An intellectual in the press: an analysis of the column Música, by Celso Loureiro Chaves, in the culture section of Zero Hora

Abstract

A result from a monograph research, this article analyses a sample of the column Música, by Celso Loureiro Chaves, published biweekly in the section Cultura, of Zero Hora newspaper. The objective is to reflect upon the concept of music implied by that generic headline, the function the texts accomplish inside that supplement, the chronicle writer’s narrative strategies to bring the contents near the reader and his relationship with criticism. The study involved bibliographical research, in-depth interviews and applied the content analysis method in a corpus of 12 columns published in the semester between January and June, 2007. It is concluded that, as he favors the European erudite musical tradition, the author uses tactics of the Brazilian chronicle and criticism tradition to bring the specialized content near the ordinary reader. The column assumes a formative character and registers the musical thought of an era.