Nininha Velloso Guerra

Suzette et Jeannon

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on September 18th, 1895, Nininha Velloso Guerra achieved great recognition as a pianist and a composer in the first two decades of the 20th century. The lack of information about her can only be explained by her unfortunate passing at the early age of 26. However, thanks to Manoel Aranha Corrêa do Lago’s doctoral research entitled "O Círculo Veloso-Guerra e Darius Milhaud no Brasil" (The Veloso-Guerra Circle and Darius Milhaud in Brazil), published as a book in 2010, we have the chance to learn more about her and the musical modernism in Brazil.

Nininha is the nickname of Maria Virgínia de Castro Leão Velloso, whose last name was later changed after her marriage with Brazilian composer Oswaldo Guerra. Belonging to a particularly brilliant generation of Brazilian pianists like Antonieta Rudge, Guiomar Novaes and Magdalena Tagliaferro, Nininha’s musical identity would be distinguished by her intense involvement with modern music, both as a pianist and a composer. She received her musical education from her father, Godofredo Leão Velloso, who was particularly fond of the – then – contemporary music, encouraging his students to play pieces by Debussy, Ravel, Satie, Charles Koechlin and Abel Decaux. Nininha’s first recitals date from 1907, when she was only 11 years old, playing works by Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy and Auguste Sérieyx (a disciple of Vincent d’Indy). In a concert on May 29th, 1908, Nininha is featured as a composer for the first time with the piece "Suzette et Jeannon" for voice and piano. In 1917, French composer Darius Milhaud, then still at the beginning of his career, came to Brazil with French diplomat and writer Paul Claudel as his secretary and cultural attaché. Milhaud became a close friend of the Velloso-Guerra who, according to him, were the youngest and most advanced elements in line with the "Groupe des Six".

As a composer, her main work is "Com as Crianças" (With the Children), a six-movement piece originally written for solo piano in 1913, when Nininha was only 17 or 18 years old. The style is greatly influenced by French modernist music, being probably the first Brazilian impressionist composition, showing a composer with a unique voice and full command of the craft at a young age. A guitar transcription by Luciano Lima of this piece was published by Les Productions d’Oz in 2020 (DZ 3545). There are a few manuscripts of compositions by Nininha for orchestra, unfinished works, and other pieces confirmed by concert programs or letters that seem to have been unfortunately lost.

In 1920, Nininha moved to France with her husband. But, sadly, a few months later her health began to decline. Her last recital was on April 16th, 1921, at Salle Pleyel, in Paris. She passed on November 15th, 1921.

"Suzette et Jeannon" is a song for voice and piano, which was published in the musical supplement of the magazine "Renascença" in 1908. Classified as a "musette," with lyrics by Octavio de S. Queiroz, it was dedicated to Brazilian singer José de Larrigue de Faro. In the family archive, there is a manuscript version for voice and woodwind trio (oboe, clarinet, and bassoon).