Works

By André Diniz

The first survey on the works of Joaquim Callado was carried out in 1941 by folklorist Mariza Lira, who listed 34 songs. In 1969 maestro Baptista Siqueira came up with a number far more comprehensive: 67.  Currently, the most complete list of his compositions is the result of the work undertook by musicians and researchers Anna Paes, Maurício Carrilho and Leonardo Miranda. Crossing previous information, studying data gathered in museums and private collections and conducting interviews with former chorões they managed to collect 66 songs. With a total dedication, Anna Paes and Maurício Carrilho reviewed each one of them, confirming their authenticity.

More than 6o pieces composed by Joaquim Callado were copied by chorões from Rio de Janeiro. Found in collections pertaining to Donga, Alfredo da Rocha Vianna (Pixinguinha’s father), and Jacob do Bandolim, the manuscripts show us the crucial role played by copyists in the preservation of Choro musical memory. Unfortunately, there is no research conducted on these musicians/copyists who zealously, thoroughly and very sensitively recorded the early days of the Rio de Janeiro musicality.

The main copyist of Callado’s work was captain João Jupyaçara Xavier, who was one of Callado’s students at the Conservatory of Music. Jupyaçara was a flutist, “knew all chorões of that time” (end of the 19th century), and used to file the “pictures of almost all great flutists” of the time. His collection reached the hands of radio broadcaster Almirante and today can be found at the Rio de Janeiro Sound and Image Museum.

Another important copyist was Frederico Olympio Augusto de Jesus. Professor of the Military School, a very active person in the Rio de Janeiro musical community, Frederico was a friend of Albertino Pimentel, Donga and Patápio Silva – the latter even paid him a tribute with the mazurka called “Louro” (Fair-haired). He was a very tall, elegant and disciplined man. The dedication of the copyist may be evidenced in his manuscripts, whose musical notes and indications of dynamics were so elaborate that looked more like published scores. Upon finding compositions of Frederico de Jesus himself in files of Rio de Janeiro, researcher Anna Paes was amazed with the quality of his melodies and the originality and wit of his work titles. One of them, the polka “Airplaning”, was recorded with others six by the ‘Acari Records’ label.

In 1976, flutist Durval Berredo donated Alfredo Vianna’s notebook of melodies to the teacher of chemistry of the Rio de Janeiro Federal University Gerson Ferreira Pinto (flutist and former member of the group Amigos do Choro – Choro Friends, led by Rossini Ferreira). In the notebook we found transcriptions of Callado melodies made by copyists as Theodoro Aguilar and Azevedo Pimentel. Cândido Pereira da Silva, or Candinho do Trombone, also transcribed compositions made by the father of chorões.

Six songs written by Joaquim Callado deserve a particularly careful revision of their origins. These were 3 songs found with two different names, but always attributed to Callado: the polka called both “Conceição” and “O roubo” (The robbery); the polka called both “Puladora” (Hopping Tune) and “Mulatinha” (Little Mulatto Girl); and the quadrille called both “Saudades de Valença” (Longing for Valença) and “Hermenêutica” (Hermeneutics). There are also songs attributed to two authors, which we decided not to regard as being composed by Callado. “Quem toca, toca sempre” (Those who play, always play) (Jucá Kallut) has two manuscripts – one prepared by trombonist Candinho, one of J. Kallut’s friends and Choro companions, and another by Valentim Garcia Lourenço and only one manuscript, by Frederico de Jesus, found in Donga’s files, according to which Callado is the author of the song. Both Candinho and Frederico were regarded as copyists of great credibility, but the closeness between Candinho and Kallut significantly reduces the possibilities of mistakes made by this copyist. The other song that we decided not to consider as composed by Callado is the polka “Caprichosa” (Capricious). There is a manuscript written by Candinho do Trombone that attributes the song to Anacleto de Medeiros, and another one, found in Almirante’ files, at the Image and Sound Museum, according to which Callado is the author. Once more we decided to give credit to Candinho, because of his contemporaneity with maestro Anacleto de Medeiros. Finally, the polka “Se querem, eu choro” (If you wish so, I’ll cry), found in the files owned by João Jupyaçara Xavier, finely written in two manuscripts and allegedly composed by Felisberto Marques, an option that we accept as opposed to a sole manuscript that indicated the author as being Joaquim Callado.

Work

Joaquim Callado composed four genres of music: polka, quadrille, lundu and waltz. The survey on his songs, which I present below, was conducted by Anna Paes, Maurício Carrilho and Leonardo Miranda.

Polka

Rustic dance that has its origins in Bohemia. It came to Brazil as a ballroom dance in 1845, but soon reached the streets. Played by choro and carnival groups, it blended with other genres – especially the lundu – and served as basis for the emergence of the Brazilian popular music.

Joaquim Callado composed 42 polkas, as follows: “A dengosa” (The Dainty Girl) (dedicated to his friend João Rodrigues Cortes); “A desejada” (The Much Longed For) (composed in 1880 for his friend Dr. Manoel Luiz de Moura); “A flor amorosa” (The Loving Flower) (which received lyrics from Catulo da Paixão Cearense in 1880, after Joaquim Callado’s death); “Ai, que gozos” (Oh, what joys); “A sedutora” (Seductive) (composed in 1869); “Celeste” (Celeste); “Como é bom” (How good it is); “Conceição” (Conceição) or “O roubo” (The Robbery); “Cruzes, minha prima!” (Gosh, My Cousin) (composed in 1875 and dedicated to his friend Francisco Martins Barreira); “Ernestina” (Ernestina); “Florinda” (Florinda); “Imã” (Magnet) (composed in 1873 for his friend Dr. José Bartholomeu Pereira); “Improviso” (Improvisation); “Izabel” (Izabel); “Linguagem do coração” (Language of the Heart); “Maria” (Maria); “Mariquinhas” (Mariquinhas); “Marocas” (Marocas); “Melancólica” (Melancholic); “Murchou a flor da gente!” (Our flower withered away!); “Não digo!” (I won’t say!); “Perigosa” (Dangerous); “Polucena” (Polucena); “Puladora” (Hopping Tune) or “Mulatinha” (Little Mulatto Girl); “Quem sabe” (Who Knows); “Querida por todos” (Cherished by Everybody) (composed in 1869 and dedicated to Mrs. Francisca Gonzaga”); “O regresso do Chico Trigueira” (The coming back of Chico Trigueira); “Rosinha” (Rosinha); “Salomé” (Salomé); “Saudade do cais da Glória” (Longing for the Gloria Wharf, written in 1872 for his friend Francisco F. de Albuquerque); “Saudosa” (Nostalgic) (there is no uniform stand on its authorship: it may have been written by Joaquim Callado or his flutist friend Figueira, with the name of “Uma dor” (Sorrow); “Último suspiro” (Last sigh); “Vinte e um de agosto” (August 21); “Vinte e um de junho” (June 21); “Polca em dó maior I” (Polka in C major I); “Polca em dó maior II” (Polka in C major II); “Polca em dó maior III” (Polka in C major III); “Polca em sol maior I” (Polka in G major I); “Polca em sol maior II” (Polka in G major II); “Ré maior” (D major); “Ré menor” (D minor); “Si bemol maior” (B flat major).

Quadrille

Ballroom dance that originally came from Europe and the U.S., and was a hit in Brazil during the Regency Era (1831-40). The quadrille produced countless variations that directly influenced dances performed in two opposing lines and contredanses in general.

The 21 quadrilles composed by Joaquim Callado are: “Adelaide” (Adelaide); “A pagodeira” (A popular party); “Aurora” (Aurora); “Carnaval de 1867” (Carnival of 1867); “Cinco deusas” (Five Goddesses); “Ermelinda” (Ermelinda); “Família Meyer” (The Meyer Family); “Flores do coração” (Flowers of the heart); “Laudelina” (Laudelina); “Manuelita” (Manuelita); “Maria Carlota” (Maria Carlota); “Mimosa” (A Cute Tune); “O que é bom” (What is Good); “Saturnino” (Saturnino); “Saudades de Valença” (Longing for Valença) or “Hermenêutica” (Hermeneutics); “Sem título em fá maior” (Untitled in F major); “Sem título em ré maior I” (Untitled in D major I); “Sem título em ré maior II” (Untitled in D major II); “Souzinha” (Souzinha); “Suspiros de uma donzela” (Sighs of a Maiden); “Uma noite de folia” (A night of enjoyment).

Lundu

“Licentious” and “indecent” dance from Angola. It came to Brazil in the 18th century, and over the next century it became a type of music that was sung in all segments of Dom Pedro II royal court. At the end of the 19th century, lundu blended with other musical genres, especially the polka, thus giving rise to the first genuinely Brazilian dance: the maxixe. Caldas Barbosa, from Rio de Janeiro, and Xisto Bahia, from Bahia, were great promoters of lundu. Joaquim Callado composed two: “Às clarinhas e às moreninhas” (To the fair-skinned and the dark-skinned girls) and “Lundu característico” (Characteristic Lundu).

Waltz

The waltz emerged in Austria in the 18th century. It is a dance of independent and embraced couples. It came to Brazil, more specifically to the city of Rio de Janeiro, along with the royal family, in 1808. The sung waltz became one of the most popular musical genres among senenaders. Its most important period was during the Radio Days, in the voices of Carlos Galhardo, Francisco Alves and Orlando Silva, among others. Joaquim Callado composed only one waltz, called “Valsa” (Waltz).