Coelho, Rui

Coelho, Rui, Portuguese composer; b. Alcacer do Sal, March 3, 1891; d. Lisbon, May 5, 1986. He was a student of Colaço (piano) and of Ferreira and Borba (composition) at the Lisbon Cons., and then of Humper-dinck, Bruch, and Schoenberg in Berlin (1910–13) and of Vidal at the Paris Cons. Upon his return to Lisbon, he devoted himself mainly to composition and music criticism; he also made appearances as a pianist and conductor. His compositions were predicated upon nationalist principles.

Works

DRAMATIC: Opera: O serāo da infanta (1913); Crisfal (1919); Auto do berço (1920); Rosas de todo o ano (1921; Lisbon, May 30, 1940); Belkiss (1923; Lisbon, June 9, 1928); Inés de Castro (1925; Lisbon, Jan. 15, 1927), Cavaleiro das mãos irresistiveis (1926); Freira de beja (1927); Entre giestas (Lisbon, 1929); Tá-mar (Lisbon, 1936); Dom João IV (Lisbon, Dec. 1, 1940); A feira (1942); A rosa de papel (Lisbon, Dec. 18, 1947); Auto da barca do inferno (1949; Lisbon, Jan. 15, 1950); Inês Pereira (Lisbon, April 5, 1952); O vestido de noiva (1958; Lisbon, Jan. 4, 1959); Auto da alma (1960); Orfeu em Lisboa (1964–66); Auto da barca da glória (1970). ballet:Princesa dos sapatos de ferro (1912); O sonho da princesa na rosa (1916); A historia de carochinha (1916); Bailado do encantemento (1917); O sonho da pobrezinha (1921); A feira (1921); Bailado africano (1930); Inêz de Castro (1939); Passatempo (1940); Dom Sebastiâo (1943); Festa na aldeia (1966). orch.: 5 Sinfonia camoneana (1912, 1917, 1948, 1951, 1957); 4 symphonic poems: Nun’ Alvares (1922), Alcacer (1925), Rainha santa (1926), and O castelo de Lisboa (1962); 4 Suite portuguesa (1925, 1927, 1928, 1956); 2 Pequena sinfonia (1929, 1932); Cenas bíblicas (1933); 2 Rapsódia portuguesa (1934, 1942); Fantasia portuguesa for Violin and Orch. (1935); 2 piano concertos (1939, 1948); 3 syms. (1939, 1955, 1956); Egypcienne for Violin and Orch. (1950); Rapsódia de Lisboa (1961); Viagens na minha terra, 4 suites (1964–67); Sinfoniahenriquina, prólogo (1966); Sinfonia de além mar (1969). chamber: 2 violin sonatas (1910, 1923); Largo for 2 Violas, Cello, and Piano (1911); Piano Trio (1916); String Quartet (1942); piano pieces. vocal:Fátima, oratorio (1931); Missa a Santa Terez-inha (1934); Oratoria de paz (1967); songs.

Bibliography

R. C: Sua acçâo e sua obras de 1910 a 1967 (Lisbon, 1967).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire