Chôros No. 6

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Chôros No. 6 is an orchestral work by Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos and the sixth piece in his Chôros series, which ranges from solo pieces to large-orchestra works. It lasts about 25 minutes.

The piece was written in Rio de Janeiro between 1925 and 1942, and the score is dedicated to Arminda Neves d’Almeida. It premiered on July 18, 1942, in Rio de Janeiro with the Orquestra Sinfônica do Theatro Municipal conducted by Villa-Lobos.

Scholars debate the exact date of completion. Some think it was finished only shortly before the 1942 premiere, while others note Villa-Lobos often staged premieres soon after finishing a work.

Chôros No. 6 calls for a very large orchestra, including many woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings.

Musically, the piece is meant to evoke a romantic, backcountry mood of northeastern Brazil, focusing on color and atmosphere rather than telling a literal story.

The opening melody is played by the flute and presents a seresteiro (choro-like) tune, contrasting with the surrounding harmonies and soft textures of percussion and strings. This line is a slightly altered version of Lundu característico, a tune by Calado, and it has similarities to O Nó by Candinho Trombone.

The music unfolds as a sequence of episodes with contrasting tempos. There is some disagreement about how many sections it contains: estimates range from six to as many as sixteen, with a more recent view suggesting about nine sections (some subdivided).