Lopes-Graça, Fernando

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Lopes-Graça, Fernando

Lopes-Graça, Fernando, eminent Portuguese composer, musicologist, pianist, and pedagogue; b. Tomar, Dec. 17, 1906; d. Lisbon, Nov. 28, 1994. He took piano lessons at home, then studied with Merea and da Motta (piano), Borba (composition), and de Freitas Branco (theory and musicology) at the Lisbon Cons. (1923–31); also studied at the Univ. of Lisbon. He taught at the Coimbra music inst. (1932–36). In 1937 he left his homeland for political reasons; went to Paris, where he studied composition and orchestration with Koechlin, and musicology with Masson at the Sorbonne. After the outbreak of World War II (1939), he returned to Lisbon, where he served as a prof. at the Academia de Amadores de Música (1941–54); from 1950 was director of its chorus, a position he held for 40 years; also made appearances as a pianist. In his music, he pursued an independent path in which he moved from Portuguese folk traditions to atonality in 1962. With M. Giacometti, he publ. the first vol. of the Antologia da Música Regional Portuguesa, the first attempt to collect, in a systematic way, the regional songs of Portugal.

Works

dramatic: La Fièvre du temps, revue-ballet (1938); D. Duardos e Flérida, cantata-melodrama (1964–69; Lisbon, Nov. 28, 1970); Dançares, choreographic suite (1984). orch.:Poemeto for Strings (1928); Prelúdio, Pastoral e Dança (1929); 2 piano concertos (1940, 1942); 3 Portuguese Dances (1941); Sinfonia (1944); 5 estelas funerárias (1948); Scherzo heróico (1949); Suite rústica No. 1 (1950–51); Marcha festiva (1954); Concertino for Piano, Strings, Brass, and Percussion (1954); 5 Old Portuguese Romances (1951–55); Divertimento for Winds, Kettledrums, Percussion, Cellos, and Double Basses (1957); Poema de Dezembro (1961); Viola Concertino (1962); 4 bosquejos (4 Sketches) for Strings (1965); Concerto da camera for Cello and Orch. (Moscow, Oct. 6, 1967, Rostropovich soloist); Viagens na minha terra (1969–70); Fantasia for Piano and Orch., on a religious song from Beira-Baixa (1974); Homenagem a Haydn, sinfonietta (1980); Em louvor da paz (1986). chamber:Estudo-Humoresca for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, 2 Violins, Viola, and Cello (1930); Piano Quartet (1939; rev. 1963); Prelúdio, Capricho e Galope for Violin and Piano (1941; rev. 1951); Página esquecida for Cello and Piano (1955); Canto de Amor e de Morte for Piano Quintet (1961); String Quartet (1964); 14 anotações for String Quartet (1966); 7 souvenirs for Vieira da Silva for Wind Quintet (1966); The Tomb of Villa- Lobos for Wind Quintet (1970); 3 capriccetti for Flute and Guitar (1975); Quatro peças em suite for Viola and Piano (1978); Sete Apotegmas for Oboe, Viola, Double Bass, and Piano (1981); Homenagem a Beethoven—Três Equali for Double-bass Quartet (1986); Geórgicas for Oboe, Viola, Double Bass, and Piano (1989). Piano: 6 sonatas (1934; 1939, rev. 1956; 1952; 1961; 1977; 1981); 8 Bagatelles (1939–48; No. 4, 1950); Glosas (Glosses; 1950); 24 Preludes (1950–55); Album do jovem pianista (1953–63); In Memoriam Bela Bartók, 8 progressive suites (1960–75); 4 Impromptus (1961); Piano Music for Children (1968–76); Melodias rústicas portuguesas No. 3 for Piano, 4-hands (1979); Deploração na morte trágica de Samora Machel (1986); Pranto à memória de Francisco Miguel, uma vida heróica (1988). Guitar: Prelúdio e Baileto (1968); Partita (1970–71); Sonatina (1974); Quatro peças (1979). vocal:Pequeno cancioneiro do Menino Jesus for Women’s Chorus, 2 Flutes, String Quartet, Celesta, and Harp (1936–59); História trágico-marítima for Baritone, Contralto, Chorus, and Orch. (1942–59); 9 Portuguese Folk Songs for Voice and Orch. (1948–49); 4 Songs of Federico García Lorca for Baritone, 2 Clarinets, Violin, Viola, Cello, Harp, and Percussion (1953–54); Cantos do Nata for Women’s Voices and Instrumental Ensemble (1958); 9 cantigas de amigo for Voice and Chamber Ensemble (1964); 6 cantos sefardins for Voice and Orch. (1971); Requiem pelas vítimas do fascismo em Portugal for Soloists, Chorus, and Orch. (1979); Sete Predicações de “Os Lusíadas” for Tenor, Baritone, Men’s Chorus, and 12 Instruments (1980); ...meu país de marinheiros...for Narrator, 4 Women’s Voices, 4 Men’s Voices, Flute, and Guitars (1981); many choruses; songs.

Writings

Sobre a evolução das formas musicais (Lisbon, 1940; second ed., rev, 1959, as Breve ensaio sobre a evolução das formas musicais); Reflexões sobre a música (Lisbon, 1941); Introdução à música moderna (Lisbon, 1941; 3^rd ed., 1984); Música e músicos modernos (Aspectos, obras, personalidades) (Oporto, 1943; second ed., 1985); A música portuguesa e os seus problemas (3 vols., 1944,1959,1973); Bases teóricas da músicas (Lisbon, 1944; second ed., 1984); Talia, Euterpe e Terpsicore (Coimbra, 1945); Pequena história da música de piano (Lisbon, 1945; second ed., 1984); Cartas do Abade António da Costa (Introdução e notas) (Lisbon, 1946; second ed., 1973, as O Abade António da Costa, músico e epistològrafo setecentista); Visita aos músicos franceses (Lisbon, 1948); Vianna da Motta (Subsídios para uma biografia, incluindo 22 cartas ao autor) (Lisbon, 1949; second ed., 1984); Bela Bartók (Três apontamentos sobre a sua personalidade e a sua obra) (Lisbon, 1953); A Canção popular portuguesa (Lisbon, 1953; 3^rd ed., 1981); Em louvor de Mozart (Lisbon, 1956; second ed., 1984); with T. Borba, Dicionário de música (Lisbon, 1956–58); Musicália (Baia, 1960; corrected and aug. ed., 1967); Lieder der Welt, Portugal (Ausgemalt und erläutert von...) (Hamburg, 1961); Nossa companheira música (Lisbon, 1964); Páginas escolhidas de crítica e estética musicale (Lisbon, 1966); Disto e daquilo (Lisbon, 1973); Um artista intervém/Cartas com alguma moral (Lisbon, 1974); A caça aos coelhos e outros escritos polémicos (Lisbon, 1976); Escritos musi-cológicos (Lisbon, 1977); A música portuguesa e os seus problemas (Lisbon, 1989).