Antonio Carlos Gomes

Antônio Carlos Gomes (Campinas, July 11th 1836 - Belem, September 16th 1896) is a Compositeur of Opéra S Brazilian.

Although Gomes made the essence of its career in Europe, its life merges with the history even Brésil: born a few years after independence from the country in 1822, died shortly after the proclamation of the Republic in 1889, Gomes was a privileged witness of Imperial Brazil. This country of lords and slaves, nation at the stammering institutions, is found sublimated in its most famous work: the opera It Guarany , telling the impossible love of an Indian and White.

Biography

Youth

Of modest origin, Gomes was born the July 11th 1836 with Campinas, in the state of São Paulo. His/her father, Manoel Jose Gums, were Choirmaster in Campinas; it Maria several times and had 26 children in all. His/her mother, Fabiana Maria Jaguary Cardoso Gums, had however only two children with Manœl: the type-setter and his older brother Jose Pedro Santana Gums.

His/her mother died whereas he was still child. At the ten years age, it initiated studies of music, encouraged by his father and his brother Jose Pedro. During its adolescence, he played in popular balls and concerts with the military Fanfare of his father, activity which he alternated with an use of Tailleur.

At the fifteen years age, it composed already of the Valse S, of the Modinha S, the squares S and of the Polka S. is eighteen years old, in 1854, it composed its first Messe: the Mass of Holy Sebastien , empreignée work of Mysticism, which it dedicated to his father. In 1857, it composed the Modinha Suspiro d' Alma ( Soupir of Heart ) on a poem of the romantic poet Portuguese Almeida Garrett.

In 1859, Gomes left in round as a pianist and a singer, accompanied with the violin by his/her brother Jose Pedro, by the main cities of the state of São Paulo, by finishing by the capital . To do this period go back the Fantaisie Alta Noite ( Nuit Sinks ) for Clarinette, the modinha Quem sabe? ( Which knows? ), on a poem of Francisco Leite de Bittencourt Sampaio, and the mass Nossa Senhora da Conceição . It is in contact with the students of the Faculty of Law of the Université of São Paulo, for which it composed the Hino Acadêmico ( Hymne Académique ), that Gomes and its brother were initiated with the Franc-maçonnerie.

Rio de Janeiro

In 1860, Gums, against the will of his/her father, settled with Rio de Janeiro. It was presented to the emperor Dom Pedro II by the countess of Barral; the monarch, faithful friendly and guard of the artists, directed it towards Francisco Manuel da Silva, director of the Conservatoire of Music where it started studies of Contrepoint with Gioacchino Giannini, Italian musician of reputation which lived a long time in Brazil. The same year, to the closing ceremony of the school year in the Academy, Gomes presented a Cantate of its vintage, which it directed itself although reached by the Yellow fever.

The September 4th 1861 was played Provisional Opera house the opera has Noite C Castelo ( the Night of the Castle ), the first work of Gum scale, according to the homonymous novel of António Feliciano de Castilho. The opera revealed Gomes with the public Carioca and gained one big hit in the Brazilian musical mediums. As a sign of recognition, the emperor gratifia the type-setter of the Imperial Order of the Rose.

Two years after this triumph, Gomes presented its second opera, Joanna de Flandres ( Jeanne of Flandres ), on a booklet of El Salvador de Mendonça, carried on scene the September 15th 1863.

Gums accepted government then a grant in Europe. Fearing to give up his/her father definitively, Gomes requested of the emperor Dom Pedro II, in exchange of its departure, that his/her father was named Choirmaster of the Imperial Vault in Rio de Janeiro, which the emperor accepted.

Europe

The emperor wished that Gomes leave for the Germany, where reigned then Wagner, but the empress Marie-Therese, of Neapolitan origin , suggested the Italy rather to him. In 1863, after a short tour by the Portugal and Paris, Gomes arrived at Milan where it took courses of composition with Lauro Rossi with the Conservatoire of Milan.

In 1866, Gomes obtained the diploma for the occupation of type-setter. It composed the same year its first opus Milanese : music for the review its minga , on a booklet of Antonio Scalvini in Milanese dialect, related to scene on January 1st 1867 with the Teatro Fossetti. The year according to it was the first of Nella Luna , on a booklet of the same author, with the Teatro Carcano.

It Guarany

See also: It Guarany

In 1867, circulated in Milan a cheap translation of the Romance O Guarani ( Guarani ) of Jose de Alencar. The attention of Gums was drawn by the singular history of the impossible love between an Amerindian and White, and he spoke about it at once with his Librettiste Scalvini, which was also filled with enthusiasm by it. Thus It was born the opera Guarany , its most known work, in the absence of being its masterpiece.

The first took place the March 19th 1870 with the Teatro went Scala of Milan. The opera gained an enormous success, partly thanks to savor " exotique" such an amount of the text (the main character, Peri, are an Indian Guarani) that music: Gums introduced indeed passages of music " barbare" calling upon Indian instruments such as borated, tembis, maracás or inúbias, that it made manufacture by an organ builder to Bergamo.

At the conclusion of the representation, the king Victor-Emmanuel II named it Chevalier of the Crown of Italy. Made green would have said Gums, the day of the first of It Guarany : " Questo giovane comincia dove finisco io! " (" This young person begins where me, I finish! ").

It Guarany had a fulgurating career: as of 1872, the opera was related to the large European scenes: the Communal Pergola (Florence), Teatro Carlo Felice (Genoa), Covent Garden (London), Teatro Communal of Ferrare, Teatro of Bologna, Teatro Eretenio (Vicence), Teatro Social of Trévise. A few years later, work attegnit even a world notoriety and was played Moscow and Pittsburgh.

Between Brazil and Italy

Gums lived several years divided between Brazil and Italy, its second fatherland. However it never felt at ease in Milan, where one described it like a recluse, while at the same time its compatriots showed it more and more to waste the public money by stays prolonged in Italy.

In 1870, Gomes turned over to the Brésil for the first Brazilian one of It Guarany , which took place the December 2nd 1870, day of the birthday of the emperor Dom Pedro II, with the Provisional Opera house in Rio de Janeiro. The principal passages were sung by amateurs of the Philharmonic Company; the representation was a triumph and ended in the acclamations of the public: " Live the Emperor! Live Carlos Gomes! Live Jose de Alencar! ".

In 1871, Gomes wrote the operetta Telégrafo Elétrico ( the Electric Telegraph ) then began the opera Os Mosqueteiros C Rei ( Musketeers of the King ), which will remain unfinished. It returned the same year to Italy, where the December 16th it married the pianist Adelina Peri, which it had known with the Academy of Milan. The couple lived an unstable marriage because of the growing financial problems of the type-setter and of died in low age of three of their five children; they separated in 1885.

In 1872, it finished the composition of a new opera, Fosca , on a booklet of Antonio Ghislanzoni, the author of the booklet of Aida . Related to scene the February 18th 1873 with the Teatro went Scala of Milan, work was criticized hard because of the presence of Leitmotiv S Wagnérien S.

Gums composed then the opera Salvator Rosa , of which it renvendit rights to the editor Giulio Ricordi; the first took place in 1874 with the theater Carlo Felice of Genoa, then the opera Marie Tudor , on a booklet of Arrigo Boito (the librettist d' Otello and of Falstaff ) and of Emilio Praga.

In 1876, at the request of the emperor Dom Pedro II, Gomes composed Saudação C Brasil ( Salutation of Brazil ) for the commemorations of the first centenary of the independence of the the United States. This same year, Gomes started a round in Argentine and in Brazil to present its opera Fosca , which was played Buenos Aires, to the Teatro Colón, then in Rio de Janeiro.

In 1878, began construction from the Villa Brasília , new residence of the type-setter, with Lecco.

The year 1879 marked a negative turning in the career of the type-setter: the failure of the representation of Marie Tudor in Scalla, then the death of his/her Mário son at the five years age, affected it deeply. It was then beginning the one long period of nervous breakdowns, financial problems and operas unfinished.

In 1880, Gomes went back to Brazil and went to Rio de Janeiro, El Salvador, Recife and Belem. Its troop put in scene Salvator Rosa , It Guarany and Fosca . With Bahia, at the request of the Portuguese pianist Artur Napoleão, Gomes composed the Hymne with Camœns at the time of the tercentenary one of died of the poet.

Its health declined quickly. In 1886, Gomes passed by an serious attack of nerves, that only the Opium could relieve. In 1887, to pay its debts, Gomes had to sell its villa in Lecco with all the pieces of furniture and settled in a small apartment in Milan.

In 1888, the type-setter completes the opera Lo Schiavo ( the slave ), on a booklet of Rodolfo Paravicini; work, however, could not be carried on scene to Italy. The first took place only in 1889, in Teatro Lírico of Rio de Janeiro, in homage to the princess Isabelle of Brazil and to the Abolition of slavery in Brazil. Cherishing the dream secretly to succeed Manual Francisco da Silva with the head of the Imperial Conservatory of Music, Gomes would have obtained the support of the emperor Pierre II. But the proclamation of the Republic in 1889 put an end to its hopes, because the emperor had to exile himself in Europe.

Last years

Gums went back to Milan in 1890 and settled in the apartments of its mistress, the comptess Cavalini. In 1891, Gomes directs, to the Teatro went Scala of Milan, the opera Condor : a new form of Récitatif, nearer to récitatif modern, created sensation there.

In 1892, it composed the Symphonic poem Colombo , in homage to the 400 years of the Découverte of America by Christophe Colomb; misunderstood of the public, work was a failure. Gums also went to Chicago in order to represent Brazil with the Colombian World Fair. For lack of financings on behalf of the Brazilian government, Gomes could not however assemble It Guarany , and its voyage showed a failure.

In 1 895, Lauro Sodré, governor of the state of Pará, required of him to organize and direct the academy of music of Belem. Although in bad health, Gomes accepted and left for the last time Italy. With Lisbon, where made halt, it had to undergo a surgical intervention with the language, the April 8th 1895, unfortunately without results.

The May 14th, already very sick, it was accepted by the population of Belem in jubilation, but its last days were marked by a physical suffering that the medical efforts could not relieve. Hardly being able to leave its residence, it had to give up the direction of the academy of Belem. He died the September 16th 1896.

The intellectual circles of Belem then were strongly empreignés by the ideas positivists, and the death of Gums was truly put in scene in the spirit of exaltation of the great men of the nation and civic religion which this philosophical current professed. Its body was embaumé, photographed and exposed to the public in Belem during two days, then transferred towards the academy from Belem where it was exposed in an impromptu burning chapel. It was then transferred towards the cemetery from Soledade in Belem and was exposed again to the public, then a Messe of requiem was celebrated, with the cathedral of Belem, during which the body was placed on immense a Catafalque.

Gums was however not buried in Belem: at the request of the governor of the state of São Paulo, Campos Rooms, its skins were buried with the military honors in its birthplace, Campinas, place Antônio Pompeu.

Works

Operas

The first two Gum operas ( has Noite C Castelo and Joanna de Flandres ) are in Portuguese; all the others are in Italian. The Brazilian ones very often speak about the Italian Gum operas by portuguisant their titles: O Guarani rather than It Guarany , etc; this article however preserves their original Italian titles.

  • has Noite C Castelo ( the Night of the Castle ), opera in three acts on a booklet of Jose Fernandes back Reis, according to the homonymous novel of António Feliciano de Castilho. First the September 4th 1861, Teatro Lírico Fluminense (provisional) of Rio de Janeiro. Dedicated to Manual Francisco da Silva.

  • Joanna de Flandres ( Jeanne de Flandres ), opera in four acts on a booklet of El Salvador de Mendonça. First the September 15th 1863, Teatro Lírico Fluminense (provisional) of Rio de Janeiro. Dedicated to the emperor Dom Pedro II.

  • It Guarany ( Guarani ), opera ballet in four acts, on a booklet of Antonio Scalvini, according to the novel O Guarani of Jose de Alencar. First on March 19th, 1870, Teatro went Scala, Milan.

  • Fosca , opera in four acts on a booklet of Antonio Ghislanzoni according to the novel Feste delle Marie , of Shine Capranica. First on February 18th, 1873, Teatro went Scala, Milan. Dedicated to Jose Pedro Santana Gums.

  • Salvator Rosa , opera in four acts on a booklet of Antonio Ghislanzoni according to the novel Mansaniello of E. of Méricourt. First on March 21st, 1874, Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa.

  • Maria Tudor ( Marie Tudor ), opera in four acts on a booklet of Arrigo Boito and Emilio Praga according to the homonymous drama and éponyme of Victor Hugo. First on March 27th, 1879, Teatro went Scala, Milan.

  • Lo Schiavo ( the slave ), opera in four acts on a booklet of Rodolfo Paravicini according to an idea of the Viscount of Taunay. First on September 27th, 1889 in Imperial Teatro D. Pedro II (Teatro Lírico) in Rio de Janeiro.

  • Condor , opera in three acts on a booklet of Mario Canti. First in 1891 with the Teatro went Scala, Milan. Dedicated to the commander Theodoro Teixeira Gums.

  • Colombo , symphonic vocal poem in four tables, dedicated to the American people. Booklet of Albino Falanca. First the October 12th 1892 in Teatro Lírico of Rio de Janeiro.

Others

Although the opera was its preferred kind, Gomes also composed of the crowned Musique, approximately 50 Modinha S, of the Cantate S and of the Opérette S. Its modinhas is the perfect reflection of romantic and refined environment literary and musical living rooms, put in vogue in Rio de Janeiro by the presence of the imperial court: one finds as well there lyricism French as Italian humor, and especially the strong presence of the style verdien.

Cultural references

The effigy of Carlos Gomes decorated the ticket S of five thousand cruzeiro S of 1990.

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