A Música-Gestus nos espetáculos: Esta noite mãe coragem, um homem é um homem e nossa pequena mahagonny

Abstract

The present repercussions of Bertolt Brechts thoughts about the relation between music and theater were analyzed in this dissertation in three of Belo Horizontes recent theater stagings either based on or inspired by Brechts playwrighting, namely Esta Noite Mãe Coragem (2006), Um Homem É Um Homem (2005) and Nossa Pequena Mahagonny (2003). The analysis was done with a special focus on the scenic use of songs, based upon Bertolt Brechts Gestus-Music concept and taking into consideration the pillars of his Epic Theater as well as the history of the interaction between music and songs and theater. Interviews carried out with the main creators of these stagings were also used as material in accomplishing this work. Bertolt Brechts thoughts about music were kept alive, renewed and efficient in the analyzed stagings, to which the use of Gestus-Music has brought a reflective and questioning characteristic, being nonetheless an opportunityfor enjoyment and entertainment. The rich Brazilian popular music tradition, references from Paul Dessaus and Kurt Weills compositions and diverse musical quotations contributed essentially to the establishment of these stagings musical vocabulary and tothe efficient use of the Gestus-Music concept and its relation to contemporary Brazilian society. The approach between academic studies and art productions in Belo Horizonte has proved to be once again rich and promising, pointing at the need to expand such initiatives.