António Leal Moreira (30 June 1758 – 26 November 1819) was a Portuguese Classical composer and organist. He composed a large number of

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

s, most of which were premiered in Lisbon; much of the rest of his output is sacred, though he composed a handful of

symphonies A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning c ...

as well. One of his works, ''Sinfonia para a Real Basílica de Mafra'' (Symphony for the Royal Basilica of Mafra), is an organ symphony composed specifically for the 6 organs of

Mafra National Palace The Palace of Mafra (), also known as the Palace-Convent of Mafra and the Royal Building of Mafra (), is a monumental Baroque architecture, Baroque and Neoclassical architecture, Neoclassical palace-monastery located in Mafra, Portugal, Mafra, P ...

's Basilica.

Biography

Born in

Abrantes Abrantes () is a concelho, municipality in the central Médio Tejo Subregion, Médio Tejo subregion of Portugal. The population was 39,325, in an area of . The municipality includes several parishes divided by the Tagus River, which runs through ...

in Portugal, on 30 June 1766 Moreira entered the Seminary of the Patriarchal of Lisbon, where he was student of

João de Sousa Carvalho João de Sousa Carvalho (22 February 1745c. 1798) was the foremost Portuguese composer of his generation. Born in Estremoz, he studied music from 1753 at the Colégio dos Santos Reis in Vila Viçosa, then from 1761 at the Conservatório di Sa ...

. In 1775 he became assistant to his teacher and organist. In 1787 he was appointed chapel master. On 19 May 1777, he performed his first sacred work, the ''Mass of the Holy Spirit'', which was sung during the acclamation of Queen

Maria I of Portugal '' Dona'' Maria I (Maria Francisca Isabel Josefa Antónia Gertrudes Rita Joana; 17 December 1734 – 20 March 1816) also known as Maria the Pious in Portugal and Maria the Mad in Brazil, was Queen of Portugal from 24 February 1777 until her de ...

. On 8 August 1777, he was admitted as a member of the union of musicians of Lisbon, the ''Brotherhood of Santa Cecilia''. Most of his sacred music was composed for the Royal Chapel and from 1782 he began to write serenades, which were played in the palaces of Queluz and Ajuda . In 1790 he was appointed musical director of the Theatre of the Street of the Counts, which was presenting Italian operas. Three years later at the palace, the drama "''Il Natale Augusto''" opened in Lisbon. The production was supported by the financier, Anselmo José da Cruz Sobral. Among the various singers who participated was the Portuguese mezzo-soprano

Luísa Todi Luísa Rosa de Aguiar Todi (9 January 1753–1 October 1833) was a popular and successful Portugal, Portuguese mezzo-soprano opera singer. Early life Luísa Todi was born Luísa Rosa de Aguiar on 9 January 1753 in Setúbal, Portugal. In 1765, he ...

. In 1793, Moreira became the first musical director of the new São Carlos Theatre, where his work was represented with a Portuguese text of the "''Revenge of the Gypsy''" (1794). In 1799 he left the direction of the São Carlos to Marcos Portugal and Francesco Federici. The following year he contributed to the production "pasticcio" ''Il disertore francese'', which was staged at ''the'' Carignano Theatre in Turin and the

La Scala La Scala (, , ; officially , ) is a historic opera house in Milan, Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as (, which previously was Santa Maria della Scala, Milan, a church). The premiere performa ...

Theatre in Milan .

Artist considerations

His theatrical and sacred works were strongly influenced by the style of

Giovanni Paisiello Giovanni Paisiello (or Paesiello; 9 May 1740 – 5 June 1816) was an Italian composer of the Classical era, and was the most popular opera composer of the late 1700s. His operatic style influenced Mozart and Rossini. Life Paisiello was born i ...

and

Domenico Cimarosa Domenico Cimarosa (; 17 December 1749 – 11 January 1801) was an Music of Italy, Italian composer of the Neapolitan School and of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He wrote more than eighty operas, the best known of which is ''Il ...

. After

António Teixeira António Teixeira may refer to: * António Teixeira (composer) (1707–after 1769), Portuguese composer * António Teixeira (1930s footballer), Portuguese footballer * António Teixeira Lopes (1866–1942), Portuguese sculptor * António Teixeir ...

, he was the first to compose opera using text written in Portuguese, although most of his works are in Italian.

Compositions

Opera

* ''Bireno ed Olimpia'' (serenade, libretto by Gaetano Martinelli, 1782, Lisbon) * ''Siface and Sofonisba'' (drama for sung music, libretto by Gaetano Martinelli, 1783, Lisbon) * ''L'imenei of Delphi'' (allegorical lyric drama, libretto by Gaetano Martinelli, 1785, Lisbon) * ''Ascanio in Alba'' (drama for sung music, libretto by Claudio Nicola Stampa, 1785, Lisbon) * ''Artemisia, regina de Caria'' (drama for sung music, libretto by Gaetano Martinelli, 1787, Lisbon) * ''Gli eroi spartani'' (drama for music, libretto by Gaetano Martinelli, 1787, Lisbon) * ''Gli affetti of the Lusitanian genius'' (drama for sung music, libretto by Gaetano Martinelli, 1789, Lisbon) * ''Il puro omaggio'' (drama for music, libretto by Gaetano Martinelli, 1791, Lisbon) * ''Il natale augusto'' (drama for music, libretto by Gaetano Martinelli, 1793, Lisbon) * ''The saloia enamorada, or The remedy is to marry'' (farce, libreto of D. Caldas Barbosa, 1793, Lisbon) * ''The revenge of the gypsy'' (joco-serious drama, libretto by D. Caldas Barbosa, 1793, Lisbon) * ''L'eroina lusitana'' (drama for music, libretto by Gaetano Martinelli, 1795, Lisbon) * ''Musiche ne Il disertore francese'' ( opera buffa, 1800, Turin) * ''Arie ne Il serraglio d'Osmano by''

Giuseppe Gazzaniga Giuseppe Gazzaniga (5 October 1743 – 1 February 1818) was a member of the Neapolitan school of opera composers. He composed fifty-one operas, particularly opera buffa. Biography Born in Verona, Gazzaniga was initially intended for the prie ...

Other works

* Ester (oratory, libretto by Gaetano Martinelli, 1786, Lisbon) * 5 votives * 4 masses * 2 magnificats * 11 responsories * Several psalms * Other minor sacred works * Symphony in D major per 2 Orchestras (1793) * Symphony in G major (1803) * Symphony in D Major (1805) * Symphony for 6 organs

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moreira, Antonio Leal 1758 births 1819 deaths People from Abrantes Portuguese Classical-period composers Portuguese classical organists Male classical organists Portuguese opera composers 18th-century Portuguese musicians 19th-century Portuguese musicians Portuguese male classical composers 19th-century Portuguese male musicians