Alberto Nepomuceno Collection
Catalog Record: http://lccn.loc.gov/2003561026
General International Standard for Archival Description
Music Division Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
Finding Aid encoded by Library of Congress Music Division, 2005
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
Alberto Nepomuceno Collection1887-1920 (bulk 1894-1920)
Nepomuceno, Alberto, 1864-1920
Biographical History for: Alberto Nepomuceno Collection1887-1920 (bulk 1894-1920)
Biographical Sketch Date Event 1864 On July 6 Alberto Nepomuceno was born in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil to Victor Augusto Nepomuceno (1840-1880), violinist and organist of the Fortaleza's Cathedral, and his wife Maria Virginia de Oliveira Paiva (1846-1892). 1872 His family moved to Recife (Pernambuco). He began his musical studies (piano and violin) with his father. 1880 After his father's death, he started to work in a typographical shop to help his mother and sister Emilia. He began studies in harmony with Maestro Euclides Fonseca. 1881 Professor Tobias Barreto coached him in his studies of philosophy and German. 1883 He played violin in the orchestra of the Santa Isabel Opera House at the premiere of Leonor, an opera composed by his teacher Euclides Fonseca. He actively joined the civic republican and abolitionist movement of the northeast Brazilian region. 1885 The Legislative Assembly of Ceará presented a petition to the Imperial Government to re-activate Nepomuceno's scholarship to study in Europe that was initially rescinded due to his political activities. He settled in Rio de Janeiro and for the first time gave a piano concert at the Club Beethoven. Also, he toured the country with cellist Frederico Nascimento. 1886 He became a piano teacher at the Club Beethoven and studied harmony with Miguel Cardozo. 1887 He composed his first compositions for piano, some songs, and a march for orchestra. 1888 In May at The Club Iracema (Fortaleza) he premiered his first major composition Dança de negros which later became his Batuque for orchestra. In August, he traveled to Europe. 1889 Nepomuceno enrolled at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome and began his studies with Eugenio Terziani (harmony), Giovanni Sgambatti (piano), and Cesare de Sanctis. 1890 In August he left Rome and enrolled at the Akademische Meister Schulle in Berlin where he began his composition studies with Heinrich von Herzogenberg (1843-1900), a distinguished friend of Brahms. 1891 During his vacation, he travelled to Vienna and heard concerts by Brahms and Hans von Bülow. He also attended classes with Theodor Lechetitzky and met the Norwegian pianist Walborg Rendtler Bang, a pupil of Grieg, and Nepomuceno's future wife. 1892 He transferred to Berlin's Stern Conservatory to study composition and organ with Arnó Kleffel (1840-1913) and piano with H. Ehrlich (1822-1899) for two years. 1893 In July, he travelled to Christiania (Oslo) and married Walborg Rendtler Bang. They had four children: Eivind, Sigurd, Sigrid and Astrid. The couple resided for a time at the Grieg home, in Bergen, where they discussed the idea of creating a Brazilian musical patrimony. He studied with organist Christian Cappelen for three months. 1894 At the final examinations at the Stern Conservatory Nepomuceno conducted the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra performing his own works, Scherzo für grosses Orchester and Suite antiga. In April, he was nominated Professor of Organ "ad absentio" at the National Institute of Music (NIM) in Rio de Janeiro. 1894 He went to Paris to attend the Schola Cantorum organ courses with Alexandre Guilmant. There he met and discussed music with Camille Saint-Saëns, Charles Bordes and Vincent D'Indy. Nepomuceno was invited by Sorbone's Professor of Greek Charles Chabault to write the incidental music to Sophocles' Electra. 1895 In July, Nepomuceno returned to Rio de Janeiro and gave a historical concert as pianist, organist, and conductor of his works at the NIM. 1896 Nepomuceno was nominated Professor of Composition at the NIM, and Conductor at the Associaçao dos Concertos Populares. In two years, he premiered many works of new Brazilian composers. 1897 On August 1 the NIM organized a major Festival Alberto Nepomuceno. He conducted the premiere of his major symphonic works: Série Brasileira, Symphony in G minor, and As Uyaras among others. 1898 On October 14 Nepomuceno's first opera, Artemis, was premiered at the Teatro São Pedro de Alcântara. 1902 On July 12 Nepomuceno is nominated Director of NIM. 1904 On October 20 he conducted the premiere of O Garatuja. He was designated by the NIM to welcome Saint-Saëns on his arrival in Brazil. 1908 He organized and conducted a 26-concert series, with premieres of major French, Russian, and Brazilian works. 1909 He presented a project to the National Congress for the creation of a National Orchestra subsidized by the government. 1910 He was sent to Brussels, Geneva, and Paris by the Brazilian Government to conduct Brazilian music. He visited Debussy who presented him with the autograph of Pélleas et Mélisande. 1913 On June 30 he traveled to Buenos Aires to attend the world premiere of his opera Abul at the Teatro Coliseo. He conducted a tribute to a Wagner centennial at Rio's Teatro Municipal. 1915 On April 15 he attended the European premiere of Abul at Rome's Teatro Costanzi. 1916 He made a Portuguese translation of Schönberg's Harmonielehre and tried to force it upon the NIM without success. 1919 He conducted his last concerts at the Teatro Municipal and, with the premiere of Villa-Lobos' Concerto for Cello, introduced a new composer to the public. 1920 In February he asked his editor Sampaio Araújo to publish the first of Villa-Lobos' works. In June he was awarded the Gold Medal from King Albert of Belgium for his devotion to Belgian welfare during the war. 1920 On September 23 Richard Strauss conducted the Vienna Philharmonic in his O Garatuja. 1920 On October 16 Nepomuceno died at the age of 56 in Rio de Janeiro.
Scope and Content Note The Alberto Nepomuceno Collection reveals a major composer who was a pioneer among Brazilian musicians and who was recognized as the "father" of musical nationalism in his country. In addition to being the first to incorporate native themes and rhythms into art music in Brazil, he developed a brilliant career as a prominent teacher and theoretician, an orchestra conductor, pianist and organist, and a musical administrator. Nepomuceno, born in the middle of the nineteenth century, received his early musical education in Brazil from his father, a church organist. Later he became highly cultivated during his scholarly years of musical studies in Europe in the best conservatories of that time, such as Rome's Santa Cecilia, Paris' Schola Cantorum and Berlin's Akademische Meister Schulle, among others. He was fluent in five languages and became acquainted with major composers of the twentieth century, among them Debussy, Saint-Saëns, D'Indy, and Richard Strauss, all of whom praised his works. In addition, his marriage to the distinguished Norwegian pianist Walborg Rendtler Bang allowed him to establish a personal friendship with Edward Grieg. Parallel to a major career in composition and conducting, Nepomuceno's passion was to give his country a better and more advanced musical curricula. As a professor of composition he tried to apply new systems, for example, Schönberg's Harmony Treatise, but was unable to persuade the musicians of his time to change the traditional way of teaching. Nevertheless, thanks to his tireless work for the recognition of Brazilian nationalism and encouragement of young and new composers, he was able, just one year before his death, to conduct and introduce to the public Heitor Villa-Lobos' work. From his stage works to the piano pieces Nepomuceno's eclecticism is the common attribute of his whole output. His style goes from a conventional romantic trend passing through transitional styles to the fiery rhythms of the Afro-Brazilian dances. In the middle of these periods can be found piano works that recreated a harpsichord-like resemblance, such as, the early Suite Antiga, as well as vivacious and spontaneous dance-like urban tunes as the "maxixe" and the "choro" with Galhofeira as its best example. The collection consists primarily of scores, most of them photocopies of holographs, and printed material. Among the printed scores the original rare Portuguese-Italian edition of his opera Abul, in a piano-vocal score, printed by Sonzogno of Milan, in 1913, and also a photocopy of the piano-vocal score of the French-Portuguese version of the opera Artemis. Following in importance is the full score of his Série Brasileira of which the last movement, the famous "Batuque," was the first symphonic undertaking to picture one aspect of the unique Brazilian folk life. This collection also contains the printed full score of the prelude O Garatuja, a work that was conducted and acclaimed by Richard Strauss. The chamber music although small in quantity is quite significant because it contains, among other items, the composer's three major string quartets. The third in D minor "Brasileiro," dated Berlin 1891, is another earlier example of the use of Brazilian thematic rhythms in art music. The vocal music, about seventy piano-vocal scores with German, French, Italian, Swedish and Portuguese texts, illustrates the development of Nepomuceno from his European early style to the works that depict the sometimes melancholic perception of the Brazilian soul. The piano works, with similar characteristics, have a wide range from the aforementioned Suite antiga to the Quatro peças lyricas, written in a romantic style at the beginning, but finishing with the syncopated pattern and the distinctive improvisation of the "choro." Even though the collection is small in size, it contains a variety of works in each genre showing the development of Nepomuceno's musical career, from a strictly European composer to the first Brazilian to achieve stature as the founder of musical nationalism in his country. It encompasses a 33-year period, from his early works in 1887 until his last in 1920. In addition, the collection contains a small amount of photographs, portraits of the composer and his wife, and also books, catalogs and other printed materials published during the last sixty years. Nevertheless his relevance as a creator and his contribution to the Brazilian musical culture goes far beyond. In addition to his career as a major composition teacher and director of the National Institute of Music, he must be remembered as a conductor who not only was the first to lead the symphonic works of his young fellow-citizens, but also the Brazilian premieres of the music of Wagner and all the major French and Russian composers of the first half of the twentieth century. Finally, the collection is complemented with several long playing 33-1/3 rpm records that contain symphonic, choral, vocal, chamber music and piano works, performed and conducted by Brazilian musicians. The record collection is located in the Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division. Susana Salgado, 1998
series
Music, 1887-1920
The Music series consists primarily of scores, most of them photocopies of holographs, and printed material.
subseries
Stage
file
Abul, opera in 3 acts
Artémis, episodio lyrico em um acto
Photocopy of printed piano-vocal score, photocopy of holograph[?] full score of the Interludio, photocopy of libretto included
photocopy of printed piano-vocal score, photocopy of holograph[?] full score of the interludio, photocopy of libretto included
Orchestral Works
Adagio para cordas
Photocopy of copyist's manuscript score in ink
photocopy of copyist's manuscript score in ink
Andante expressivo
Batuque, danza de negros
O Garatuja, préludio
Serenata
Photocopy of copyist's manuscript full score in ink
photocopy of copyist's manuscript full score in ink
Série Brasileira, I Alvorada na serra, II Intermédio, III A sesta na rede, IV Batuque
Squerzo (Scherzo)
Suite Antiga, op. 11
Valses humoristiques pour piano et orchéstre (Valsas humorísticas)
Photocopies of manuscript full score in ink and printed full score (2 copies)
photocopies of manuscript full score in ink and printed full score (2 copies)
Chamber Music
Cançao, Manobra Militar, Minueto
Devaneio, 1919
Photocopy of printed piano-violin score and violin part
photocopy of printed piano-violin score and violin part
Erinnerung (Souvenir)
Offertoire
Piano trio, in F sharp minor
Prece (obra posthuma)
Prélude et fugue
Photocopy of printed organ or harmonium score
photocopy of printed organ or harmonium score
Romance
String quartet no.1, in B minor
Photocopies of holograph score and offset printed parts
photocopies of holograph score and offset printed parts
String quartet no.2, in G minor
String quartet no.3, in D minor, "Brasileiro"
Photocopy of copyist's manuscript score and offset printed parts
photocopy of copyist's manuscript score and offset printed parts
Tarantella
Songs
2 Cançôes: Coração triste, Philomela (Filomena), op. 18, no.1
12 Cançôes: As Uyáras, Medroso de Amor, Madrigal, Coraçao triste,
Printed piano-choral and piano-vocal score
printed piano-choral and piano-vocal score
Philomela (vol. I only)
A Jangada, cançao
Aime-moi
Photocopy of copyist's manuscript piano-vocal score
photocopy of copyist's manuscript piano-vocal score
Antigas modinhas brasileiras
Ao amanecer, op. 34, no.1, Anoitece, op. 34, no.2
Ave Maria [no.1]
Ave Maria [no.2]
Ave Maria [no.3]
Canção, op. 30, no.2
Photocopy of printed of piano-vocal score
photocopy of printed of piano-vocal score
Canção da ausencia
Canção de amor (Liebeslied), op. 19, no.2
Cantigas
Cantilena
Canto Nupcial
Cantos da Salamita
Coração indeciso, canção, op. 30, no.1
Cornetas
Photocopy of manuscript piano-vocal score
photocopy of manuscript piano-vocal score
Désirs d'hiver
Desterro
Dolor supremus, op. 21, no.2
Duas cançoes
Duas poesias, op. 26
Duas poesias, op. 31
Duas poesias, Sempre!, Dôr sem consolo, op. 32
Einklang
Epithalamio
Gedicht
Herbst
Der Himmel
Photocopy of holograph piano-vocal score
photocopy of holograph piano-vocal score
Hino Nacional
Hymno do Ceará
Ingemisco
Invoção á Cruz
Le miracle de la Semence, tragipoëme
Le miroir d'or
Les yeux élus
Mater Dolorosa, op. 14, no.1
Morta (Trovas do morte)
Nossa Velhice
Numa Concha, Canção
O Baile na Flor
Occaso
Olha-me!
Oração ao diabo, op. 20, no.2
Ora dize-me a verdade, op. 12, no.1
Perché?
Razão e amor (Obra póstuma)
Soneto, op. 21, no.3
Sonhei, op. 19, no.1
Trovas, op. 29, no.1 and no.2
Photocopy of printed piano-vocal scores (2 copies)
photocopy of printed piano-vocal scores (2 copies)
Tu és o sol!, op. 14, no.2
Un soneto del Dante
Versos (II)
Wiege sie sauft
Der wunde Ritter
Photocopy of copyist's manuscript piano-vocal score with lyrics on back
photocopy of copyist's manuscript piano-vocal score with lyrics on back
Xácara, op. 20, no.1
Piano Works
1a. Mazurka
II Nocturno para piano
4 Peças lyricas, op. 13, 1. Anhelo, 2. Valsa, 3. Dialogo, 4. Galhofeira
Batuque, no.4 da Série brasileira
Brasileira
Canção, Peças infantís no.1
Cloches de Noël
Deux morceaux
Devaneio, op. 27, no.1
Five small pieces for left hand for children
Typescript and manuscript piano score in ink
typescript and manuscript piano score in ink
Folha d'album no.1
Folha d'album no.2
Folha d'album no.3
Galhofeira, op.13, no.4
Improviso, op.27, no.2
Insistência, no.4 Serie peças infantís
Manobra Militar, marcha
Melodia (Meia força)
Nocturne for the left hand alone
Noturno
O garatuja, prelúdio
Peças infantís, no.3 Menuet
Prece, obra postuma
Sonata in F minor, op.9
Photocopy of manuscript score in ink (2 copies)
photocopy of manuscript score in ink (2 copies)
Suite antique, op.11
Thème et variations, op.28
Une fleur, romance
Valse-Impromptu
Variations sur un thème original, op.29
Catalogs and Other Printed Matter, 1864-1920
The Catalogs and Other Printed Matter series consists of books, catalogs and other printed materials published during the last sixty years.
Alberto Nepomuceno, Directeur de l'Institut National de Musique, Rio de Janeiro.
Alvim Corrêa, Sergio Nepomuceno. Alberto Nepomuceno, Catalogo Geral, Secretaria da Cultura, 1985
Alvim Corrêa, Sergio Nepomuceno. Biography and comment about Nepomuceno's "O Garatuja."
Biblioteca Nacional. Exposiçao Comemorativa do Centenário do Nascimento de Alberto Nepomuceno, Rio de Janeiro, 1964.
Blume, Friedrich, ed. Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart. Entry on Alberto Nepomuceno, Bärenreiter Kassel, Basel, London, New York
Conservatório de Música Alberto Nepomuceno. Atividades do Ano de 1963, Fortaleza, Dezembro de 1963
De Almeida, Zélia de. Perfil Biográfico do Maestro Alberto Nepomuceno, Niterói, 1964
Ministerio Da Cultura. Música Brasileira Para Orquestra, Catálogo Geral, 1988
Sadie, Stanley, Ed. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Macmillan, London, 1980.
Photographs, 1864-1920
The Photographs series contains portraits of the composer and his wife.
Portrait : A N, 1898
Portrait : A N, 1908
Portrait : A N, in Norway, 1900 (mounted photocopy)
Portrait : A N, 1910
Portrait : A N, in front of the National Institute of Music (mounted photocopy) [n.d.]
Portrait : A N, 1918 (mounted photocopy)
Portrait : A N, last photo, 1918 (mounted photocopy)
Portrait : Walborg Reutler Bang (Nepomuceno's wife) (mounted photocopy)