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Valsa
Sônia, uma menina de 15 anos que morreu assassinada, luta para, entre um delírio e outro, conseguir montar o quebra-cabeça de suas memórias, no único monólogo escrito por Nelson Rodrigues.
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First published January 1, 1951
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About the author
Nelson Rodrigues
110 books260 followersNelson Falcão Rodrigues (August 23, 1912 – December 21, 1980) was a Brazilian playwright, journalist and novelist. In 1943, he helped usher in a new era in Brazilian theater with his play Vestido de Noiva (The Wedding Dress), considered revolutionary for the complex exploration of its characters' psychology and its use of colloquial dialog. He went on to write many other seminal plays and today is widely regarded as Brazil's greatest playwright.
Nelson Rodrigues was born on August 23, 1912 in Recife, the capital of the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, to Mario Rodrigues, a journalist, and his wife, Maria Esther Falcão. In 1916, the family moved to Rio de Janeiro after Mario ran into trouble for criticizing a powerful local politician. In Rio, Mario rose through the ranks of one of the city's major newspaper and, in 1925, launched his own newspaper, a sensationalist daily. By fourteen Nelson was covering the police beat for his father; by fifteen he had dropped out of school; and by sixteen he was writing his own column. The family's economic situation improved steadily, allowing them to move from lower-middle class Zona Norte to what was then the exclusive neighborhood of Copacabana.
In less than two years the family's fortunes would be reversed spectacularly. In 1929, older brother Roberto, a talented graphic artist, was shot and killed at the newspaper offices by a society lady who objected to the salacious coverage of her divorce. Devastated by his son's death, Mario Rodrigues died a few months later of a stroke, and shortly after that the family newspaper was closed by military forces supporting the Revolution of 1930, which the newspaper had fiercely opposed in its editorials. The ensuing years were dark ones for the Rodrigues family, and Nelson and his brothers were forced to seek work at rival newspapers for low wages. To make matters worse, in 1934 Nelson was diagnosed with tuberculosis, a disease that plagued him, on an off, for the next ten years.
During this time Rodrigues held various jobs including comic strip editor, sports columnists and opera critic. In 1941, he wrote his first play A Mulher Sem Pecado (The Woman Without Sin), to mixed reviews. His following play, Vestido de Noiva (The Wedding Dress), was hailed as a watershed in Brazilian theater and is considered among his masterpieces. It began a fruitful collaboration with Polish émigré director Zbigniew Ziembinski, who is reported to have said on reading The Wedding Dress, "I am unaware of anything in world theater today that resembles this." In the play, set while the female chief character is hit by a car in the street and undergoes surgery, the stage is divided in three planes: one for real life action happening around the character, another for her memories, a third for her dying hallucinations. As the three planes overlap, actual reality melds with memory and delusion[1].
Rodrigues's next play, 1946 Álbum de família (Family Album)- the chronicle of a semi-mythical family living outside society and mired in incest, rape and murder - was so controversial that it was censored and only allowed to be staged 21 years later.
In all, Rodrigues wrote 17 full-length plays. They include Toda Nudez Será Castigada (All Nudity Shall Be Punished), Dorotéia, and Beijo no Asfalto (The Asphalt Kiss, or , better, The Kiss on Asphalt[2]), all considered classics of the Brazilian stage. His plays are frequently divided in three groups: Psychological, mythical and Carioca tragedies. In his Carioca tragedies Rodrigues explored the lives of Rio’s lower-middle class, a population never deemed worthy of the stage before Rodrigues. From the beginning his plays shocked audiences and attracted the attention of censors.
In spite of his success as a playwright, Rodrigues never dedicated himself exclusively to theater. In the 1950s, besides writing the hugely successful column A Vida Como Ela É (Life As It Is), he also wrote soap operas, movie scripts, a
Nelson Rodrigues was born on August 23, 1912 in Recife, the capital of the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, to Mario Rodrigues, a journalist, and his wife, Maria Esther Falcão. In 1916, the family moved to Rio de Janeiro after Mario ran into trouble for criticizing a powerful local politician. In Rio, Mario rose through the ranks of one of the city's major newspaper and, in 1925, launched his own newspaper, a sensationalist daily. By fourteen Nelson was covering the police beat for his father; by fifteen he had dropped out of school; and by sixteen he was writing his own column. The family's economic situation improved steadily, allowing them to move from lower-middle class Zona Norte to what was then the exclusive neighborhood of Copacabana.
In less than two years the family's fortunes would be reversed spectacularly. In 1929, older brother Roberto, a talented graphic artist, was shot and killed at the newspaper offices by a society lady who objected to the salacious coverage of her divorce. Devastated by his son's death, Mario Rodrigues died a few months later of a stroke, and shortly after that the family newspaper was closed by military forces supporting the Revolution of 1930, which the newspaper had fiercely opposed in its editorials. The ensuing years were dark ones for the Rodrigues family, and Nelson and his brothers were forced to seek work at rival newspapers for low wages. To make matters worse, in 1934 Nelson was diagnosed with tuberculosis, a disease that plagued him, on an off, for the next ten years.
During this time Rodrigues held various jobs including comic strip editor, sports columnists and opera critic. In 1941, he wrote his first play A Mulher Sem Pecado (The Woman Without Sin), to mixed reviews. His following play, Vestido de Noiva (The Wedding Dress), was hailed as a watershed in Brazilian theater and is considered among his masterpieces. It began a fruitful collaboration with Polish émigré director Zbigniew Ziembinski, who is reported to have said on reading The Wedding Dress, "I am unaware of anything in world theater today that resembles this." In the play, set while the female chief character is hit by a car in the street and undergoes surgery, the stage is divided in three planes: one for real life action happening around the character, another for her memories, a third for her dying hallucinations. As the three planes overlap, actual reality melds with memory and delusion[1].
Rodrigues's next play, 1946 Álbum de família (Family Album)- the chronicle of a semi-mythical family living outside society and mired in incest, rape and murder - was so controversial that it was censored and only allowed to be staged 21 years later.
In all, Rodrigues wrote 17 full-length plays. They include Toda Nudez Será Castigada (All Nudity Shall Be Punished), Dorotéia, and Beijo no Asfalto (The Asphalt Kiss, or , better, The Kiss on Asphalt[2]), all considered classics of the Brazilian stage. His plays are frequently divided in three groups: Psychological, mythical and Carioca tragedies. In his Carioca tragedies Rodrigues explored the lives of Rio’s lower-middle class, a population never deemed worthy of the stage before Rodrigues. From the beginning his plays shocked audiences and attracted the attention of censors.
In spite of his success as a playwright, Rodrigues never dedicated himself exclusively to theater. In the 1950s, besides writing the hugely successful column A Vida Como Ela É (Life As It Is), he also wrote soap operas, movie scripts, a
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 8, 2018
Minha última leitura para o vestibular da UFSC!
Deixei "Valsa Nº 6" por último porque, sinceramente, estava achando que não daria tempo, e não fazia tanta questão de ler. Mas aí sobrou o último dia antes do vestibular, o livro é super curtinho - e por ser uma peça, é bem rápido de ler -, acabou que deu certo.
Acabei me surpreendendo, porque gostei bastante da peça! Fiquei muito curiosa para assistir, aliás, porque com certeza deve ser mais emocionante que a leitura. Mas de qualquer forma, só lendo já dá para ter noção do frenesi da personagem principal, que tenta se lembrar dos últimos momentos antes de sua morte.
Deixei "Valsa Nº 6" por último porque, sinceramente, estava achando que não daria tempo, e não fazia tanta questão de ler. Mas aí sobrou o último dia antes do vestibular, o livro é super curtinho - e por ser uma peça, é bem rápido de ler -, acabou que deu certo.
Acabei me surpreendendo, porque gostei bastante da peça! Fiquei muito curiosa para assistir, aliás, porque com certeza deve ser mais emocionante que a leitura. Mas de qualquer forma, só lendo já dá para ter noção do frenesi da personagem principal, que tenta se lembrar dos últimos momentos antes de sua morte.
December 5, 2020
é muito intrigante que dá pra criar inumeras teorias a respeito da história, mas é maravilhoso
May 14, 2020
Quintessential psychological play, with all of Sônia's quick mood shifts, which require a skilled actress! While reading it, I remembered Panis et circensis, a famous Mutantes' song. Won't tell you why, so as not to spoil it.
October 8, 2017
QUE TEXTO MEUS AMIGOS.
QUE TEXTO
QUE TEXTO
October 22, 2018
Amazing book! It's quite short, so one would be able to read it in one sitting. I loved the way the main character (Sonia) discovered the truth about herself. I'd rate it 5/5
May 24, 2020
Um monólogo dinâmico e desafiador.
July 13, 2023
O homem era diferenciado... Só peças malucas, provocativas e diferentonas, bem revoloucionárias para a época...
January 18, 2024
Peça de Nelson Rodrigues que narra o assassinato de uma moça, por ela mesma, enquanto toca a Valsa nº 6. É uma história bem contada. Prefiro O Beijo no Asfalto, do mesmo autor.
October 25, 2025
E não é que Nelson tem uma boa história de fantasma.
April 12, 2012
Fodido. Chopin+Loucura.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews