José Maurício Nunes Garcia

José Maurício Nunes Garcia ( born September 20, 1767 in Rio de Janeiro, † April 18, 1830 ) was a Brazilian composer.

Life

His parents, free mulattoes, died early. An aunt took the child who showed great musical talent soon. Nunes Garcia became a priest, which enabled him to further employment with the music. Nunes Garcia was probably self-taught musician and had already written a large part of his work, for the first time before he came into contact with European musicians.

When the Court of the Portuguese Prince Regent John (later John VI. ) With 15,000 people arrived while fleeing from Napoleon I in Rio de Janeiro, Nunes Garcia was appointed conductor of the royal chapel. He was a good singer, accompanying himself on the harpsichord and so was his own compositions, but also works by Domenico Cimarosa or his contemporary Mozart ago.

Father José Maurício enjoyed the esteem of the prince. This went so far that the Prince once, overwhelmed by the music Garcias, a nobleman declined a medal and put it to the priest in his cassock. Later, the composer's son, José Maurício Nunes Garcia painted a portrait of his father, on which this Order is to look at the cassock.

The Court saw the dark skin color of Nunes Garcia as a problem, which has been referred to by some at the court as " defeito visível " ( visible defect ). This discrimination led to the loss of the post of Kapellmeister at the Royal Marcos António Portugal and to a series of intrigues which haunted him for years.

In this situation, Nunes Garcia admitted the relationship to a woman with whom he had two children.

At the wedding of Prince Dom Pedro with the Austrian Princess Leopoldina, he won the admiration of the music teacher of the princess.

Among the works of Nunes Garcia especially the Missa de Réquiem is for Queen Maria I of Portugal. to mention. The Queen died in 1816, the same year as the aunt of the composer. This may have contributed to this work, which is reminiscent in parts to Mozart's Requiem, but at the same time preserves its originality, is one of the most soulful works of Nunes Garcia.