Chiquinha Gonzaga – Bio of Brazilian Woman Composer

 

 

Early Life

 

Chiquinha Gonzaga (Francisca Edwiges Neves Gonzaga), Brazilian composer has her "canonization" as there is no doubt of her place in the history of Brazil. However, it is necessary to complete this story to obtain an identity, for she had neither parents nor siblings who could give testimony about her life. Born illegitimate in 1847, Chiquinha Gonzaga was abandoned by her mother and raised by her grandmother. She may have been born as Carolina Josefina de Almeida Prado on June 7th 1847, in Rio de Janeiro, but her real name should have been Maria Rita Joaquina Gonzaga. Her father mixed up the baptismal certificates, and she went through life with a different name. She showed an early interest in music, and at the age of 9, she began to study with a priest. In 1865, she moved to Rio de Janeiro, where she continued her musical studies and worked as a piano teacher, adopting Chiquinha.

 

Personal Life

 

There are many different stories about who Chiquinha Gonzaga was. She was a talented composer, pianist and teacher, but she also did much more for Brazilian culture. At age 18, she married Marcellino de Freitas, who was only 16 at the time of the wedding. They had one daughter in 1867 but were soon separated. In 1870 Gonzaga married again, this time with Antonio Floriano Brant Pontes. Again, this marriage ended in divorce. In 1883, Chiquinha Gonzaga had her first great success as a composer with the opera "A Lição de Canto", which was performed in Rio de Janeiro. She followed this success with many other compositions, including songs, waltzes and polkas. Chiquinha Gonzaga was an important composer of Brazilian popular music in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Her compositions reflect the mix of African, European and Amerindian influences found in Brazil. Gonzaga's music was influenced by the classical style of Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner.

 

Career

 

Chiquinha Gonzaga has composed about 300 popular songs, 70 operas, 29 piano works and numerous sacred compositions. She is said to have written her first composition at age nine. Her most successful opera was "A Lição de Canto" (1883), which was performed in Rio de Janeiro. Despite being a successful composer and musician, Chiquinha Gonzaga never received formal training in music. She taught herself to play the piano and compose music. This lack of formal training may be one of the reasons her music never became mainstream.

 

The music of Chiquinha Gonzaga is rooted in the traditional song form known as the modinha, which originated in Portugal during the Renaissance period. Her songs are also inspired by her own experience of love and loss, poverty and violence. Most of her songs feature lyrics written by poets such as Joaquim de Souza Andrade, Catulo da Paixão Cearense and Gonçalves Dias. Chiquinha Gonzaga's compositions span a variety of musical styles, including waltzes, polkas, lundus (improvisations), maxixes (popular dances), glees and popular songs. These styles reflect the diverse influences found in Brazilian music, including African, European and Amerindian music.

 

Chiquinha Gonzaga was one of the most important figures in Brazilian musical history. She wrote over 400 pieces of music, including sambas, choros and Maxixes. She was the first Brazilian woman to compose an opera, and her music is still popular today. She also helped to promote Brazilian music around the world. In 1888, she became the first South American woman to perform in Europe when she played in Paris.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 


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