Francisco Manuel da Silva

Francisco Manuel da Silva (February 21 1795 – December 18 1865) was a songwriter and music professor. He was born and died in Rio de Janeiro. He had great prominence in the musical life of Rio De Janeiro in the period between the death of Priest José Maurício and Carlos Gomes. He was a singer of Capela Real since 1809, and later a cello player. He was one of the founders of Imperial Academia de Música e Ópera Nacional (National Imperial Music and Opera Academy), of Sociedade Beneficência Musical e Conservatório Imperial de Música, which become Instituto Nacional de Música (Nacional Music Institute) and is called Escola de Música da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro University Music School).

He was taught by Priest José Maurício Nunes Garcia and, most probably, by Sigismund Neukomm. He was directly responsible for Capela Imperial's reinstatement, the later being turned to its old beauty. He left a handful of works, spread around Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and São Paulo archives, covering Gospel Music, Modinhas and Lundus.

He wrote Brazil National Anthem (Hino Nacional Brasileiro), first as a patriotic march, since Dom Pedro I resignation, later being officialized as anthem by Brazilian Republic Revolution (1889). He also composed one opera, "O prestigio da lei".

References

*Gerard Béhague. "Francisco Manuel da Silva", "Grove Music Online", ed. L. Macy (accessed September 6 2006), [http://www.grovemusic.com/ grovemusic.com] (subscription access).