Antônio Carlos Gomes, born on July 11, 1836, in Campinas, São Paulo, is one of the most important figures in the history of Brazilian music. He was undoubtedly the greatest opera composer in Brazil.
Life and Formation
Carlos Gomes showed musical talent from childhood. At 15, he was already composing waltzes, polkas, and quadrilles. His father, encouraging his passion, taught him the fundamentals of music. At 18, he dedicated the Mass of São Sebastião to his father, revealing his skill as a composer.
In 1861, he presented his first opera, A Night at the Castle, based on the poems of Antônio Feliciano de Castilho. The success in Brazil led him to Milan, where he studied with renowned professors and distinguished himself as a student and composer.
‘The Guarani’ and International Recognition
In 1870, Carlos Gomes premiered his masterpiece, the opera The Guarani, at the prestigious Teatro alla Scala in Milan. Inspired by José de Alencar’s novel, the opera tells the story of love between Ceci and Peri, the heroic Indian.
“Carlos Gomes was the first Brazilian composer to have an international projection, mainly with ‘The Guarani’. To the point that Giuseppe Verdi, who is perhaps the greatest opera composer of all time, once said that Gomes could be his successor,” said Henrique Áreas, coordinator of the Group for a Revolutionary and Independent Art (GARI) to the Diário Causa Operária (DCO).
