Arthur Napoleão dos Santos
| Arthur Napoleão dos Santos | |
|---|---|
 Arthur Napoleão, Warsaw, ca. 1860 | |
| Born |
6 March 1843 Porto, Kingdom of Portugal |
| Died |
12 May 1925 (aged 82) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Occupation | Composer, pianist, instrument dealer and music publisher |
Arthur Napoleão dos Santos (6 March 1843 - 12 May 1925) was a Portuguese composer, pianist, instrument dealer and music publisher.
Biography
He was born in Porto, Portugal, and gave his first piano concert at the age of 7. When he was 8, supported by Ferdinand II of Portugal, Napoleão gave his first international concerts, visiting cities such as London (where he played at the Portuguese Embassy in the city) and Paris. Thereafter he toured all over Europe and America, sometimes playing duets with Henri Vieuxtemps or Henryk Wieniawski. At age 15, he performed in New York and critic Richard Storrs Willis attended "out of curiosity to see the sort of child that tickles Europe". Willis was impressed and noted him as "an extraordinary performer... His touch is exquisitely full of tenderness; his precision almost unerring; his power more than respectable, and his rounding of musical thought perfectly delightful."[1]
In 1866 he settled in Brazil, living in Rio de Janeiro. Here he set up shop to sell instruments and publish sheet music. He taught piano lessons, one of his pupils was Chiquinha Gonzaga and composed, almost exclusively piano pieces. He died in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, aged 82. He is the Patron of Chair 18 of the Brazilian Academy of Music.
Works
Orchestra music
- Camões (for orchestra and band)
- L’Africaine (for piano and orchestra)
- Acre state anthem
- Espírito Santo state anthem
- Ouverture symphonique for large orchestra
- Polonaise for piano and orchestra
- four piano concertos, including Piano Concerto no. 2, E flat minor, op. 31 (probably composed in the late 1880s; dedicated to Luis I of Portugal, who died in 1889)
Piano pieces
- A Brasileira
- A Caprichosa
- Elvira
- A Fluminense
- Uma primeira impressão do Brasil
- Soirée de Rio
- Soirées intimes
- Teus olhos
The composer also wrote chamber music and sonatas.
References
- ↑ Lawrence, Vera Brodsky. Strong on Music: The New York Music Scene in the Days of George Templeton Strong. The University of Chicago Press, 1999. vol. III, p. 214. ISBN 978-0-226-47015-3