Francisco António de Almeida

Francisco António de Almeida ( * 1702, † November 1755 ), was a Portuguese composer.

Life

Little is known about Almeida's life data, it is to be assumed that he did not survive the severe earthquake of Lisbon with subsequent major fire, which struck Lisbon on 1 November 1755.

Through his noble birth, he was standing so close that he received a royal scholarship by John V at a young age the Portuguese royal court. This allowed him to reside 1720-1726 to study in Italy. In 1722 he published in Rome two oratorios, including Il pentimento di Davidde. In the preface to this work Almeida noted how grateful he is to have learned to compose in such a short time.

The well-known Roman Pier Leone Ghezzi Karikarurist, prepared a dated on July 9, 1724 drawing Almeida, on which he " the excellent composer of concertos and church music and emphasized his not -to-beat singing praised ". Shortly before his return in 1726, his second oratorio La Giuditta received its premiere in Italy.

After his return to Lisbon he was organist of the court orchestra, where he was two years in addition to Domenico Scarlatti work, which was in 1720 the Portuguese Infanta Maria piano teacher Barbara. In the following years he received commissions to compose operas and serenades the occasion of the Carnival celebrations, La pazienza di Socrate ( 1733) and La finta pazza ( 1735) premiered at the Royal Palace of Ribeira. The carnival opera La spin Alba ovvero il vecchio matto is Almeida's single work, which is completely preserved. His sacred as secular music are strongly influenced by the style of the Neapolitan opera buffa, with a similarity in the instrumentation to the works of Alessandro Scarlatti.

Works

• La finta pazza, dramma per musica in three acts - world premiere at the Ribeira Palace in Lisbon to Carnival 1735
• Gl'incanti D' Alcina, Serenata in two acts - Ribeira Palace in Lisbon on December 27, 1730
• L' Ippolito, serenata en une partie - libretto by Antonio Tedeschi - world premiere at the Ribeira Palace in Lisbon on December 4, 1752
• La Pazienza de Socrate, dramma comico in three acts - Libretto by Nicolo Minato, world premiere at the Ribeira Palace in Lisbon at Carnival 1733
• La Alba ossia il vecchio spin matto
• Il trionfo della virtu, Componimento poetico in one act - libretto by Luca Giovine - premiere in the palace of Cardinal Mota, on 22 April 1728 in Lisbon
• Il trionfo d' amore, scherzo pastoral - world premiere at the Ribeira Palace in Lisbon on December 1729
• Le virtù trionfante, serenata en une partie - libretto by Antonio Tedeschi - premiere in the Patriarchal Palace Lisbon, 1738

• A cantata quel leggiadro volto, for soprano, 2 violins and basso continuo
• More sacred compositions: Veni Sancte Spiritus, Benedictus, Miserere, Beati omnes, O quam suavis est Domine