Moacir Santos: symmetries and voice leadings in Coisa no.3

Abstract

This article aims to present some relevant procedures of symmetries and voice leadings within the harmonic language of the Brazilian composer Moacir Santos, focusing on the piece Coisa no.3 [Thing no.3]. The piece is part of the album Coisas [Things] (1965), Santos' debut work that would define his style and creative processes considerably. In a general view, the record is based on notably simple melodic materials and motive variations, instrumentation close to the cool jazz style, a remarkable presence of Afro-Brazilian
percussion, restraint and variation in the use of orchestral resources, and a harmonic language that ranges among tonal, modal and post-tonal passages. Within the album, however, the accuracy in the treatment of several elements reveals a broad dimension of musical content manipulated by the author. It is in this sense that Coisa no.3 brings an emblematic example of how specific details of symmetries and voice leadings contribute to giving meaning to artistic discourse, giving it a high level of detail behind the economic surface.