Heitor Villa-Lobos was the most famous, and charismatic twentieth century Brazilian composer. This book, based on the composer's private papers and correspondence, describes the gradual development from his first struggles to world wide recognition of the individuality of his compositions and his influence on the generation of musicians and composers of the late twentieth and twenty first century. Essential reading for anyone who has ever succumbed to the magic and power of Villa-Lobos's music and to anyone interested in the arts of Brazil over the last century.