António Chagas Rosa
Encyclopedia
António Chagas Rosa is a Portuguese
composer
of contemporary classical music
, considered one of the leading figures of contemporary musical writing of his generation.
His output includes chamber operas, song-cycles and numerous works for chamber and symphony orchestras. His work has been played all over Europe as well as in Asia and America.
, he studied Piano at the Conservatório Nacional and History at the New University of Lisbon
. From 1984 to 1987, with a scholarship from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
of Lisbon, Chagas Rosa studied Contemporary Piano and Chamber Music with Alexander Hrisanide at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam. Between 1987 and 1992, with a scholarship granted by the Portuguese government, he studied composition
at the Rotterdams Conservatory under Klaas de Vries
and Peter Jan Wagemans.
In The Netherlands, António Chagas Rosa worked as a repetiteur and assistant at the Dutch opera house, Het Muziektheater, and became a teacher of the opera class at the Sweelinck Conservatorium. Among other productions, he worked with Robert Wilson
during for De Materie
by Louis Andriessen
, and with Oliver Knussen during the rehearsals of "Die Glückliche Hand
", by Arnold Schönberg
. As a pianist
he took part in many of the concerts organized by the Gaudeamus and "The Unanswered Question
" foundations. In 1989, being invited by the dance group Dansproductie of Amsterdam
, he performed music by John Cage
for prepared piano in many Dutch cities as well as in London
, Mulhouse
and Ghent
.
In 1994, the ACARTE department of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
commissioned him with the composition of the chamber opera
"Canticles for the remission of hunger", upon a libretto by the Portuguese writer Paulo Lages. Further commissions were provided by the International Music Festival of Macau, the Portuguese Radio (Antena 2), the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos
in Lisbon, the Casa de Mateus Foundation, the Nederlands Kamerkoor, and many others.
His works have been performed in several modern music festivals in Portugal
, Spain, France, Holland, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the U.S.A., Macau and Hong-Kong, etc. In 1997 he represented Portugal in the Tribune Intérnationale des Compositeurs (UNESCO) in Paris with his concerto for piano and orchestra. During the 1998 edition of Wien Modern, the Austrian ensemble Klangforum premiered Moh (commissioned by the Portuguese festival Music in November); this piece was also performed in Spain (Ensems, Valencia) and Portugal ( Serralves hall, in Porto) by the Remix Ensemble, with Stefan Asbury as conductor.
In 1999 and 2002 he was member of the juri of the Premio Valentino Bucchi Competition for Composition in Rome. In 2000 his song cycle Non Altro for tenor, piano and electronics was premiered at the Concertgebouw
of Amsterdam, by Marcel Beekman and Hans Adolfsen. Several of his works are published in Portugal and Holland (Fermata
, Musicoteca, Donemus
), and there are recordings of his Piano Sonata, Altro for piccolo and piano (Numérica, Port.), and of 4 Cartoons for prepared marimba (Deux Elles, UK).
António Chagas Rosa's latest opera - Melodias Estranhas - upon a libreto by the Dutch writer Gerrit Komrij
, was the result of a joint commission made by the cities of Oporto and Rotterdam, European Capital of Culture
in 2001. It tells three episodes of the life of the 16th century humanist philosopher Damião de Góis
, student and friend of Erasmus of Rotterdam. Also a composer, he was accused by the Inquisition of writing inappropriate (polyfonic) music, imprisoned and later killed.
The premiere of this opera took place at the Schouwburg of Rotterdam, as a joint production of Casa da Música
(Oporto) and the Onafhankelijk Toneel of Rotterdam.
Some of his most recent works include composisitons for the Nederlands Kamerkoor of Amsterdam, the Contemporary Music Group of Lisbon, the Portuguese percussion group Drumming (musical ensemble), Ensemble Musicatreize of Marseilles and the National Orchestra of Porto Casa da Música.
Since 1996 António Chagas Rosa teaches Chamber Music at the University of Aveiro (Portugal), at the Department of Communication and Arts, where he obtained his PhD in 2006.
On CD:
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
of contemporary classical music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, considered one of the leading figures of contemporary musical writing of his generation.
His output includes chamber operas, song-cycles and numerous works for chamber and symphony orchestras. His work has been played all over Europe as well as in Asia and America.
Biography
Born in LisbonLisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, he studied Piano at the Conservatório Nacional and History at the New University of Lisbon
New University of Lisbon
Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, , also known as NOVA ) was established in 1973 and is the youngest of the three public universities of Lisbon, in Portugal....
. From 1984 to 1987, with a scholarship from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is a Portuguese private foundation of public utility whose statutory aims are in the fields of arts, charity, education, and science...
of Lisbon, Chagas Rosa studied Contemporary Piano and Chamber Music with Alexander Hrisanide at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam. Between 1987 and 1992, with a scholarship granted by the Portuguese government, he studied composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
at the Rotterdams Conservatory under Klaas de Vries
Klaas de Vries (composer)
Klaas de Vries is a Dutch composer. De Vries teaches composition at the conservatory of Rotterdam and can be described as influential in the Dutch musical life.-Biography:...
and Peter Jan Wagemans.
In The Netherlands, António Chagas Rosa worked as a repetiteur and assistant at the Dutch opera house, Het Muziektheater, and became a teacher of the opera class at the Sweelinck Conservatorium. Among other productions, he worked with Robert Wilson
Robert Wilson (director)
Robert Wilson is an American avant-garde stage director and playwright who has been called "[America]'s — or even the world's — foremost vanguard 'theater artist'". Over the course of his wide-ranging career, he has also worked as a choreographer, performer, painter, sculptor, video...
during for De Materie
De Materie
De Materie is a four-part vocal and orchestral composition by Dutch composer Louis Andriessen, which he composed over the period 1984 to 1988. Robert Wilson directed the first staging of the work on 1 June 1989 at the Muziektheater, Amsterdam, with James Doing, Wendy Hill, Beppie Blankert and...
by Louis Andriessen
Louis Andriessen
Louis Andriessen is a Dutch composer and pianist based in Amsterdam. He teaches composition at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague...
, and with Oliver Knussen during the rehearsals of "Die Glückliche Hand
Die glückliche Hand
Die glückliche Hand , , is a Drama mit Musik by Arnold Schoenberg in four scenes. It was composed between 1910 and 1913. Like Erwartung, composed a year earlier, it was heavily influenced by Otto Weininger's book Sex and Character. Unlike Erwartung, Schoenberg wrote the libretto for Die glückliche...
", by Arnold Schönberg
Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg was an Austrian composer, associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, and leader of the Second Viennese School...
. As a pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
he took part in many of the concerts organized by the Gaudeamus and "The Unanswered Question
The Unanswered Question
The Unanswered Question is a work by American composer Charles Ives. It was originally the first of "Two Contemplations" composed in 1906, paired with another piece called Central Park in the Dark. As with many of Ives' works, it was largely unknown until much later in his life, being first...
" foundations. In 1989, being invited by the dance group Dansproductie of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, he performed music by John Cage
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
for prepared piano in many Dutch cities as well as in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Mulhouse
Mulhouse
Mulhouse |mill]] hamlet) is a city and commune in eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. With a population of 110,514 and 278,206 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2006, it is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin département, and the second largest in the Alsace region after...
and Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
.
In 1994, the ACARTE department of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is a Portuguese private foundation of public utility whose statutory aims are in the fields of arts, charity, education, and science...
commissioned him with the composition of the chamber opera
Chamber opera
Chamber opera is a designation for operas written to be performed with a chamber ensemble rather than a full orchestra.The term and form were invented by Benjamin Britten in the 1940s, when the English Opera Group needed works that could easily be taken on tour and performed in a variety of small...
"Canticles for the remission of hunger", upon a libretto by the Portuguese writer Paulo Lages. Further commissions were provided by the International Music Festival of Macau, the Portuguese Radio (Antena 2), the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos
Teatro Nacional de São Carlos
The Teatro Nacional de São Carlos is an opera house in Lisbon, Portugal. It was opened on July 30, 1793 by Queen Maria I as a replacement for the Tejo Opera House, which was destroyed in the 1755 Lisbon earthquake...
in Lisbon, the Casa de Mateus Foundation, the Nederlands Kamerkoor, and many others.
His works have been performed in several modern music festivals in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Spain, France, Holland, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the U.S.A., Macau and Hong-Kong, etc. In 1997 he represented Portugal in the Tribune Intérnationale des Compositeurs (UNESCO) in Paris with his concerto for piano and orchestra. During the 1998 edition of Wien Modern, the Austrian ensemble Klangforum premiered Moh (commissioned by the Portuguese festival Music in November); this piece was also performed in Spain (Ensems, Valencia) and Portugal ( Serralves hall, in Porto) by the Remix Ensemble, with Stefan Asbury as conductor.
In 1999 and 2002 he was member of the juri of the Premio Valentino Bucchi Competition for Composition in Rome. In 2000 his song cycle Non Altro for tenor, piano and electronics was premiered at the Concertgebouw
Concertgebouw
The Concertgebouw is a concert hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch term "concertgebouw" literally translates into English as "concert building"...
of Amsterdam, by Marcel Beekman and Hans Adolfsen. Several of his works are published in Portugal and Holland (Fermata
Fermata
A fermata is an element of musical notation indicating that the note should be sustained for longer than its note value would indicate...
, Musicoteca, Donemus
Donemus
Donemus is the Dutch institute dealing with the documentation of contemporary music composed in the Netherlands....
), and there are recordings of his Piano Sonata, Altro for piccolo and piano (Numérica, Port.), and of 4 Cartoons for prepared marimba (Deux Elles, UK).
António Chagas Rosa's latest opera - Melodias Estranhas - upon a libreto by the Dutch writer Gerrit Komrij
Gerrit Komrij
Gerrit Jan Komrij is a Dutch poet, novelist, translator, critic, polemic journalist and playwright. From 2000 to 2004 he was the Dutch Dichter des Vaderlands .-Biography:...
, was the result of a joint commission made by the cities of Oporto and Rotterdam, European Capital of Culture
European Capital of Culture
The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by theEuropean Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension....
in 2001. It tells three episodes of the life of the 16th century humanist philosopher Damião de Góis
Damião de Góis
Damiao de Góis , born in Alenquer, Portugal, was an important Portuguese humanist philosopher. He was a friend and student of Erasmus. He was appointed secretary to the Portuguese factory in Antwerp in 1523 by King John III of Portugal...
, student and friend of Erasmus of Rotterdam. Also a composer, he was accused by the Inquisition of writing inappropriate (polyfonic) music, imprisoned and later killed.
The premiere of this opera took place at the Schouwburg of Rotterdam, as a joint production of Casa da Música
Casa da Música
Casa da Música is a major concert hall space in Porto, Portugal which houses the cultural institution of the same name with its three orchestras Orquestra Nacional do Porto, Orquestra Barroca and Remix Ensemble...
(Oporto) and the Onafhankelijk Toneel of Rotterdam.
Some of his most recent works include composisitons for the Nederlands Kamerkoor of Amsterdam, the Contemporary Music Group of Lisbon, the Portuguese percussion group Drumming (musical ensemble), Ensemble Musicatreize of Marseilles and the National Orchestra of Porto Casa da Música.
Since 1996 António Chagas Rosa teaches Chamber Music at the University of Aveiro (Portugal), at the Department of Communication and Arts, where he obtained his PhD in 2006.
List of works
- Piano Sonata (1988) Premiered the same year at the concert hall "De Ijsbreker" of Amsterdam. Repeatedly performed in Portugal and Holland. Recorded by Nancy Harper for NUMÉRICA (Port.)
- Tres Gacelas for contralto and chamber orchestra (1988/89). A song cycle upon poems by LorcaLorcaLorca is a municipality and town in the autonomous community of Murcia in southeastern Spain, 36 miles southwest of the city of Murcia. It had a population of 92,694 in 2010, up from the 2001 census total of 77,477. Lorca is the municipality with the second-largest surface area in Spain with...
. Premiered at the concert hall "De Unie" in Rotterdam and performed the next year in Lisbon at the Calouste Gulbenkian FoundationCalouste Gulbenkian FoundationThe Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is a Portuguese private foundation of public utility whose statutory aims are in the fields of arts, charity, education, and science...
by Sharon CooperSharon CooperSharon Cooper is a member of the House of Representatives in the U.S. state of Georgia. Cooper is a Republican representing District 41 in the Georgia House of Representatives, which encompasses parts of Cobb County. Rep. Cooper is the Majority Caucus Chairman Emeritus, as well as the Chair of...
and Michel TabachnikMichel TabachnikMichel Tabachnik is a Swiss conductor and composer.-Early years:Michel Tabachnik was born in Geneva, where he studied piano, composition and conducting. As a young conductor he was a protégé of Igor Markevitch, Herbert von Karajan and Pierre Boulez, acting as the latter's assistant for four years,...
. - Meghasandesham for harpsichord and string quartet (1989/90). Premiered in Lisbon in 1990 and, after being revised, in Kiev in 1993 during the 2nd Forum of New Music.
- Antinous for string quartet and large orchestra (1990/92). Created at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation of Lisbon during the Modern Music Days of 1994 with the Chilingirian String Quartet and the Gulbenkian OrchestraGulbenkian OrchestraThe Gulbenkian Orchestra is a Portuguese symphony orchestra based in Lisbon. The orchestra primarily gives concerts at the Grande Auditório of the Gulbenkian Foundation....
conducted by Lucas Pfaff. - Songs of the Beginning for high voice and piano (1992). Songs upon a poem of Lao-Tze, written for the Canadian soprano Janice Jackson and premiered in Amsterdam at the "De Ijsbreker" the same year; recorded by the Dutch radio KRO.
- Canticles for the Remission of Hunger,a chamber opera in six scenes (1992/94). This opera was selected by the ACARTE Festival of Lisbon to stand together with Pina Bausch's Tanztheater of Wuppertal at the music theatre program of the year 1994.
- Afonso Domingues, por exemplo for tenor and piano (1994/97). A song cycle with poems by Paulo Lages; premiered at the Concertgebouw of Amsterdam, in Holland, during a jubileum of the Dutch foundation "Vrienden van het Lied".
- Angkor for viola and piano (1994/95). Premiered in Stockholm by members of the Swedish chamber orchestra "KammerensembleN" to whicht his work was dedicated. Played in Holland, Germany and Portugal.
- Piano Concerto (1994/95). Written for the Xth International Music Festival of Macau (1996); this work was performed by the American pianist Jay Gottlieb and by the Beijing Central Opera Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ronald Zollman. Recorded by the Portuguese radio and later broadcasted throughout Europe by means of the „Union de Radios Européene“.
- O Céu sob as Entranhas, for baritone and piano trio (1996). A song cycle written upon poems by the Portuguese poet Luís Miguel Nava, as the result of a commission from the national radio RDP 2. Premiered at the Theatre of São Carlos, Lisbon's opera house.
- Sept Épigrammes de Platon, for soprano and piano (1997). A song cycle written upon a set of poems by Plato. Commissioned by the ACARTE culture centre of Lisbon.
- 3 Consolations, for recorder and chamber orchestra (1997/98). A chamber concerto commissioned by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation of Lisbon, premiered during its modern music festival of 1999.
- Moh, for chamber orchestra (1998). Dedicated to "Klangforum Wien" and premiered in Vienna during the 1998 edition of the Wien Modern Festival.
- Four Cartoons, for solo prepared marimba (1999). Dedicated to the Portuguese marimba virtuoso Pedro Carneiro. Performed in several countries.
- Non Altro, for tenor, piano and tape (1999). A song cycle commissioned by the Portuguese Fundação da Casa de Mateus, and dedicated to Marcel Beekman and Hans Adolfsen. Premiéred at the Concertgebouw of Amsterdam in February 2000. Other concerts followed in Holland and Portugal.
- Altro (2000), for piccolo and piano, premiered in Santa Maria da Feira, already recorded on CD.
- What the afternoon and the mountain said, for piano (2000). Premiered by Marino Formenti at the Los Angeles County Museum in April 2000.
- Melodias Estranhas (2000/1), a chamber opera in 3 acts commissioned by the cities of Oporto and Rotterdam, Cultural Capitals of Europe in 2001, upon a libreto by the Dutch poet Gerrit Komrij. Premiered at the Stadsschouwburg of Rotterdam in December 2001.
- Quatrains du Secret Estude (2002), for chorus a capella, upon texts by Nostradamus, commissioned by the Nederlands Kamerkoor of Amsterdam.
- …pour les temps glissants… (2002), for bass clarinet and string trio, commissioned by the Grupo de Música Contemporânea de Lisboa.
- Zwei Kleinbauernlieder (2002), for tenor and piano, upon texts by Raphael UrweiderRaphael UrweiderRaphael Bendicht Urweider was born on November 5th, 1974 in Bern, Switzerland. He is a writer and musician in English and German- Career :Raphael Urweider is the son of a reformed minister. He studied German literature and philosophy at the University of Fribourg. He performed with LDeeP and has...
, commissioned by the Iberia Festival 2002 (Musikhochschule Zürich/Winterthur); premiered in September 2002 by Marcel Beekman and Hans Adolfsen. - Deep Water Music (2002), for 4 drum players, commissioned by the Portuguese percussion group ‘Drumming’.
- Naishapur (2003), for baritone, percussion and piano, a song cycle upon poems by Fernando Pessoa, commissioned by the Jeunesse Festival (Vienna 2003).
- Cicuta (2005, a song cycle for soprano and piano, upon poems by Maria Teresa Horta. Premiere: Casa da Música, Porto, 2005. W(commissioned by Casa da Música Porto).
- “Serei só eu...” (2005), for soprano and string quartet, upon Richard Wagner’s text of Isolde’s Liebestod (Jorge de Sena). Premiere: Arnold Schoenberg Center, Vienna, 2005. Work commissioned by the Ensemble Wiener Collage (Vienna).
- “As Feiticeiras/Les Sorcières” (2005/6, a scenic cantata commissioned by Ensemble Musicatreiza (Marseilles), upon an original poema by Maria Teresa Horta. Premiered on March 29, 2006 in Marseilles, at the Théâtre Les Bernardines. Recording available (Actes-Sud 2006). Production awarded with a Victoire de la Musique (Radio France 2007).
- “A boca” (2006), for bassoon, commissiond by Casa da Música, Porto, premiered on September 24, 2006 during the Musica Festival of Strasbourg.
- “Tombeau de Marie Stuart” (2007), for chamber orchestra, co-commissioned by Casa da Música Porto and Klangforum Wien. (premiered in Casa da Música in November the 29th by Klangforum Wien).
- “Mares I/Falésias”, “Mares II/Cavalos Marinhos” e “Mares III/Ilha de Moçambique” (2008-9), a three part piece upon maritime impressions for 6 percussionists. Work dedicated to Drumming. Premiere: Festival Dias da Música Portuguesa, CCB, Lisbon, 13/07/08.
- “1st String Quartet” (2009), commissioned by Câmara Municipal de Matosinhos, for the Matosinhos String Quartet. The premiere occurred in Matosinhos in 01/10/09.
- “…aquilo que voa.” (2009), for large orchestra, commissioned by the National Orchestra of Porto, premiered in Casa da Música, Porto, in April 2010.
Published works
- Songs of the Beginning, DONEMUS, Amsterdam 1996.
- Trois Consolations, FERMATA, Porto 1999.
- Moh, FERMATA, Porto 1999.
- Sept Épigrammes de Platon, MUSICOTECA, Lisboa 1999.
- Melodias Estranhas, FERMATA, Porto 2001.
- Quatrains du secret estude, FERMATA, Porto, 2004.
- Four Cartoons, INSTITUTO DAS ARTES, Lisbon, 2006.
- Aquilo que voa..., FERMATA, Porto, 2010.
On CD:
- Piano Sonata, by Nancy Lee Harper. NUMÉRICA Editora.
- Altro, by Jorge Salgado and Helena Marinho, NUMÉRICA Editora.
- 4 Cartoons, by Pedro Carneiro, Deux-Elles, UK.
- Angkor, by Hugo Diogo and Joanathan Ayest, NUMÉRICA Editora.
- As Feiticeiras/Les Sorcières, Ensemble Musicatreize, ACTES-SUD.
- Cassandra's Songs, by Isabel Nogueira and António Chagas Rosa, NUMÉRICA editora.
- Moh, Klangforum Wien, Pascal Rophé, PORTUGALER.
- Tombeau de Marie Stuart, Remix Ensemble, Peter Rundel, PORTUGALER.
- Cicuta, by Ana Barros and António Oliveira, PORTUGALER.
- Sept Épigrammes de Platon, by Ana Barros and António Oliveira, PORTUGALER.
- A boca, by Roberto Erculiani, PORTUGALER.