Ecos de um Brasil esquecido: o resgate de Bailado na Roça no âmbito do Festival Internacional de Música Colonial Brasileira e Música Antiga de Juiz de Fora

Abstract

This study investigates the process of recovery and appreciation of the work Bailado na Roça, by the Juiz de Fora-born composer Francisco Magalhães do Valle (1869–1906), based on its revival at the International Festival of Brazilian Colonial Music and Early Music of Juiz de Fora. The research aims to analyze how the event has established itself as an important space for the preservation, dissemination, and appreciation of Brazilian musical heritage, contributing to the rediscovery of Francisco Valle’s musical production and to its reintegration into the repertoire of Brazilian concert music.The methodology is based on bibliographic, documentary, newspaper, and iconographic research, including the collection and analysis of primary sources preserved in the archives of the Pró-Música Cultural Center, as well as a review of musicological literature concerning the composer and the construction of Brazilian musical identity. The study presents a historical overview of the creation and activities of the Pró-Música Cultural Center and the International Festival of Brazilian Colonial Music and Early Music, highlighting their role in the recovery and dissemination of previously unpublished works belonging to Brazilian musical heritage.We argue for the relevance of these initiatives to the musical life of the city of Juiz de Fora and to the dissemination of the musical repertoire of Minas Gerais in its broadest scope, encompassing composition, performance, and the organization of concerts that bring this repertoire to public appreciation. In this regard, the present study contextualizes Francisco Valle’s career within the Brazilian concert music scene of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, discussing his place in Brazilian music historiography.Finally, the study analyzes fragments of the work Bailado na Roça, highlighting rhythmic, melodic, and stylistic elements associated with the construction of a Brazilian musical language, in dialogue with the nationalist ideals present in its historical context. The results demonstrate that the recovery of the work goes beyond the restoration of a musical score, constituting an action aimed at safeguarding cultural heritage, strengthening Brazilian musical memory, and valuing artistic production from Minas Gerais. It thus reaffirms the importance of the Festival as a space for research, performance, and dissemination of Brazilian concert music.