António Fortunato de Figueiredo
Encyclopedia
Maestro António Fortunato de Figueiredo (20 August 1903-1981) was a famous Goa
n conductor
and violin
ist. He was India’s first maestro in Western classical music.
, in Goa
, then known as Portuguese India
, the son of Gabriel de Figueiredo and Ermelinda Parras e Figueiredo. He learnt the first rudiments of music
at primary school
under the local teacher. Whilst studying at the Lyceum of Panjim, he learnt the Violin
and soon became an accomplished player. He went to Portugal
in 1927 to pursue an Arts degree at the University of Lisbon, but transferred to the National Conservatory of Lisbon (Conservatório Nacional de Lisboa in Portuguese
), graduating with a Higher Education Degree in Violin in 1932. He then proceeded to Paris
to further his musical studies in Musical Sciences and Composition & Harmony at the Faculty of Music and Musicology at the University of Paris
(the Sorbonne).
in 1936, António was appointed Choir
master (Professor de Canto Coral in Portuguese
) at the Lyceum of Panjim, (Liceu Afonso de Albuquerque
in Portuguese
).
António organised and directed choral groups (Orfeões in Portuguese
) and string ensembles (Tunas in Portuguese
) which staged many performances in Loutolim
and Panjim, most of them in aid of charity foundations
. The most memorable Orfeão was the one presented in aid of the crusade against Leprosy
and Tuberculosis
in 1946.
In 1948, António again embarked for Paris
, with a Portuguese scholarship, to undergo a two year degree in Orchestra Conducting
. He studied at the National Conservatory of Music of Paris, under Maestro Eugene Bigot
, earning the highest classification for excellence in conducting the orchestra of the Conservatoire, and thus gaining the title of Maestro. He then attended the Accademia Musicale Chigiana
(Siena
, in Italy
), where he gained more experience under Maestros Paul van Kempen
and Alceo Galliera
, and then conducted the L'Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (Florence
, in Italy
) as a Guest-Conductor.
On return to Lisbon, Maestro António de Figueiredo conducted the Symphony Orchestra of Portuguese State Radio (Grande Orquestra Sinfónica da Emissora Nacional) in Lisbon
- a concert broadcast worldwide.
Maestro António Fortunato de Figueiredo soon returned to Goa
and, with assistance from the Portuguese government
of the time, founded the Goa Symphony Orchestra (Orquestra Sinfónica de Goa), giving its first concert on 16 February 1952. The orchestra gave regular performances thereafter, the most memorable being the one given on the occasion of the 400th Death Anniversary and Exposition of the Relic
s of St. Francis Xavier
, on 6 December 1952.
Other notable concerts were those in honour of India
n Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru
, (one in 1963 on the occasion of his visit to Goa
, shortly after the end of Portuguese
colonial rule, and the other in 1964 as a tribute on Nehru's death), as also on the occasion of a meeting at Campal when Indira Gandhi
was Prime Minister
.
In February 1977, Maestro António de Figueiredo handed over the conductorship of Goa Symphony Orchestra to Rev. Dr. Lourdino Barreto
.
Soon after founding the Goa Symphony Orchestra, Maestro António convinced the Portuguese government
to found the Music Academy of Portuguese India (Academia de Música da Índia Portuguesa), modelled on the lines of the National Conservatory of Lisbon. The pioneers in the Academia’s foundation were, besides himself: Alfredo da Gama (Piano
), Espírito Santo Mascarenhas (Cello
) and Lourenço Menezes (Solfeggio).
The Music Academy of Portuguese India had its beginnings in a humble single-storeyed building at Fontainhas, next to Mary Immaculate's School. Maestro António de Figueiredo was its director until 1977, by which time, the Music Academy had merged with the Kala Academy, and handed the directorship to Lourdino Barreto
. Today, the Music Academy is known as the Kala Academy's Department of Western Music. The last concert conducted by Maestro António de Figueiredo with the students of the Academy and the Goa Symphony Orchestra was Verdi's opera La Traviata.
Maestro António gave a number of palestras or lectures on Music and History of Music which were broadcast by the Goa's Portuguese Radio (Emissora de Goa) (before 1961 - the year of Indian annexation) and later by the All India Radio Panjim under their Portuguese language
programme Renascença ("Rebirth" in English
), at the Institute Menezes Braganza, and Clube Nacional. He also orchestrated the Portuguese
and Indian
national anthems, a number of Mandós
and other Goan folk songs
.
Maestro António arranged sound-tracks for the film on St. Francis Xavier
(B&W) which was produced in Bombay in 1967. Some of the tracks were recorded at the Music Academy itself, with a subset of the Goa Symphony Orchestra and members of the Choral Society.
The Government of Portugal
, in recognition of the efforts of Maestro António de Figueiredo in promoting the Arts, conferred on him a knighthood - Cavaleiro da Ordem de Sant’Iago da Espada (Knight of the Order of St. James of the Sword) in 1961. He also received accolades from the Institute Menezes Braganza and the Rotary Club.
Maestro's portrait hangs in the Kala Academy, and was unveiled by Pratapsing Rane on 20 August 1989. This date has been instituted as Founder's Day in the Kala Academy, in honour of Maestro António Fortunato de Figueiredo.
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
n conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist. He was India’s first maestro in Western classical music.
Early life
António was born in Nacordá, near LoutolimLoutolim
Loutolim or Loutulim is a small town in Salcette taluka of South Goa district in the state of Goa, India.-Geography:Loutolim is located at . It has an average elevation of 32 metres .- History :...
, in Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, then known as Portuguese India
Portuguese India
The Portuguese Viceroyalty of India , later the Portuguese State of India , was the aggregate of Portugal's colonial holdings in India.The government started in 1505, six years after the discovery of a sea route to India by Vasco da Gama, with the nomination of the first Viceroy Francisco de...
, the son of Gabriel de Figueiredo and Ermelinda Parras e Figueiredo. He learnt the first rudiments of 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...
at primary school
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
under the local teacher. Whilst studying at the Lyceum of Panjim, he learnt the Violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and soon became an accomplished player. He went to 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...
in 1927 to pursue an Arts degree at the University of Lisbon, but transferred to the National Conservatory of Lisbon (Conservatório Nacional de Lisboa in Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
), graduating with a Higher Education Degree in Violin in 1932. He then proceeded to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to further his musical studies in Musical Sciences and Composition & Harmony at the Faculty of Music and Musicology at the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
(the Sorbonne).
Performing career
On his return to GoaGoa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
in 1936, António was appointed Choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
master (Professor de Canto Coral in Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
) at the Lyceum of Panjim, (Liceu Afonso de Albuquerque
Afonso de Albuquerque
Afonso de Albuquerque[p][n] was a Portuguese fidalgo, or nobleman, an admiral whose military and administrative activities as second governor of Portuguese India conquered and established the Portuguese colonial empire in the Indian Ocean...
in Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
).
António organised and directed choral groups (Orfeões in Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
) and string ensembles (Tunas in Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
) which staged many performances in Loutolim
Loutolim
Loutolim or Loutulim is a small town in Salcette taluka of South Goa district in the state of Goa, India.-Geography:Loutolim is located at . It has an average elevation of 32 metres .- History :...
and Panjim, most of them in aid of charity foundations
Foundation (charity)
A foundation is a legal categorization of nonprofit organizations that will typically either donate funds and support to other organizations, or provide the source of funding for its own charitable purposes....
. The most memorable Orfeão was the one presented in aid of the crusade against Leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
and Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
in 1946.
In 1948, António again embarked for Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, with a Portuguese scholarship, to undergo a two year degree in Orchestra Conducting
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
. He studied at the National Conservatory of Music of Paris, under Maestro Eugene Bigot
Eugène Bigot
Eugène Bigot was a French composer and conductor. He also taught at the Conservatoire de Paris where his notable pupils included Émilien Allard, Louis de Froment, Henri-Claude Fantapié, António Fortunato de Figueiredo, Karel Husa, Paul Kuentz, Jean-Bernard Pommier, Pierre Rolland, and Mikis...
, earning the highest classification for excellence in conducting the orchestra of the Conservatoire, and thus gaining the title of Maestro. He then attended the Accademia Musicale Chigiana
Accademia Musicale Chigiana
The Accademia Musicale Chigiana is a music institute in Siena, Italy. It was founded by Count Guido Chigi Saracini in 1932 as an international centre for advanced musical studies. It organises Master Classes in the major musical instruments as well as singing, conducting and composition...
(Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
, in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
), where he gained more experience under Maestros Paul van Kempen
Paul van Kempen
Paul van Kempen was a Dutch conductor.Van Kempen was born in Zoeterwoude, Netherlands, and later studied at the Amsterdam conservatory from 1910 to 1913, including composition and conducting with Julius Roentgen and Bernard Zweers, as well as violin with Louis Zimmerman...
and Alceo Galliera
Alceo Galliera
Alceo Galliera was a distinguished Italian conductor and composer. He was the son of Arnaldo Galliera who taught in organ class at the Parma Conservatory....
, and then conducted the L'Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
) as a Guest-Conductor.
On return to Lisbon, Maestro António de Figueiredo conducted the Symphony Orchestra of Portuguese State Radio (Grande Orquestra Sinfónica da Emissora Nacional) in Lisbon
Lisbon
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...
- a concert broadcast worldwide.
Maestro António Fortunato de Figueiredo soon returned to Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
and, with assistance from the Portuguese government
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...
of the time, founded the Goa Symphony Orchestra (Orquestra Sinfónica de Goa), giving its first concert on 16 February 1952. The orchestra gave regular performances thereafter, the most memorable being the one given on the occasion of the 400th Death Anniversary and Exposition of the Relic
Relic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
s of St. Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier, born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta was a pioneering Roman Catholic missionary born in the Kingdom of Navarre and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. He was a student of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and one of the first seven Jesuits, dedicated at Montmartre in 1534...
, on 6 December 1952.
Other notable concerts were those in honour of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Prime Minister
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
, (one in 1963 on the occasion of his visit to Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, shortly after the end of Portuguese
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...
colonial rule, and the other in 1964 as a tribute on Nehru's death), as also on the occasion of a meeting at Campal when Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
was Prime Minister
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
.
In February 1977, Maestro António de Figueiredo handed over the conductorship of Goa Symphony Orchestra to Rev. Dr. Lourdino Barreto
Lourdino Barreto
Lourdino Barreto - dubbed "the best musicologist East of Suez” at a World Congress for choir conductors held in Rome - was born on February 11, 1938, in Galgibaga in South Goa. He studied at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music and the National Conservatory in Rome and graduated with...
.
Soon after founding the Goa Symphony Orchestra, Maestro António convinced the Portuguese government
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...
to found the Music Academy of Portuguese India (Academia de Música da Índia Portuguesa), modelled on the lines of the National Conservatory of Lisbon. The pioneers in the Academia’s foundation were, besides himself: Alfredo da Gama (Piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
), Espírito Santo Mascarenhas (Cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
) and Lourenço Menezes (Solfeggio).
The Music Academy of Portuguese India had its beginnings in a humble single-storeyed building at Fontainhas, next to Mary Immaculate's School. Maestro António de Figueiredo was its director until 1977, by which time, the Music Academy had merged with the Kala Academy, and handed the directorship to Lourdino Barreto
Lourdino Barreto
Lourdino Barreto - dubbed "the best musicologist East of Suez” at a World Congress for choir conductors held in Rome - was born on February 11, 1938, in Galgibaga in South Goa. He studied at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music and the National Conservatory in Rome and graduated with...
. Today, the Music Academy is known as the Kala Academy's Department of Western Music. The last concert conducted by Maestro António de Figueiredo with the students of the Academy and the Goa Symphony Orchestra was Verdi's opera La Traviata.
Maestro António gave a number of palestras or lectures on Music and History of Music which were broadcast by the Goa's Portuguese Radio (Emissora de Goa) (before 1961 - the year of Indian annexation) and later by the All India Radio Panjim under their Portuguese language
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
programme Renascença ("Rebirth" in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
), at the Institute Menezes Braganza, and Clube Nacional. He also orchestrated the Portuguese
A Portuguesa
A Portuguesa , , is the national anthem of Portugal. It was composed by Alfredo Keil and written by Henrique Lopes de Mendonça during the resurgent nationalist movement ignited by the 1890 British ultimatum to Portugal concerning its African colonies...
and Indian
Jana Gana Mana
Jana Gana Mana is the national anthem of India. Written in highly Sanskritized Bengali, it is the first of five stanzas of a Brahmo hymn composed and scored by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. It was first sung at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress on 27 December 1911...
national anthems, a number of Mandós
Mando (music)
Mando or Manddo is a musical form that evolved during the 19th and 20th century among Goan Catholics of Goa, India. It represents the meeting point of Indian and western musical traditions. The music has elements of both Indian and western culture. The males wear formal coats, showing Portuguese...
and other Goan folk songs
Music of Goa
Music of Goa refers to the music from the state of Goa, on the west coast of India. It has produced a number of prominent musicians and singers for the world of Indian music ....
.
Maestro António arranged sound-tracks for the film on St. Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier, born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta was a pioneering Roman Catholic missionary born in the Kingdom of Navarre and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. He was a student of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and one of the first seven Jesuits, dedicated at Montmartre in 1534...
(B&W) which was produced in Bombay in 1967. Some of the tracks were recorded at the Music Academy itself, with a subset of the Goa Symphony Orchestra and members of the Choral Society.
The Government of Portugal
Politics of Portugal
Politics in Portugal take place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. The President of the Republic is the head of state and has several significant political powers, which he...
, in recognition of the efforts of Maestro António de Figueiredo in promoting the Arts, conferred on him a knighthood - Cavaleiro da Ordem de Sant’Iago da Espada (Knight of the Order of St. James of the Sword) in 1961. He also received accolades from the Institute Menezes Braganza and the Rotary Club.
Maestro's portrait hangs in the Kala Academy, and was unveiled by Pratapsing Rane on 20 August 1989. This date has been instituted as Founder's Day in the Kala Academy, in honour of Maestro António Fortunato de Figueiredo.
External links
- Biography (in Portuguese)
- An article by Fernando do Rego (in Portuguese)
- Listing under Musicians (of Goa)
- Comment by Vitorino (in Portuguese)
- Comment by Narvencar (in Portuguese)
- Homenageado em Pangim no centenário do seu nascimento (in Portuguese)
- Sessão de homenagem ao Maestro António de Figueiredo (in Portuguese)
- An article by Ben Antão