João Figueira Quintal

Résumé:
[Câmara de Lobos 30/10/1934 – ]
Sergeant of the army, violinist, interpreter and clarinet, conductor, composer of works directed to the philharmonic and regent of groups. João Quintal was also the founder of the Madeira Chamber Orchestra, chief of the military zone band and the Banda Recreio Camponês.

Biographie:
João Figueira Quintal was born on October 30, 1934 in Câmara de Lobos, on the Sítio do Ribeiro Real, descendant of a family of long musical traditions. His grandfather and father, Maurício Figueira Quintal, clarinetist, belonged to the Banda Recreio Camponês. A family tradition that, in the development of his career, led Quintero to join the same group, where he began at the age of 14 to learn clarinet with João Ornelas Abreu.
The young man also studied for several years at the Academy of Music and Belas-Artes de Madeira, current School of Arts – Conservatory of Madeira and has achieved the quality of a good violinist.
As for the instruments that João Quintal has interpreted throughout his musical training and currently as a professional musician, the clarinet is mentioned above; the practice of refinement; saxophone in the Banda Recreio Camponês, an opportunity that was born thanks to a colleague who left the group and whose saxophone was bought by the father of João Quintal. With the teacher Madeira Carneiro, he learned the violin at the Academy of Music and Belas-Artes de Madeira. In 1956, he enrolled at the Academy of Madeira and throughout his training he earned the V Degree in violin and the III Degree in Solfejo.
As his mentors João Quintal highlights the drivers of the military band, Lt. Col. Ilídio (chief of the Republican Guard band) and Lt. Col. Teixeira (course director).
In 1955, at the age of 20, he joined the Military Band. After joining the military band, he participated in several positions in the military hierarchy and earned the rank of sergeant-chef, playing the clarinet, an instrument that has played in the Military Band for 36 years.
In spite of the musical experience João Quintal says the little time devoted to the family because of the activity as a musician of military music, Banda Recreio Câmpones and Madeira Chamber Orchestra. However, he states that « it was worthwhile to be in the music and to see that the children have also progressed there ». As a family tradition, the music is preserved in the younger generations of the Quintal family. The children of João Quintal, Maurício and Jorge joined the Recreio Camponês group at the age of twelve. Guida and Dina girls learned cello and violin.
Currently João Quintal also collaborates in the Madeira Chamber Orchestra as a violinist, being a member of the group since its founding; and plays sacred music in several religious festivals, traditional parishes of the Madeira archipelago. João Quintal was present in the religious celebrations with a group of three violins, two rabecões and a flute that played sacred music and accompanied small choruses reinforced by an organist.
João Quintal has also played an important role as a teacher of some well-known musicians in the regional panorama namely, Zélia Gomes, professor and teacher of choral groups; Aquilino da Silva, professor, composer and artistic director of several musical groups and philharmonic groups; Fabien Filipe, musician and teacher at the School of Arts – Conservatory of Madeir.
As for his presence at Banda Recreio Camponês in 1972, he was appointed chief of the band and made changes in the organization with the integration of women, which until the 1970s were only accepted in the Camacha Band . Also got a new seat for the Banda Recreio Camponês.
João Quintal made other changes in the group, so that in his view he had a transparent and equal organization, especially through the creation of a commission of musicians with the president, the secretary and the treasurer ; the establishment of Statutes and the constitution of a General Assembly, Board of Management and Tax Council, conferring to the Recreio Camponês an associative character.
In 2008, a tribute was paid to the XXVII Regional Meeting of Philharmonic Groups of the Autonomous Region of Madeira because of its contribution to regional music.
Regarding the composition of the court João Quintal has recorded works of the Society of authors and printed scores that are still made by bands of Madeira, especially speed, boleros, waltzes and bailaricos, among others compositions for tapes, always produced a perspective with a higher incidence of classical and light music.

Auteurs:
Gomes, Catarina (2011). « João Figueira Quintal ». Realizado no âmbito da Disciplina Ciências Musicais VI, integrada no plano curricular da Licenciatura em Educação Musical, do Instituto Superior de Ciências Educativas, Universidade da Madeira.

Mise à jour:
Ventura, Ana (2011). “João Figueira Quintal”. Dicionário Online de Músicos na Madeira. Funchal: Divisão de Investigação e Documentação, Gabinete Coordenador de Educação Artística, atualizado em 12/09/2011.

Bibliographie:
Banda Recreio Camponês (2007). “Breve Historial”. Banda Recreio Camponês – Historial. Acedido em http://www.bandarecreiocampones.com/ a 30/06/2011.
Banda Recreio Camponês (2007).”Regentes”. Banda Recreio Camponês – Historial. Acedido em http://www.bandarecreiocampones.com/ a 30/06/2011.
Castro, A. & Serrão, S. (2010). Banda Recreio Camponês: A memória de 100 anos em Concerto Intemporal. Funchal: Banda Recreio Camponês e Direção Regional dos Assuntos Culturais, p. 12, 25, 44, 47, 80, 82, 109.
Gomes, C. (2011). Entrevista realizada por Catarina Gomes a Jorge Quintal, filho. Realizada no âmbito da Disciplina Ciências Musicais VI, integrada no plano curricular da Licenciatura em Educação Musical, do Instituto Superior de Ciências Educativas, Universidade da Madeira.
Gouvei, O. (2010). “Encontro homenageou João Figueira Quintal”. Cultura – Jornal da Madeira. Acedido em http://www.jornaldamadeira.pt/not2008.php?Seccao=13&id=151914 a 30/06/2011.
Sardinha, V. & Camacho, R. (2001). Rostos e Traços das Bandas Filarmónicas Madeirenses. Funchal: Associação Musical e Cultural Xarabanda, p. 91-95.