Gustavo Augusto Coelho
(Alcácer do Sal, 1890) - (Funchal, 21/12/1965)
Abstract:
[Alcácer do Sal, Portugal 1890 – Benfica, Portugal 21/12/1965]
Captain Gustavo Augusto Coelho was an important musical pedagogue in Madeira during the 20th century. Renowned conductor of philharmonic bands, orchestras and choral groups, as well as a prolific composer and transcriber of music. Gustavo Coelho was also Head of the Band of Music of the Military Command of Madeira and integrated the faculty of the Academy of Music, Fine Arts and Languages of Madeira.
Biography:
Gustavo Augusto Coelho was born on November 16, 1890 in Santiago, municipality of Alcácer do Sal, was son of Manuel Coelho and Adelaide Costa and big brother of Rui Coelho (1892-1982), the composer directly associated with the political regime of Estado Novo. On April 29, 1912 married Aurora Tavares da Fonseca, with whom created Sílvia, Lucília, Dulce, Maria Adelaide and Henrique.
In 1906, with 15 years, the musician has integrated as volunteer the Regimento de Infantaria Nº2, with training in elementary education and some musical knowledge, resulting from the practice of bugle. From this decision he chose to follow a musical career associated with the army. Gustavo Coelho finished his education in November 1907 and in March 1909 was named third class musician, linked to Regimento de Infantaria Nº 24, but in a short time he became a second class musician, by occupying the role of bugle and was transferred to Batalhão de Caçadores 4.
Despite the military career, which began in a solid and very active way, Gustavo Coelho sought to complete his musical training in the conservatory. Thus, in November of 1909 he obtained a military license for the frequency of Conservatório Nacional, where he finished the third year of the course of harmony, with 15 values, July 1911.
After the end of the academic period Gustavo Coelho continues to integrate the army and to work in a progressive career. In 1912 was approved as a 1st class musician, in euphonium and competed for the exams for Regimento de Infantaria musician, a role that reached in 1915 when he was promoted to 3rd class music leader.
However, Gustavo Coelho’s career suffered a change of course when he was moved to Regimento de Infantaria Nº 25, in Angra do Heroismo because of a disciplinary censure he received in question of non-reprimand to the assistant sergeant who had offended a subordinate.
The period in which he was placed in the Azores coincided with the end of the 1st World War in 1918, in this context he served the maritime defense of Ponta Delgada, in Regimento Nº 26, between 11 August and 10 November. A consequent activity of the installation of the naval base of North America US Navy in Ponta Delgada, after the German bombings in Horta and Ponta Delgada, in 1916 and 1917.
Following the placement in the Azores, again in 1918 Gustavo Coelho was moved to Regimento de Infantaria Nº 27, in Funchal.
During his placement in Funchal tried several times the transfer for different Regiments of Infantaria on the continent and even in the Azores. To achieve this goal he made a request to the sailors corps, but all his requests were rejected by his superiors.
In spite of wanting a replacement Gustavo Coelho was lodged in Funchal and continued his military career with the ascension to lieutenant in 1920 and captain to 1930.
The Funchal Infantaria Regimento was extinguished in 1931 and with this change Gustavo Coelho was appointed to return to the Azores, as head of harmony.
However, his family was established in Madeira and with the feasibility of returning to the Azores, Gustavo Coelho tried his placement as an archivist in Madeira. This colocation also sucked a reorganization of the Banda de Música Comando Militar da Madeira, even after the dissolution of the Regimento de Infantaria.
His professional plans were again refused and he was forced to return to the Azores. Despite this colocation Gustavo Coelho come back to Madeira because of the concession of several military licenses.
During his military career Gustavo Coelho held positions related to civil regional music, especially popular.
In the sphere of musical composition the first reference on its participation in regional music is the composition of the Hino do Colégio Lisbonense, with the words of Eugénia Rêgo Pereira, presented by the school organon in the recitation of 1923.
There are also references from 1925 as conductor of Filarmónica Artístico Funchalense, currently Banda Municipal do Funchal.
In the period in which the harmony was under his artistic direction were interpreted musical works of an extreme difficulty, which proved the control and talent of Gustavo Coelho, with a musical intellectuality above the ordinary, references published by the Diário de Notícias in 1919 and 1925.
Between the works recognized interpreters by the Artístico Funchalense are listed: Marcha Húngara; Oriental Capricho; the openings of Rienzi and Rigoletto; Hell; Rapsódia of Águeda; 1812 France; and Festa di Nozzi. A repertoire that would surely be interpreted by military harmonies, but not by a civil harmony orchestra with normally popular repertoire. Still stands out a tour of this harmony in the Azores, 1927 this achieved by the contacts of Gustavo Coelho at the time of his detachment in Ponta Delgada.
In addition to Harmony Artístico Funchalense, Gustavo Coelho marked the dramatic production – regional music of the second quarter of the twentieth century, with presence in artistic and cultural societies for which he produced instrumental pieces for a variety magazine of author Adão Nunes, presented by the Academia Funchalense, at the Municipal Theater in 1929.
He composed other pieces for variety magazine like Olha para Isto, with words of Teodoro Silva and Calado Nunes and choreography by Henrique Martins, presented five times in the Variety Theater in Lisbon, with the support of I.N.A.T.E.L. Gustavo Coelho also created the magazines Viva Grândola, Scenas of Coimbra, Oh! Quem me dera (song) and Súplica.
At his work still persists other pieces dedicated to the music of harmonies. Among his compositions stand out the marches produced on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Banda Municipal do Funchal, offered to this institution when he became artistic director: 6 de Janeiro, Machico, Adeus a Machico and Saudação in São Miguel; the serious marches Martírio, Lágrima, Paixão, Ressurreição, Lazareto, Páscoa; the serenade Noites da Madeira; the anthems of the Colégio Lisbonense and the Banda Filarmónica Artístico Funchalense.
Also in 1929 he was appointed by the Administrative Commission of the Junta Geral Autónoma do Distrito effective professor of choral charity at Liceu Jaime Moniz, with the approval and Order of the Army. The teaching of choral singing, conducting and participation in choral groups is a cross-cutting and important aspect of Gustavo Coelho’s biography.
At a time when choral singing was an integral part of recreational school activities, with a propaganda character, political training and promotion of values and good customs for youth: a characteristic of academic training in the regime of Estado Novo.
The musician was also linked with the Orfeão dos Artistas, Orfeão da Escola de Santa Cecilia, musical groups who have been associated with Banda Municipal do Funchal; Orfeão Academic, Orfeão Madeirense; and taught harmony, composition and music theory at the Academia de Música da Madeira (currently Conservatório Escola das Artes de Madeira Eng.º Luíz Peter Clode).
When he went to the reserve in 1938 Gustavo Coelho had the opportunity to rethink a career in music civil. At the time he joined the artistic direction of the Madeira Concert Society, created in 1943, and the directive body of the Grande Orquestra Madeirense, formed in 1944.
A new phase that led to the extension of his appointment as an effective teacher of choral singing until 1948, according to the requirement of the Ministério da Educação Nacional.
Because of its growing and significant activity in the public official teaching, in 1948 Gustavo Coelho was invited to integrate the artistic direction of the ‘Orfeão da Fundação Nacional para a Alegria no Trabalho – FNAT, a community created by the Regional Delegation for musical performances in the serfs dedicated to the classes of the workers.
The musician left his military career, but became an activist in the teaching, as an honorable teacher and musical intellectuality in various organizations and institutions of the time. In the art field Gustavo Coelho collaborated with Eugénia Rêgo Pereira in the composition of an image called Despedida das Andorinhas.
Throughout his life Gustavo Augusto Coelho suffered from several health problems and was hospitalized several times at the Lisbon Military Hospital. For these reasons in September 1965 established his residence in Lisbon, where he resided in the street 12, number 17 of the Bairro de Santa Cruz, Benfica, where he died on December 21, 1965.
Authors:
Pinto, Rui Magno (2008). “Gustavo Coelho”. In 50 Histórias de Músicos na Madeira. Funchal: Associação de Amigos do Gabinete Coordenador de Educação Artística, p. 57-59.
Update:
Ventura, Ana (2011). “COELHO, Gustavo Augusto”. In Dicionário Online de Músicos na Madeira. Funchal: Divisão de Investigação e Documentação, Gabinete Coordenador de Educação Artística, atualizado em 13/07/2011.
Music:
Olha para isto, peça para revista de variedades; Viva Grândola, revista de variedades; Scenas de Coimbra, revista de variedades; Oh! Quem me dera, revista de variedades; Súplica, revista de variedades; 6 de Janeiro, marcha; Machico, marcha; Adeus a Machico, marcha; Saudação a São Miguel, marcha; Martírio, marcha; Noites da Madeira, serenata; Hino da Banda Filarmónica Artístico Funchalense.
Bibliography:
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Diário de Notícias (1876 – ). “Coleção de Jornais”. In Biblioteca do Arquivo Regional da Madeira [s.n. recurso digitalizado]. Funchal: publicado em 17/08/1919, p. 1.
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