Ester Nelly Abuter Ananías - Fachbereich Philosophie und ...

Ricarda Musser ( Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut, Berlin )
Going to the Opera in the Tropics. European Travellers Describe Th eir
Impressions of Brazilian Musical Life in the 19th Century
Operas and concert performances constituted an important part of the social life
in Rio de Janeiro in the 19th century. Both at the Emperor’s Court and in the city’s
theatres, music concerts drew large audiences. Impressive opera houses were also
constructed in other parts of the country. Th e rubber boom in the northern cities
of Manaus and Belém, for example, provided the fi nancial support to build new
music venues. In the 19th century, European tradition considerably infl uenced the
repertoire and its interpretation in Brazil. European musicians and composers who
came to Brazil as well as Brazilian students educated in European conservatories
contributed to this phenomenon. In addition, immigrants from France, Italy and
Germany established the fi rst publishing houses for music and opened the fi rst music
bookstores in Brazil. Th is paper investigates how 19th-century European travellers
described the musical life in Brazil and, moreover, it examines the connection
between Europe and the New World in this fi eld.
Email musser@iai.spk-berlin.de
Section Travels Between Europe and Latin America ( 15th through 21st centuries )
Panel 42
Date July 29
Time 15 :00
Location l 116