b. 1836d. 1896

Antônio Carlos Gomes


Antônio Carlos Gomes
Lauded as one of Brazil's greatest composers, Antônio Carlos Gomes, was the first New World composer to have commercial success in Europe with the premiere of his opera Il Guarany at La Scala in 1870.

Listen

Suspiro d’Alma
Bo Shimmin, tenor; Sara Chiesa, piano2:00

Carlos Gomes

Composer

A. Garret

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

2021

Date

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Location

This recording was made possible by a grant from the University of Michigan, as part of the "Black Composer Speaks" Project.

About

Antônio Carlos Gomes is heralded as one of Brazil’s most important composers to date. He was the son of a bandmaster and learned to play many instruments from under his tutelage. He started composing at age 15 and wrote his first mass at 18 which was performed in a local church by his family of musicians. He would go on to study at the Imperial Conservatory in Rio de Janiero where he would be introduced to the music of Bellini, Rossini and Verdi. Gomes found international success in 1870 when his opera Il Guarany was produced at La Scala in Milan. He was also the first composer of the New World to be accepted by the European opera scene. Although he is mostly known for his operas, Gomes also composed revue shows, sacred music, hymns, orchestral works and songs.

-Bo Shimmin

This profile was created in 2021 as part of The Savvy Singer, an EXCEL Lab course at the University of Michigan, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance and a collaboration with the Hampsong Foundation via the Classic Song Research Initiative.

Sheet Music