Toccata: O trenzinho do Caipara (Toccata: The Little Train of Caipira) (1930)

Who wrote the score for “The Little Train of Caipira”?

Heitor Villa-Lobos

What comment did Villa-Lobos add to the score to clarify his intentions?

“Impressions of a journey in the little trains of the hinterland of S. Paulo.”

What scenario does “The Little Train of Caipira” depict?

An engine building up steam in order to ascend a steep hill, with a moment where it is unclear if the train will clear the hill. When it succeeds, numerous whistle blasts convey triumph.

Which part of Brazil do the Caipira people reside in?

South-central

How were the Caipira people regarded by city-dwellers?

As hopelessly backwards

What instruments generate the first “train whistle” sound in “The Little Train of Caipira”?

flutes and clarinets

How do flutes and clarinets create the “train whistle” sound in in “The Little Train of Caipira”?

They Flutter-tongue

How do flutes and clarinets flutter-tongue?

They roll their tongues rapidly behind their teeth to produce a growl-like sound

What instruments create the groan of the steam engine in “The Little Train of Caipira” ?

Horns and trombones

How do horns and trombones create the groan of the steam engine in in “The Little Train of Caipira”?

Through quick upward glissandos

What is a glissando?

A quick slide through adjacent pitches

Which instruments perform the squeal of the train’s brake’s in “The Little Train of Caipira”?

The violins and violas

How do violins and violas perform the squeal of brakes in in “The Little Train of Caipira”?

By bowing much closer to the bridge than normal, to create a scratchy sound

What does sul ponticello refer to?

Bowing close to the bridge of a string instrument to produce a scratchy sound

What is the Italian term for bowing close to the bridge of a string instrument to produce a scratchy sound?

Sul ponticello

What does the word Ponte mean in Italian?

Bridge

In “The Little Train of Caipira” how do Brazillian percussive instruments help create the image painted by the song?

By enhancing the rural atmosphere of the song

Why does “The Little Train of Caipira” feeling like its accelerating if you were to simply listen to it?

Villa-Lobos uses shorter and shorter note values with actually changing the tempos

In “The Little Train of Caipira” what does the abbreviation “c” mean?

Compás (it means measure or bar)

in “The Little Train of Caipira” is which movement of Bachiamas brasileiras No.2?

The fourth movement

What does toccata mean?

An animated, virtuosic piece

Despite the train’s rusty start and end, what makes the Toccata designation of in “The Little Train of Caipira” accurate?

The energy when the train reaches its maximum speed