Luís de Freitas Branco
Luís Maria da Costa de Freitas Branco (born October 12, 1890 in Lisbon , † November 27, 1955 in Lisbon) was a Portuguese composer and musicologist . He was one of the most prominent figures in the music history of his country in the first half of the 20th century.
Life
Coming from an aristocratic family, Luís de Freitas Branco enjoyed a broad musical education. His composition teacher in Lisbon was Désiré Pâque . Studies took the twenty year old to Berlin and Paris, where he a. a. studied with Engelbert Humperdinck and met Claude Debussy . He was a composer from an early age, and from 1916 he was professor of composition at the Lisbon Conservatory and was also its deputy director from 1919 to 1924. As a musicologist, he dealt in particular with the Portuguese polyphony of the 17th century and published a book about the also composing King John IV of Portugal . Between 1939 and 1947 he retired from all offices for political reasons.
Many Portuguese composers were students of Freitas Branco, for example Joly Braga Santos . His brother Pedro de Freitas Branco was a conductor.
plant
As a composer, Freitas Branco was influenced by French late romanticism and impressionism . His 4 symphonies are considered the main works. In addition to orchestral works, he also composed sacred music and chamber music.
Chronology of the most important orchestral works
- Scherzo Fantastique (1907)
- Antero De Quental - Symphonic Poem (1908)
- After a reading of Guerra Junqueiro (1909)
- Artificial Paradises - Symphonic Poetry (1910)
- Tentacoes de S. Frei Gil (1911)
- Vathek (1913)
- Violin Concerto (1916)
- Alentejo Suite No. 1 (1919)
- 1st symphony (1924)
- 2nd symphony (1926)
- Alentejo Suite No. 2 (1927)
- 3rd symphony (1944)
- Solemnia Verba - Symphonic Poem (1951)
- 4th symphony (1952)
literature
- Friedrich Blume (Ed.): Music in the past and present , 1st edition, 1949–1986
Web links
- Biography at naxos.com (engl.)
- Biography, list of works and music examples (portug.)
- Short biography, CD reviews (Engl.)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Freitas Branco, Luís de |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Freitas Branco, Luís Maria da Costa de (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Portuguese composer and musicologist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 12, 1890 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Lisbon |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 27, 1955 |
| Place of death | Lisbon |