João de Sousa Carvalho
Encyclopedia
João de Sousa Carvalho (22 February 17451798) was the foremost Portuguese
composer
of his generation.
Born in Estremoz, he studied music from 1753 at the Colégio dos Santos Reis in Vila Viçosa
, then from 1761 at the Conservatorio di S Onofrio in Naples
. In 1766 his setting of Metastasio
’s operatic libretto La Nitteti was performed in Rome. The following year, he joined the Irmandade de S Cecília at Lisbon
and was appointed professor of counterpoint
in the Seminário da Patriarcal, where he later served as mestre (1769–1773) and mestre de capela (1773–1798). In 1778 he became music teacher to the royal family. He died in Alentejo.
His numerous church works are written in a style similar to that of Niccolò Jommelli
and, sometimes, Haydn. Several of his opere serie
and serenatas were performed at the royal palaces of Ajuda
and Queluz
. Some of his keyboard music survives and is occasionally played today.
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
of his generation.
Born in Estremoz, he studied music from 1753 at the Colégio dos Santos Reis in Vila Viçosa
Vila Viçosa
Vila Viçosa is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 195.0 km² and a total population of 8,745 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 5 parishes, and is located in the District of Évora....
, then from 1761 at the Conservatorio di S Onofrio in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
. In 1766 his setting of Metastasio
Metastasio
Pietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi, better known by his pseudonym of Metastasio, was an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of opera seria libretti.-Early life:...
’s operatic libretto La Nitteti was performed in Rome. The following year, he joined the Irmandade de S Cecília at Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
and was appointed professor of counterpoint
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
in the Seminário da Patriarcal, where he later served as mestre (1769–1773) and mestre de capela (1773–1798). In 1778 he became music teacher to the royal family. He died in Alentejo.
His numerous church works are written in a style similar to that of Niccolò Jommelli
Niccolò Jommelli
Niccolò Jommelli was an Italian composer. He was born in Aversa and died in Naples. Along with other composers mainly in the Holy Roman Empire and France, he made important changes to opera and reduced the importance of star singers.-Early life:Jommelli was born to Francesco Antonio Jommelli and...
and, sometimes, Haydn. Several of his opere serie
Opera seria
Opera seria is an Italian musical term which refers to the noble and "serious" style of Italian opera that predominated in Europe from the 1710s to c. 1770...
and serenatas were performed at the royal palaces of Ajuda
Ajuda
Ajuda is a Portuguese civil parish in the municipality of Lisbon with an area and 17,961 inhabitants ; its density was 5707.3 inhabitants/km².-History:...
and Queluz
Queluz
Queluz may refer to:*Queluz, Portugal, a city in the municipality of Sintra, Portugal**The Queluz National Palace, located in the city*Queluz , a civil parish in the municipality of Sintra, Portugal...
. Some of his keyboard music survives and is occasionally played today.
Some compositions
- L’amore industrioso, 1769 (revived 1943, 1967)
- Eumene (dramma serio per musica), 1773
- L’Angelica (serenata), 1778
- Perseo (serenata), 1779
- Testoride argonauta (dramma), 1780 (revived 1987)
- Seleuco, re di Siria (dramma), 1781
- Everardo II, re di Lituania (dramma), 1782
- Penelope nella partenza da Sparta (dramma per musica), 1782
- L’Endimione (dramma per musicaDramma per musicaDramma per musica is a term which was used by dramatists in Italy and elsewhere between the late-17th and mid-19th centuries...
), 1783 - Tomiri (dramma per musica), 1783
- Adrasto, re degli Argivi (dramma per musica), 1784
- Nettuno ed Egle (favola pastorale), 1785
- Alcione (dramma per musica), 1787
- Numa Pompilio II, re dei romani (serenata), 1789
- MassesMass (music)The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that sets the invariable portions of the Eucharistic liturgy to music...
, 1769, 1789, 1792