Henrique José Pedro Maria Carlos Luis Oswald (April 14, 1852 – June 9, 1931) was a Brazilian

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Def ...

and

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

Biography

Oswald was born in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

. 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. In São Paulo, he also studied with Gabriel Guiraudon. His "farewell recital" occurred at age 16, after this he went to study in Europe. He studied in Europe then spent several years in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...

. In 1902 he won a piano composition competition sponsored by ''

Le Figaro ''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French newspapers of r ...

'' with a piece ''Il neige!..'' ("It's snowing!"). He then left his family in Europe (they moved to Brazil much later) and from 1903 to 1906 directed the '' Instituto Nacional de Música'' in

. He also served as Brazilian consul in both

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital o ...

and

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. He died in 1931, just several days after his birthday festivities.

Works

Oswald's best-known compositions today are numerous small pieces for piano (usually arranged by him into small collections). However, he was a prolific composer of chamber music: his list includes a violin sonata, 2 cello sonatas ( Op. 21 and Op. 44), 3 piano trios, 2 piano quartets (Op. 5 and Op. 26), a piano quintet (Op. 18), 4 string quartets (Op. 16, Op. 17, Op. 39, Op. 46) and a string octet. For orchestra he wrote a suite, a sinfonietta and a symphony. There are also two concertos by him, one for piano, another for violin. Concerning vocal music, he composed three operas ('' La Croce d’oro'', '' Il Neo'' and ''

Le Fate ''Sex Quartet'' (US title: ''The Queens'', it, Le fate, 'the fairies') is a 1966 Italian-French comedy film directed by Mario Monicelli, Mauro Bolognini, Antonio Pietrangeli and Luciano Salce. It starred Capucine, Claudia Cardinale, Monica Vitti ...

''), a mass and a requiem. By the time of his death, his major works remained unpublished, a fact that contributed much to the neglect of his for half a century. His work fell into disfavor after the "

Semana de Arte Moderna The Modern Art Week ( pt, Semana de Arte Moderna) was an arts festival in São Paulo, Brazil, that ran from February 10 to February 17, 1922. Historically, the Week marked the start of Brazilian Modernism; though a number of individual Brazilian ...

" manifesto, but has experienced something of a revival recently. In late 1970s Brazilian musician José Eduardo Martins began his struggle to revive Oswald's output. In the last 30 years he published some compositions of him and recorded many of his major works along with piano miniatures. Among his recordings is Oswald's Piano Concerto in an originally arranged chamber version (piano with string quintet). Another Oswald pioneer is pianist

Eduardo Monteiro Eduardo Henrique Soares Monteiro (born Rio de Janeiro, 1966) is a concert pianist, university professor and piano teacher. Musical education Graduating with a BA and an MA from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, he earned a Doctorate at t ...

, whose thesis was dedicated to this composer. He recorded some works of him, most notably the ''Andante and Variations'' for piano and orchestra in a performing version prepared by the pianist himself. In Europe Oswald is known much less. A CD of his piano works was issued in 1995 by

Marco Polo Marco Polo (, , ; 8 January 1324) was a Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His travels are recorded in '' The Travels of Marco Polo'' (also known as ''Book of the Marv ...

. It was followed in 2014 and 2015 by a Naxos and a Grand Piano CDs. His Piano Concerto was recorded for Hyperion's ''Romantic Piano Concerto'' series (Vol. 64, paired with one by Alfredo Napoleão). A good part of Oswald's chamber music was collected in one CD set for the first time by ArsBrasil ensemble.

Discography

* (1958/1969) Henrique Oswald: Sinfonia, op. 43 –

Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira The Brazilian Symphony Orchestra ( pt, Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira, OSB) is a Brazilian orchestra. Founded in 1940, it is located at Avenida Rio Branco, downtown Rio de Janeiro. It is one of the country's foremost orchestras, performing more ...

, Edoardo de Guarnieri – Fest
IG 79,021 / LDR-5.016
(LP) ** (2009) Available for digital download from Tratore * (1964) Henrique Oswald: Quinteto em Dó Maior opus 18;

Oscar Lorenzo Fernández Oscar Lorenzo Fernández (4 November 1897 – 27 August 1948) was a Brazilian composer of Spanish descent. He was born and died in Rio de Janeiro. Life Fernández studied at the Instituto Nacional de Música with Francisco Braga, Frederico Na ...

: Trio Brasileiro opus 32 – Conjunto de Música de Câmara de São Paulo: Fritz Jank (piano), Gino Alfonsi (violin I), Alexandre Schauffmann (violin II), Johannes Oelsner (viola), Calixto Corazza (cello) – Chantecler Internacional CMG 1024 (LP) ** (2003?) Reissued on CD: ''Grandes pianistas brasileiros, Vol. 11: Fritz Jank'' (includes also ''Paulistanas'' by

Cláudio Santoro Cláudio Franco de Sá Santoro (23 November 1919 – 27 March 1989) was an internationally renowned Brazilian composer, conductor and violinist. Biography Early life A native of Manaus, the capital of Amazonas, Santoro started to study viol ...

) – MCD World Music MC 022 (CD) * (1971) Heitor Villa-Lobos: Quarteto No. 16; Henrique Oswald: Quarteto Brasileiro – Quarteto Brasileiro da UFRJ – CB
160174
(LP) ** Reissued on CD: Boccherini, Siquera, Henrique Oswald, Villa-Lobos – Quarteto Brasileiro da UFRJ – ? (CD) * (1979) ''Documentos da Música Brasileira, Vol. 5:'' Henrique Oswald: Trio Op. 45; Bruno Kiefer: Trio – Trio Da Rádio MEC: Anselmo Zlatopolsky (violin), Iberê Gomes Grosso (cello), Alceo Bocchino (piano) – Promemu
356-404-001
(LP, issue of an earlier archive recording) * (1979) ''Documentos da Música Brasileira, Vol. 11:'' Honorina Silva Interpreta Henrique Oswald – Honorina Silva (piano) – Promemu
356.404.013
(LP, issue of an earlier archive recording) * (1979) Henrique Oswald (Il Neige!, Valse op. 25 n° 1, Noturno op. 14 nº 5, Berceuse, Scherzo-Étude), Claude Debussy (Danse Bohèmienne, Danse, D’un Cahier d’Esquises, Page d’Album, Masques, L’isle Joyeuse) e Tsuna Iwami (Algo Sutil e Profundo, Idade Madura, O Mar) – José Eduardo Martins (piano) – (LP) * (1983) Henrique Oswald: Integral para violoncelo e piano; obras para piano solo –

Antônio del Claro Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language-speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular ...

(cello), José Eduardo Martins (piano) – Funart
3.56.502.001
(2 LPs) * (1984) Henrique Oswald: Música de câmara Vol. 1: Quinteto para piano e cordas op. 18, Quarteto para cordas op. 46 – Elias Slon (violin I), Jorge Salim (violin II), Michel Verebes (viola), Kim Cook (cello), José Eduardo Martins (piano) – BAS
004
(LP) * (1988) Henrique Oswald: Trio em Sol menor op. 9; Sonata em Mi maior op. 36 – Elisa Fukuda (violin),

(cello), José Eduardo Martins (piano) – Funarte, Promemu
MMB 88.057-1988
(LP) ** (ca.1999) Reissued on CD: ''Acervo Funarte da Música Brasileira: Henrique Oswald'' – Atração Fonográfic
ATR32046
(CD) * (1995) Henrique Oswald: ompleteMusic for violin and piano – Paul Klinck (violin), José Eduardo Martins (piano) – PKP Produktie
PKP 007
(CD) * (1995) Henrique Oswald: Piano music – Maria Inês Guimarães (piano) – Marco Pol
8.223639
(CD) * (1999) ''Brasil 500'': Henrique Oswald uinteto op. 18

Luís de Freitas Branco Luís Maria da Costa de Freitas Branco (12 October 1890 – 27 November 1955) was a Portuguese composer, musicologist, and professor of music who played a pre-eminent part in the development of Portuguese music in the first half of the 20th centu ...

uarteto– Luiz de Moura Castro (piano), Quarteto de Brasília: Ludmila Vinecka (violin I), Claudio Cohen, (violin II), Glesse Collet (viola), Guerra Vicente (cello) – ''no label'' (CD) * (2001) Henrique Oswald: Música de câmara para violoncelo e piano: Berceuse; Elegia; Sonata op. 21; Sonata-Fantasia op. 44 – duoCERVALI: Milene Aliverti (cello) and Lucia Cervini (piano) – Apoio FAPESP (CD, uncommercial) * (2001) ''Violin music in Brazil:'' Villa-Lobos, Krieger, Oswaldo iolin Sonata, Op. 36 Miranda – Claudio Cruz (violin), Nahim Marun (piano) – Dynami
CDS354
(CD) * (2003)

Leopoldo Miguez Leopoldo Américo Miguez (9 September 1850 – 6 July 1902) was a Brazilian composer. Miguez was born in Niterói. He was known as a champion of the music of Richard Wagner. He also directed the "Instituto Nacional de Musica." He also wrote the ...

: Suíte à Antiga, Op. 25 etc.; Henrique Oswald: En rêve; Andante con variazioni for piano and orchestra –

, Orquestra Sinfónica da Escola de Música da UFRJ, André Cardoso – UFRJ Músic

(CD) * (2003) Henrique Oswald: Quarteto para piano e cordas op. 26, Sonata-Fantasia para violoncelo e piano op. 44, Concerto para piano e orquestra op. 10 (em versão para piano e quinteto de cordas realizada pelo autor) – The Rubio Quartet, Quarteto Rubio, Pascal Smets (double bass), José Eduardo Martins (piano) – Música de Concert
MC004
(CD) * (2006) Henrique Oswald,

Alberto Nepomuceno Alberto Nepomuceno (July 6, 1864October 16, 1920) was a Brazilian composer and conductor. Career and music Nepomuceno was born in Fortaleza, the capital of the state of Ceará in Northeastern Brazil. His parents were Vitor Augusto Nepomuceno ...

: Música Sacra swald's Missa de Réquiem, 6 motets– , Julio Moretzsohn – Rádio MEC rm 00026 (CD) * (2010) ''O Piano Intimista de Henrique Oswald'' (Machiette op. 2; Variações sobre um tema de Barrozo Netto; Tre Piccoli Pezzi; Berceuse - à mia carissima madre; Estudo-Scherzo; Étude pour la main gauche; Six Morceaux op. 4; Polonaise op. 34 no. 1) – José Eduardo Martins (piano) – ABM Digita
RF00124
(CD) * (2010/2011) Henrique Oswald: Música de câmara (Integral dos quartetos de cordas; Integral dos quartetos com piano; Quinteto com piano Op. 18; Trio com piano Op. 45; Sonata-Fantasia Op. 44; Elegia para cello e piano) – ArsBrasil (violin: Artur Roberto Huf, Samuel Lima; viola: André Rodrigues, Valdeci Merquiori; cello: Gêneses Oliveira, Mauro Brucoli, Renato Oliveira), Fernando Lopes (piano) – Ariah Cultura

(3 CDs) * (2011) Henrique Oswald: Trio em sol menor, Opus 9;

Anton Arensky Anton Stepanovich Arensky (russian: Анто́н Степа́нович Аре́нский; – ) was a Russian composer of Romantic classical music, a pianist and a professor of music. Biography Arensky was born into an affluent, music-loving ...

: Trio em ré menor, Opus 32 – Trio Brandão-Kiun: Maria Ester Brandão (violin), Maria Alice Brandão (cello), Olga Kiun (piano) – ''no label'' TBK001 (CD) * (2013) ''Brasilianische Kammermusik:'' Oswald iano trio Op. 28; Sonatina for piano trio

Nepomuceno Nepomuceno is a Brazilian municipality located in the south of the state of Minas Gerais. The population in 2020 was 26,826 in a total area of . The maximum elevation is and the minimum is . The city belongs to the IBGE statistical microregion ...

, Mignone,

Camargo Guarnieri Mozart Camargo Guarnieri (February 1, 1907 – January 13, 1993) was a Brazilian composer. Name Guarnieri was born in Tietê, São Paulo, and registered at birth as Mozart Guarnieri, but when he began a musical career, he decided his first name ...

, Gallet – Katharina Uhde (violin), Tatjana Uhde (cello), Michael Uhde (piano) – ''no label''See details
/ref> (CD) * (2013) Henrique Oswald: Música de câmara (Quinteto para piano e cordas, op. 18; Quarteto para piano e cordas, op. 26; Piccolo trio para violino, violoncelo e piano; Elegia para violoncelo e piano; Canto elegíaco para violino e piano) –

(piano), Betina Stegmann (violin), Nelson Rios (violin), Marcelo Jaffé (viola), Robert Suetholz (cello) – LAM
012
(CD) * (2013) Henrique Oswald: Piano music – Bras Velloso (piano) – Naxo
9.70200
(CD) * (2014) Henrique Oswald: Quarteto com piano, op. 26; Quinteto com piano, op. 18 – Ricardo Castro (piano), Quarteto OSESP: Emmanuele Baldini (violin), Davi Graton (violin), Peter Pas (viola, Quarteto), Cláudio Cruz (viola, Quinteto), Johannes Gramsch (cello) – OSESP Selo Digita
6
(digital release) * (2014) ''The Romantic Piano Concerto, Vol. 64:'' Henrique Oswald & Alfredo Napoleão: Piano concertos –

Artur Pizarro Artur Pizarro (born Lisbon, 1968) is an internationally-acclaimed Portuguese concert pianist.Kennedy, Michael and Joyce Bourne. "Pizarro, Artur" ''The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music''. Oxford University Press: 1996. Designated with the presti ...

BBC National Orchestra of Wales The BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW) ( cy, Cerddorfa Genedlaethol Gymreig y BBC) is a Welsh symphony orchestra and one of the BBC's five professional radio orchestras. The BBC NOW is the only professional symphony orchestra organisatio ...

Martyn Brabbins Martyn Charles Brabbins (born 13 August 1959) is a British conductor. The fourth of five children in his family, he learned to play the euphonium, and then the trombone during his youth at Towcester Studio Brass Band. He later studied compositi ...

– Hyperio
CDA67984
(CD) * (2015) Henrique Oswald: Piano works – Sergio Monteiro (piano) – Grand Pian
GP682
(CD) * (2015) ''Metamorfora: Works for double bass and piano'' (Boccherini, Sallinen, Beethoven, Oswald ello Sonata, Op. 21, transposed to E minor Proto) – Marcos Machado (double bass),

Ney Fialkow The ''ney'' ( fa, Ney/نی, ar, Al-Nāy/الناي), is an end-blown flute that figures prominently in Persian music and Arabic music. In some of these musical traditions, it is the only wind instrument used. The ney has been played continuall ...

(piano) – Blue Griffi
BGR369
(CD) * (2016) ''Miniaturas de Oswald'' – Nahim Marun (piano) – ''no label'' (distrib. Tratore
RTM003
(CD)

References

External links

*
Biographical website in Portuguese

*

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) {{DEFAULTSORT:Oswald, Henrique 1852 births 1931 deaths 19th-century classical composers 20th-century classical composers Brazilian classical composers Brazilian male composers Brazilian people of Italian descent Brazilian people of Swiss-German descent Musicians from Rio de Janeiro (city) Romantic composers Male classical composers 20th-century male musicians 19th-century male musicians