The Identity of Portuguese Early Music

New Data on João Cordeiro da Silva and his Keyboard Sonatas

Abstract

The musical identity of a specific geographic area can be seen in elements of its compositions, musical practices, and traditions. Given the strong Italian presence in Portugal in the 18th century, and the intense cultural exchange between Portugal and Italy, it is important to find the distinctively Portuguese traits of Portuguese music from that time. This article proposes two complementary approaches for analyzing the identity of 18th-century Portuguese music – the biographical study of composers and the analysis of their works – and presents a study on the Portuguese composer João Cordeiro da Silva. New biographical data are revealed about Cordeiro da Silva’s possible place of training, his professional activity, his retirement and residence in Elvas, and the date of his death. Research and analysis of Cordeiro da Silva’s keyboard sonatas reveal a new musical source and identify the oldest sonata, as well as highlighting compositional idiosyncrasies and a musical pattern.