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Astronomy in Brazilian music and poetry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2011

Ronaldo Rogério de Freitas Mourão*
Affiliation:
Museu de Astronomia e Ciências Afins, Rua General Bruce, 586, São Cristóvão, Rio de Janeiro - 20921-030, Brazil email: mourao@ronaldomourao.com
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Abstract

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The rôle of astronomy in the Brazilian cultural diversity –though little known world– has been enormous. Thus, the different forms of popular music and erudite, find musical compositions and lyrics inspired by the stars, the eclipses in rare phenomena such as the transit of Venus in front of the sun in 1882, the appearance of Halley's Comet in 1910, in the Big Bang theory. Even in the carnival parades of the blocks at the beginning of the century astronomy was present. More recently, the parade of 1997, the samba school Unidos do Viradouro, under the direction of Joãozinho Trinta, offered a new picture of the first moments of the creation of the universe to join in the white and dark in the components of their school, the idea of matter and anti-matter that reigned in the early moments of the creation of the universe in an explosion of joy. Examples in classical music include Dawn of Carlos Gomes and Carta Celeste by Almeida Prado. Unlike The Planets by Gustav Holst –who between 1914 and 1916 composed a symphonical tribute to the solar system based on astrology– Almeida Prado composed a symphony that is not limited to the world of planets, penetrating the deep cosmos of galaxies. Using various resources of the technique for the piano on the clusters and static movements, violent conflicts between the records of super acute and serious instrument, harpejos cross, etc . . .

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2011