Heitor Villa-Lobos Website

Great pianist and exact contemporary of Villa-Lobos.  Rubinstein was the first important patron of Villa-Lobos, who wrote Rudêpoema for him.  Rubinstein's entertaining book My Many Years (NY, Knopf, 1980) contains many reminiscences of the early days in Rio de Janeiro.  It was Rubinstein who convinced the Guinle brothers to sponsor Villa-Lobos' trip:

"Two years ago, during a dinner at the home of one of Rio de Janeiro's biggest industrialists, the guests were speaking about Villa-Lobos.  I said that I considered him one of the greatest composers of our century and that he would be enthusiastically welcomed in Europe, where he would be able to have his bigger works performed.  The host interrupted me and laconically asked the question: 'And how much money is needed for this?'  I named a fantastic amount.  A little while later, I held in my hand a check for that amount."

- Rubinstein, quoted in Rubinstein: a life , Harvey Sachs, Grove Press, 1995, p. 195

Rudêpoema was written for Rubinstein, and was designed by Villa-Lobos as a portrait of a great artist and a great friend.

A picture of Arminda Villa-Lobos (the composer's widow) with Villa's great friend Arthur Rubinstein. This is from the digital library of the PATRIMONIO CULTURAL DE LA FUNDACIÓN ALBÉNIZ, and is dated April 1973.