Tag Archives: Portuguese Baroque composers

Carlos Seixas: Notes and Commentary

Posted by Nabob on

José António Carlos de Seixas was a Portuguese composer, the son of the cathedral organist, Francisco Vaz and Marcelina Nunes. He was was born in Coimbra and succeeded his father as organist in 1718 at age 14. Two years later he moved to Lisbon, where he gave harpsichord lessons and met Domenico Scarlatti who was living in Portugal from 1721 to 1728.

Seixas was influenced by the German Empfindsamer Stil (literally ‘sensitive style’). Much of his work was destroyed in the earthquake that devastated Lisbon in 1755. Only three orchestral pieces and around 100 keyboard sonatas survived, plus a handful of choral works for liturgical use (much more conservative than what one would expect from his instrumental music). He lived from June 11, 1704, to August 25, 1742.—Excerpted from Wikipedia

Carlos Seixas Books and Music
More on Seixas
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Carlos Seixas, 1704-1742

Posted by Nabob on

Seixas1

Selected Recordings

Harpsichord Concerto in A

Sonata No. 5, harpsichord, C minor

Sonata No. 65

Selected Sheet Music

Benedictus
seixas2
Source: IMSLP.org

Showcase Piece

Sonata No. 24 for Harpsichord

Notes and Commentary

José António Carlos de Seixas was a Portuguese composer, the son of the cathedral organist, Francisco Vaz and Marcelina Nunes. He was was born in Coimbra and succeeded his father as organist in 1718 at age 14. Two years later he moved to Lisbon, where he gave harpsichord lessons and met Domenico Scarlatti who was living in Portugal from 1721 to 1728.

Seixas was influenced by the German Empfindsamer Stil (literally ‘sensitive style’). Much of his work was destroyed in the earthquake that devastated Lisbon in 1755. Only three orchestral pieces and around 100 keyboard sonatas survived, plus a handful of choral works for liturgical use (much more conservative than what one would expect from his instrumental music). He lived from June 11, 1704, to August 25, 1742.—Excerpted from Wikipedia

Books and Music

Books

Sinfonia for Organ
Frank Speller (ed.)
Saint Cecilia Series, 1975 (Sheet music)
$19.95 on Amazon

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Music

seixas3 Harpsichord Sonatas 1 (2006), 1 CD

seixas4 Harpsichord Sonatas (1994), 1 CD

seixas6 Sonatas (2012), 1 CD

More Carlos Seixas music

Complete Works

The following are among Seixas’ surviving works.
Benedictus
Harpsichord Sonatas:
Keyboard Sonatas (1-100)
Mass in G Major
Orchestral pieces (1-3)

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