the subject of research by historian Bruno Kiefer, who indicates that almost 300 polkas are registered in the Brazilian National Library archival collection. These compositions consist of reprinted polkas by foreign authors, polkas of foreign composers who settled in Brazil, and polkas composed by Brazilian composers. The researcher also highlights the creativity and humor in the titles of compositions that usually express patriotism, give advice, and are often a means for witty exchange among songwriters. For instance, the title Where is the Key? by J. S. Barbosa resulted in the countering song, The Key Was Found by Aníbal do Amaral. Although elements of national culture inspired the choice of the titles of the polkas, editors included topics typical to urban life for commercial purposes and their popularity.[5] In addition, this wide acceptance of polka in different environments influenced composers to combine the characteristics of different genres, given polka hybrid connotations, such as polka-habanera, polka-lundu, polka-schottische, and polka-militar. In addition, this broad acceptance of polka influenced composers to incorporate elements from different genres, given polka hybrid connotations, such as polka-habanera, polka-lundu, polka-schottische, and polka-militar, among others. An example is Chiqunha Gonzaga's Alerta!, which combines polka's characteristic accompaniment with melodic lines that recalls military music, such as the fanfare that introduces the piece (fig. 4).
Figure 4. Alerta! by Chiquinha Gonzga: example of a polka-militar.
The genre’s popularity attracted renowned classical composers, such as Carlos Gomes, Henrique Alves de Mesquita, Arthur Napoleão, João Gomes de Araújo, and Ernesto Nazareth; the latter stands out with 31 compositions of the genre.[6] The most prominent popular composers include Joaquim da Silva Callado, Chiquinha Gonzaga, and Anacleto de Medeiros.
Notes:
[1] Bárbara Sena Carvalho, “Da polca ao Brazilian Jazz: A roda de choro em movimento” (bachelor's thesis, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, 2013), 25.
[2] Henrique Cazes, “As três fases do maxixe música.” Música Popular em Revista 1 (July 2019): 96.
[3] Luciana F. Rosa, and Márcio Modesto, “Naquele tempo, tudo era polca” (paper presented at the VIII Simpósio Internacional de Musicologia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Junho 2018), 219.
[4] Felipe Malaquias, “A polca no Brasil: A disseminação do gênero e a popularização do piano” (paper presented at the Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, 2017), 3.
[5] Bruno Kiefer, Música e dança popular: sua influência na música erudita (Porto Alegre, RS: Editora Movimento, 1979), 16-21.
[6] “Ernesto Nazareth - 150 Anos: Home,” Instituto Moreira Sales, accessed August 26, 2022, https://ernestonazareth150anos.com.br/.
References:
Carvalho, Bárbara Sena. “Da polca ao Brazilian Jazz: A roda de choro em movimento.” Bachelor 's thesis, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, 2013.
Kiefer, Bruno. Música e dança popular: sua influência na música erudita. Porto Alegre, RS: Editora Movimento, 1979.
Malaquias, Felipe. “A polca no Brasil: A disseminação do gênero e a popularização do piano.” Paper presented at the Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, 2017.
Rosa, Luciana F., and Márcio Modesto. “Naquele tempo, tudo era polca: reflexões sobre a multiplicidade de designações de gêneros na formação da música popular urbana brasileira.” Paper presented at the VIII Simpósio Internacional de Musicologia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Junho 2018.