Heitor Villa-Lobos ： A Prole do Bebê No.2 Stuffed Bear

The concluding piece of Villa-Lobos’s second suite of A Prole do Bebê, this character piece takes a stuffed bear as its subject. Its approachable sense of weight, suggesting the bear, is combined with childlike playfulness, while crisp rhythms and contrasts of register shape its character. Even within its compact scale, the piece is appealing for the way active passages seem to alternate with moments of repose. In performance, sounds that suggest weight should not be allowed to sink too heavily; the rhythm should remain clear. Rather than exaggerating dynamics and accents, balance an endearing character with lightness so that the piece’s personality comes vividly to life.