Alexandre Levy

Alexandre Levy
Levy in 1881
Born	(1864-11-10)10 November 1864 São Paulo, Empire of Brazil
Died	17 January 1892(1892-01-17) (aged 27) São Paulo, Brazil
Years active	1880–1892

Alexandre Levy (10 November 1864 – 17 January 1892) was a Brazilian composer, pianist and conductor. Born in São Paulo, he pioneered a fusion of classical composition with Brazil's popular folk music and rhythms. Levy died prematurely at the age of 27, and is the first known musician to die at the infamous 27 Club age. His hometown grants a prestigious award in his name.

His Jewish family came from France and was musically active. His father founded the most important music business of the city and was himself clarinetist.

Darius Milhaud, in his ballet Le Bœuf sur le toit, borrowed a theme from Levy's Tango Brasileiro.

Selected list of works

Orchestra

• Andante para cordas in E-flat major (1887) for String Orchestra (1887)
• Werther, Symphonic Poem in E-flat major after Goethe (1888)
• Marcha com coros, Orchestral Cantata (1888)
• Hymne à 14 Juillet (1889)
• Symphony in E minor (1889)
  • Largo - allegro molto
  • Andante
  • Scherzo. Allegro vivo
  • Allegro molto vivo
• Comala, Symphonic Poem (1890)
• Suite Brésilienne (1890)
  • Prélude
  • Dansa rustica: Canção Triste (lost)
  • A beira do regato: Idyllio Sentimental
  • Samba
• Symphonic Poem (unnamed; n.d.)
• Oedipe, Orchestral Cantata (n.d.)

Chamber Music

• Fantasia brillante sull'opera 'Il Guarany' for two pianos, Op. 2 (1880)
• Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat major, Op. 10 (1882)
  • Allegro
  • Andante
  • Scherzo - Fugato
  • Finale
• Les jeux des Sylphides for four-hand piano (1884)
• Scherzo valse, Op. 9 (1885)
• String Quartet in A minor (1885)
  • Allegro comodo
  • Scherzo
  • Adagio molto
  • Finale
• Andante for String Quartet in E-flat minor (1887; also adapted for string orchestra)
• Rêverie for string quartet in G major, Op. 19 (1889)
• Piano Trio No. 2 in D minor (1889)
  • (Lost)
  • (Lost)
  • Scherzo
  • Finale
• En mer, Musical poem for four-hand piano (n.d.)
  • Depart. Mer Calme
  • Le Ciel s'assombrit. Tempête
  • Clair de Lune. Idylle Fugitive
• Romance' (n.d.)
• Fantasie brillante for four-hand piano, Op. 5 (n.d.)
• Scène à la mer for cello and piano (n.d.)

Piano solo

• Fantasia para dois pianos a partir de temas da ópera O Guarany (1880)
• Impromptu-Caprice, op. 1 (1881)
• Fosca, fantasia brilhante, op. 3 (1882)
• 3 Improvisations, op. 4 (1882)
  • Romance sans paroles (1882)
  • A la Hongroise (1882)
  • Pensée fugitive (1882)
• Valsa-Capricho, op. 5 (1882)
• Mazurca n. 1, op. 6 no 1 (1882)
• Mazurca n. 2, op. 6 no 2 (1882)
• Recuerdos - Polca de Salão (1882)
• Causerie (1883)
• Cavalcante (1883)
• Collin Maillard (1883)
• Étude (1883)
• Je t'en prie (1883)
• Petite marche (1883)
• Plaintive (1885)
• Scherzo-valse, op. 9 (1885)
• Improviso n. 2 (1887)
• Trois Morceaux, op. 13 (1887)
  • Coeur blessé (1887)
  • Amour passé (1887)
  • Doute (1887)
• Allegro Appassionato, op. 14 (1887)
• Variations sur un thème populaire brésilien (Vem Cá, Bitu) (1887)
• Tango Brasileiro (1890)
• Samba (Suite Brésilienne, IV.) (1890)
• Schumanniana, op. 16 (1891)
  • Allegretto, ma un poco agitato
  • Allegro moderato
  • Lento
  • Allegretto giocoso
  • Moderato assai
  • Allegro
  • Moderato
  • Allegro molto - Presto
• Papillonnage (n.d.)

Further reading

• Bettencourt, Gastão de. Temas de música brasileira. Rio de Janeiro: Ed. A Noite, 1941.
• Mariz, Vasco. História da Mùsica no Brasil. Rio de Janeiro: Nova Fronteira, 2005. 6ª edição, pp. 116–8.
• Cacciatore, Olga Gudolle. Dicionário biográfico de música erudita brasileira. Rio de Janeiro, Forense Universitária, 2005.

References

• Biografia na página da Academia Brasileira de Música
• Free scores by Alexandre Levy at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)