Henrique Oswald - Piano Concerto Opus 10 (1/2)

Henrique Oswald (1852-1931) was a Romantic Brazilian composer and one of the most influencial in the second half of the XIX century and early XX century. In spite of having composed mainly for the piano, he is renowned for his large contribution to the country’s chamber music – which consisted of a number of trios, quartets and quintets.  He also wrote for other genres – namely symphonic music, songs for voice and piano, solo pieces for violin and violoncello, operas and a large production of church music.

Oswald started his piano studies with his mother, a piano teacher. By the age of seven, he had already performed in public with much success, and this led him  to continue his studies with French piano teacher Gabriel Giraldon.

In 1868 Oswald moved to Italy. Settling in Florence, he studied counterpoint, harmony, composition and piano at the Moriani Institute, taking lessons with Maglioni, Grazini, Henry Ketten and Giuseppe Buonamici. There, he absorbed to a great extent the influence of the Romantic tradition of  Beethoven,  Schubert, Schumann and Brahms.

In 1902, the composer enrolled in the Composition Competition promoted by Le Figaro, which took place in Paris. Enrolling under the humorous nom de plume "Figaro, qui, Figaro llà, Figaro giù, Figaro su" and enchanting a jury that included  Saint-Saëns, Fauré and Diémer, his piano composition Il neige won over 600 competitors. The jury, taking the mysterious composer for a Frenchman – and figuring he could be either Ducasse, or Ravel, or even Debussy – was surprised to learn the winner was a Brazilian.

Back in Brazil in May 1903,  Oswald was appointed Director of the National Music Institute ( Instituto Nacional de Música) in Rio de Janeiro. Later, he started his teaching activities, having  Luciano Gallet, Fructuoso Vianna and Lorenzo Fernandez among his pupils.

In 1909, he performed his Concert for Piano and Orchestra, conducted by Alberto Nepomuceno. In this period, he writes his Symphony Op.43, and was invited to assume a position as Chair Professor at the National Institute.

Throughout his life, the compositor  met a large number of famous musicians and composers, establishing  close friendship with many among them. Those included  Rebikoff,  Gabriel Fauré,  Louis Diémer,  Gabriel Pierné, Izidor Philipp, Maurice Dusmenil and Moritz Moskowsky. In Brazil, apart from his friendship  with   contemporaries Alberto Nepomuceno, Barroso Netto, Glauco Velasquez, the young Villa-Lobos, Alexandry Levy and Leopoldo Miguez, he became a close friend of  Francisco Braga. He also met pianists Brailowski and Artur Rubinstein – who called him ‘the Brazilian Fauré’.

With the 1920’s came his recognition and triumpth. In 1920, Oswald was awarded the Médaille du Roi Albert (avec ruban striié d'une rayure) by the Belgian government. It was also during the twenties that he commited  mainly to teaching. Abstaining from getting involved with modernist trends, he nonetheless encouraged his pupils to search for new alternatives.

After learning of his son Alfredo’s  choice to become a priest, the composer wrote many masses and religious chants. As of his 79th birthday, he was awarded the title of Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur by the French ambassador in Brazil.

Oswald died in 1931 in Rio de Janeiro, from natural causes.

A large number of the compositor’s piano pieces remain unpublished. The original manuscripts may be found at the Music Department at the University of Sao Paulo (Universidade de São Paulo – USP), at the National Archives in Rio de Janeiro and at the National Library in Rio de Janeiro (Biblioteca Nacional do Rio de Janeiro).

In Henrique Oswald - Piano Concerto Opus 10 (1 mvmt) notice the  typical traits of Romanticism in the use of the full extension of instruments and exploration of its possibilities, apart from the harmonic colour palette, and the deep expression of emotion and drama. Also observe the clear influence of  great European Romantic composers, especially Tchaikovsky. 

Performed by  renowned specialist in Oswald, pianist José Eduardo Martins, and the Rubio Quartet.

Enjoy!

References:
1. Books:
   GROUT,   Donald. A History of Western Music, W.W.Norton,  New York 1980;
   ULRICH, Homer.    Symphonic  Music,  Columbia Press , 1952.

2. Websites:
   Henrique Oswald.
http://www.oswald.com.br/site2010/index.htm

   Henrique Oswald.Bio, albums, pictures
http://www.naxos.com/person/Henrique_Oswald/22822.htm

  Henrique Oswald (1988).  Brasil Memória das Artes. 
http://www.funarte.gov.br/brasilmemoriadasartes/acervo/discos-pro-memus/henrique-oswald-1988/

   Henrique Oswald. Musica Brasilis.
http://www.musicabrasilis.org.br/node/86