Henrique Oswald

Henrique Oswald, 1907

Henrique Oswald (April 14, 1852 – June 9, 1931) was a Brazilian composer and pianist.

Biography

Oswald was born in Rio de Janeiro. His father was a Swiss-German immigrant and his mother from Italy. The family name was changed from "Oschwald" due to concerns of discrimination. In 1854 the Oswald family moved to São Paulo. His mother taught music privately to aristocrats and by age twelve he had his first recital. His "farewell recital" occurred at age 16, after this he went to study in Europe.^[1]

He studied in Europe then spent several years in Florence. In 1902 he won a piano competition sponsored by Le Figaro.^[2] From 1903 to 1906 he directed the Instituto Nacional de Música in Rio de Janeiro.

His work fell into disfavor after the "Semana de Arte Moderna" manifesto, but has experienced something of a revival recently, with the Piano Concerto G minor being included in Hyperion's Romantic Piano Concerto series.

Works

Piano

• Polka, op. 1.
• Macchiette, op. 2 (12 peças divididas em quatro fascículos). Primeiro: La Campane della Será, Scherzo, Valze Lento; Segundo: Canzonetta, Ninna-Nanna, Marcia; Terceiro: Romanza, Seconda Gavotta, Pastorale; Quarto: *Minuetto, Sarabanda, La Caccia.
• Pagine d'Album, op. 3: Preludio, Sognando, Improptu, In Hamac, Romanza, Scherzo.
• Six Morceaux, op. 4: Valse, Rêverie, Menue, Berceuse, Barcarola, Improptu.
• Deux Nocturnes, op. 6.
• Trois Romances, op. 7.
• Trois Morceaux, op. 8: Valse, Polonaise, Tarantelle.
• Deux Valses Caprice, op. 11.
• Quatre Morceaux, op. 12: Sérénade, Valse Improptu, Berceuse, Tarantelle.
• Seis peças para piano, op. 14: Berceuse, Mazurka, Tarantella, Barcarola, Noturno, Scherzo.
• Sept Miniatures, op. 16: Confidência, Mazurka, Travessa, Ingenuidade, Doce Aflição, Saudade, Capricho.
• Improptu, op. 19.
• Feuilles d´Album, op. 20: Inquietude, Chansonette, Feux Follets, Désir Ardent.
• Trois Morceaux, op. 23: Menuet, Romance, Valse.
• Deux Valses, op. 25
• Album, op. 32: Romance, Valse, Sérénade, Menuet.
• Album, op. 33: Sur la Plage, Idyle, Pierrot.
• Polonaise, op. 34.
• Album, op. 36: Bébé s' endort, Pierrot se Meurt, Chauve-Sourris.
• Edição Escolar: Pequena Marcha, Valsa, Primeira Marcha, Segunda Marcha, Gavotta, Triste, Chansonette, Folha d' Album, Valsa Lenta, Mazurka, Tarantella, Scherzando.
• Un Revê.
• En Nacelle.
• Sérénade Grise.
• Sérénade.
• Serenatella.
• Il Neige!
• Valsa Lenta.
• Trois Études.
• Estudo (Edição Póstuma).
• Étude pour la main gauche.
• Scherzo-Étude.
• Variações sobre um tema de Barrozo Netto.

Opera

• The Golden Cross (La croce d'oro; 3 acts) - 1872
• Il Néo (1 act) - 1900
• Fate (Le Fate; 2 acts) - 1902

Symphony orchestra

• Suite d'Orchestre - 1884
• Sinfonietta - 1890
• Symphonia - 1910
• Prelúdio e Fuga em ré menor
• Prelúdio e Fuga em si menor

Transcriptions for symphony orchestra

• Nocturno op. 6 nº 2
• 4º Nocturno
• Paysage d'Automne
• En Réve
• Il Neige!...
• Idylle
• Sur la plage

String orchestra

• Prelude and Fugue in C minor
• 6 Fugues
• Gavotte
• Minuet
• Sarabande
• Scherzo
• 2 Romances
• Habanera
• Prelude and Fugue in A flat major
• Prelude and Fugue in A minor

Transcriptions for string orchestra

• Sonhando
• Bebé S'endort
• Serenade

Piano and orchestra

• Piano Concerto in G minor, op. 10
• Andante and Variations (Andante e Variações)

Violin and orchestra

• Concerto for Violin and Orchestra

Choral with orchestra

• Invocation of the arts (Invocação à arte)
• The ensign (L'Enseigne; solo voice)

Chamber orchestra

• Quartet op. 5 - piano, violin, viola, cello
• Quartet op. 16 - 2 violins, viola, cello
• Quartet op. 17 - 2 violins, viola, cello
• Quintet op. 18 - piano, 2 violins, viola, cello (1894)
• Quartet op. 26 - piano, violin, viola, cello (1899)
• Trio op. 28 - piano, violin, cello (1897)
• Quartet op. 39 - 2 violins, viola, cello
• Trio op. 45 - piano, violin, cello (1916)
• Octeto - 4 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos (1900)
• Quartet op. 46 - 2 violins, viola, cello
• Trio op. 9 - piano, violin, cello (1884)
• Sonata - piano, violin
• Sonata - piano, cello
• Sonata Fantasia - piano, cello (1915)

Organ

• Sonata

Voice

• Ofélia - Lyric poem
• To the Bells (Aos sinos)
• My Star (Minha estrela)
• Bohemian Song (Canção boêmia)
• Goodbye (Ave)

Solo Violin

• 2 Berceuses
• 2 Romances
• Serenade
• Canto elegíaco
• Noturno

Solo Cello

• Elegy (1898)

Sacred Music

• Mass - 4 mixed voices, organ and orchestra
• Requiem - 4 mixed voices à capella
• Ave Maria - 4 voices
• Ave Maria - soprano
• O Salutaris - 4 voices
• Memorare - 4 voices
• Tantum Ergo - 3 voices
• Pater Noster - 4 vozes
• Vem Sancte Spirito - 3 vozes
• Ave Maris Stella - 4 vozes
• Magnificat - 4 vozes

Web sources

External links

• Free scores by Henrique Oswald at the International Music Score Library Project
• Biographical website in Portuguese
• Eduardo Monteiro 2011: “Por uma nova contextualização da obra de Henrique Oswald”, REVISTA DA ANPPOM (Associação Nacional de Pesquisa e Pós-graduação em Música) Vol 17, No 2, Dezembro, pp 9 – 42. http://www.anppom.com.br/opus/data/issues/archive/17.2/files/OPUS_17_2_full.pdf (Abstract in English)