Symphony No. 10 (Villa-Lobos)

10, Sumé pater patrium: Sinfonia ameríndia com coros (Oratorio) is a composition by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, written in 1952–53.

[1] The symphony/oratorio is scored for tenor, baritone, and bass soloists, mixed choir, and an orchestra consisting of 2 piccolos, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 3 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, tuba, timpani, tam-tam, cymbals, chocalho, coconut hulls, lion's roar, bells, gong, sleigh bells, small frame drum, bass drum, xylophone, marimba, celesta, 2 harps, piano, organ, and strings.

The movement is in sectional form, dominated by a principal melodic motif consisting of an upper-neighbour note figure followed by an upward leap.

Quasi-tonal quartal harmonies are especially evident, but alternate with polychords in dense ostinato textures and more thinly orchestrated tonal passages.

The fourth section, which is developmental, begins with an abrupt change of tempo and a short tonal fugato in the strings.