Portugal: Vésperas de Nossa Senhora & Missa a quatro

Featuring

Ensemble Turicum
Marcos António Portugal

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Composer Biography

Marcos Portugal spent 1792-1800 in Italy, where he premiered at least 21 operas, achieving unprecedented success, particularly with his comic operas.

Recording & Production

This album is a live recording made in the Kirche St Peter, Zurich, on September 27, 2013, during the Festival Alte Musik Zürich.

Historical Context

Marcos Portugal moved to Brazil in 1811 at the urgent request of Prince Regent João, who had relocated the Portuguese Court to Rio de Janeiro due to the French invasion.

Composition History

Marcos Portugal's early works, including a Miserere from 1776, date from his time as an intern student at the Seminário da Patriarcal, a prestigious music school.

Compositional Technique

Marcos Portugal's sacred music, like his operas, features virtuosic and dramatic vocal writing that exploits the technical and expressive capacities of soloists, including castrati.

Cultural Impact

Marcos Portugal composed the first official national anthems for both Portugal (1809) and Brazil (1822), making him a significant Luso-Brazilian composer.

Composer Biography

Marcos Portugal, born in Lisbon in 1762, was the most famous Luso-Brazilian composer in music history, known for over eighty stage works and 160 sacred pieces.