Jobim and Chopin: composition

[fasstrack]

People have observed similarities in A.C. Jobim's composing and Chopin's. They generally cite "Insensatavez" (How Insensitive) as being derived from the E minor Prelude (#4). I was taking Jobim's tune Retrato Em Branco E Petro (Picture in Black and White) off the recording Elis & Tom today and saw that it was the same chord sequence, at least in the beginning. People have been talking from way back about how "pop" composers have ripped off and cheapened classical music and themes. I think Jobim is a superior writer, and one that Ellington would have called "beyond category".

But I think a key to his harmonic sophistication and smooth voice-leading is his understanding of classical music, and especially the Chopin influence. He uses German and Neapolitan 6ths (can't cite chapter and verse----it's been years since I studied theory, and I fell asleep then! But I know them when I hear them) like he was giving out candy. He also, like the great craftsman he was, excised all the Romantic excess---emotional and actual notes---leaving the essence. I can see where some people would even consider Jobim overly Romantic and weepy. I don't. I think he was the opposite of at least the worst of Romanticism: very terse and with every brick and mortar in there meaning something. Regarding Chopin, he seemed to have put him through a prism and combined it with American and African influences like blues and pentatonic scales, and jazz harmony. The final ingredient comes in performance: that one-of-a-kind ahead of the beat phrasing only Brazilians (and Warne Marsh!) seem to be able to pull off.

Some scholar should really write a book on this, or at least an essay. Meanwhile, I'd like to hear what you musical wags have to say.

Edited January 21, 2004 by fasstrack