The São Luiz Municipal Theatre hosts some of the shows from the São Carlos National Theatre’s programme, particularly during the opera and chamber music seasons. The Jardim Aberto (Open Garden) cycle continues the Foyer Aberto (Open Foyer) initiative, which was very popular with the public, maintaining the format of free admission to recitals and concerts. At these events, musicians from the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra and/or the São Carlos National Theatre Choir perform in small ensembles, showcasing their virtuosity as soloists.
“Music by Women: Pioneers of Romanticism”
The partnership between the São Carlos National Theatre and the São Luiz Municipal Theatre continues with a concert dedicated to two pioneering female composers of the Romantic period: Elfrida Andrée and Amy Beach, whose works were, for decades, overshadowed by those of their male counterparts.
The programme includes Andrée’s Piano Quintet in E minor (1865), a lyrical and daring work in which Mendelssohn’s elegance is evident in the composer’s distinctive voice. Written at the age of twenty-four, it exemplifies her pioneering spirit as an organist and conductor – one of the first women to hold such positions in Europe. The five movements of the Quintet – from the energetic Allegro molto vivace to the elegiac Andante maestoso – demonstrate her mastery of form and expressiveness.
Next is Amy Beach’s Piano Quintet in F-sharp minor (1908), a landmark in American chamber music. Constrained by the gender norms of Victorian society, Beach was nevertheless able to teach herself to compose, creating a work of emotional depth. In her Quintet, the Romantic style is revealed in the innovation of her harmonic language, which reinforces emotional states such as the melancholy of the Adagio and the energy of the Allegro agitato.
The performances will be given by Tomás Costa, Sara Cymbron, Maria Inês Monteiro, Alexandre Álvarez and Alôné Malka, soloists with the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra, who are joining forces with the São Carlos National Theatre in an initiative to rediscover and promote masterpieces by historically neglected female composers, offering a new perspective on the Romantic repertoire.
Programme
Elfrida Andrée (1841-1929): Piano Quintet in E minor
Amy Beach (1867-1944): Piano Quintet in F sharp minor
Jardim Aberto
Chamber Music
23 September – Bomtempo
14 October – Faust
17 November – Women Composers
19 January – The Seasons
10 February – Fanny Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann
13 April – Colours in Grey – French Music from the Great War
9 June – Music in the Feminine
The Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, in partnership with the São Luiz Teatro Municipal, presents a series of concerts with commentary specially aimed at school audiences, in parallel with Jardim Aberto. Find out more here Uma viagem pela música com o Teatro Nacional de São Carlos – Commented Concerts for Schools, comments by Susana Henriques.
