(bap. Immelborn, nr Bad Salzungen, 6 Feb 1673; d Danzig [now Gdańsk], 10 April 1731). German composer, half-brother of Johann Balthasar Christian Freisslich. He went as a boy, probably in about 1686–7, to Danzig, where he sang in the choir at the Marienkirche and studied composition as a pupil of the Kapellmeister, J.V. Meder. When in 1699 Meder had to flee from his creditors, Freisslich succeeded him as Kapellmeister and held the post to the end of his life, when he was succeeded by his half-brother. During his 32 years of activity he wrote much religious music and many secular works. The texts of his compositions, including a cycle of church cantatas (1708–9), were printed at Danzig, but the only surviving composition is a Dixit Dominus of 1726 (PL-GD), written in a sound contrapuntal style.
Besides Johann Balthasar Christian, two more of his brothers (sons of a pastor, Johann Weigold Freisslich, 1619–89) were musicians: Johann Thobias (b 1675), an organist in Salzungen, and Johann Wigaläus (b 1679), a member of the Kapelle at the Marienkirche, Danzig, from 1701.
For bibliography see Freisslich, Johann Balthasar Christian.
PAWEŁ PODEJKO
Freistimmigkeit
(Ger.: ‘free-part style’).
See Texture.
Freitas, Frederico (Guedes) de
(b Lisbon, 15 Nov 1902; d Lisbon, 12 Jan 1980). Portuguese composer and conductor. He studied the piano, the violin and composition at the National Conservatory, graduating in 1925. That year he won a government scholarship to study in several European countries. He was appointed conductor in 1935 of the newly formed Portuguese radio chamber orchestra and in 1940 founded the Lisbon Choral Society. He was conductor of the Oporto SO (1949–53) and of the Portuguese RSO from 1956.
He combined his career as a composer with that of conducting (both in Portugal and abroad), teaching and research into early Portuguese music. He wrote music of many kinds, from simple popular songs to elaborate vocal or instrumental music, and all his works show a melodic talent and a mastery of polyphony, polytonality and atonality. Freitas was essentially a composer for the theatre. His many revues, operettas and incidental music are important contributions to the Portuguese theatre of the 1930s and 40s, when few academic musicians worked in such genres. Most of his music is no longer played, although some of the songs he wrote for the theatre and cinema are still a success. Some of the ballet music he composed for the Verde Gaio Company in the 1940s, though not often staged, is played frequently in concert versions.
WORKS
(selective list)
dramatic -
Ops: A flor de S. Roque (vaudeville, L. Silva and A. Barbosa), Lisbon, Avenida, 1928; O meu menino (vaudeville), Lisbon, Avenida, 1931; A Senhora da Saúde (operetta, 2, S. Tavares, A. Amaral, X. Magalhães), Lisbon, Maria Vitória, 1931; Alvorada do amor (operetta, V. Rajanto), Lisbon, Ginásio, 1932, collab. A. Melo; De capa e batina (operetta, 3, L. Ferreira, F. Santos, L. Rodrigues and Magalhães), Lisbon, Politeama, 1933; O timpanas (fantasy operetta, 3, F. Bermudes), Lisbon, Avenida, 1933; O solar das picoas (operetta, 3, Ferreira, Santos), Lisbon, Trindade, 1934, collab. W. Pinto; O eremita (op, 1, P. Lemos), 1957; A igreja do mar (radio op, Lemos), Lisbon, S Carlos, 1960; Don João e a máscara (musical scene, 1, A. Patrício), Lisbon, Tivoli, 1960; Fandango (operetta)
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Ballets: Dança, perf. 1935; Noite de S João, 1938; O muro do derrete, perf. 1940; A dança da menina tonta, perf. 1941; Imagens da terra e do mar, perf. 1943; Danças para a comemoração do VIII centenário da tomada de Lisboa, 1947; Nazaré, perf. 1948; Fado corrido, 1949; Arremedilho de Guimarães, perf. 1953; Suite medieval, 1958; A dama do pé de cabra, 1975–6; Bella (choreographical moment)
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Other works incl. incid. music, c20 revues and film scores
| vocal and instrumental -
Orch: Poema sobre uma écloga de Virgílio, str, 1922; A lenda dos bailarins, sym. poem, 1925; Prelúdio sobre um pregão de Lisboa, str, 1926; Danças portuguesas, suite no.1, 1928, rev. 1936; Nazaré, sym. sketch, 1935; Suite colonial, 1936–8; Ribatejo, choreog. poem, 1938; 2 danças do sec. XVII, 1939; Quarteto concertante, 2 vn, 2 vc, str, 1942; Homenagem a Chopin, 1949; Fl Conc., 1954; Canção do berço, 1959; Suite medieval, 1959; Sinfonia, 1961–2; A S. Francisco Xavier, 1964; Fantasia concertante, org, chbr orch, 1969; Alexandre herculano: in memoriam, 1977
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Choral: Luzdor (prol to op), female vv, orch, 1923; Missa solene, 4 solo vv, chorus, orch, 1940; Marcha dos voluntários da India, 1v, chorus, orch, 1954; Missa Regina mundi, female vv, 1954; Exultabit cor meum (liturgical motet), female chorus, hmn ad lib, 1958; Stabat mater, female vv, org, 1971; Asas atlânticas (hymn), chorus, orch, 1972; Missa a S. Cristóvão, 2 equal vv, hmn, 1973; Tríptico vicentino (G. Vicente), chorus; other hymns, marches and songs
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Songs (1v, pf): Amo, amas (R. Dario); Boas noites (J. de Deus), 1924; Chuva de Setembro (E. de Castro), 1924; Estabas triste (Buendia y Manzano), 1924; 2 sonetos de Camões, 1924; Bailada de moças (J. Zorro), 1927; 4 cantigas à gente moça (M.L. Almeida), 1927; Cantares de amigo (D. Dinis, Mendinho), 1927; Cantigas da Minho Terra (M. Lopos de Oliveira), 1934; 4 cantares de amigo (Dinis, P. Meogo, Mendinho, Zorro), 1938; A última cantiga (A.L. Vieira), 1941; 3 peças (A. Quadros), 1943; Bailia de amor (Dinis), 1958; 10 conções galegas, 1965, rev. 1968; Maria da Conceição, 1972
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Solo vocal: Cant. (M. de Neves), Mez, orch, 1946
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Chbr and solo inst: Allegro appassionato, vn, pf, 1922; Prelúdio e fuga, pf, vn, vc, 1923; Sonata, vn, vc, 1923; Sonata, vn, pf, 1923; Nocturno sobre soneto de A. Quental, vn, pf, 1924; Berceuse, vn, pf, 1925; Nocturno, vc, pf, 1926; Sonata, vc, pf, 1926; Str Qt, 1926; Sonata, vn, pf, 1946; Wind Qnt, 1950; 3 peças sem importância, vn, pf, 1954; Sonata, org, 1963; Canção triste, vc/va, pf, 1964; Dança dos palhaços, vn, pf, 1964; 13 variações, vc, pf, 1969
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Pf works, incl. O livro de Maria Frederica (36 peças fáceis), 1955; several dances
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Many orchs. and arrs.
| BIBLIOGRAPHY
J.F. Branco: História da música portuguesa (Lisbon, 1959)
Catálogo geral da música portuguesa: repertória contemporâneo (Lisbon, 1978)
‘Frederico de Freitas “in memoriam”’, Autores, xcvii–xcviii (1980), 3–24
J. Almendra: ‘Um grande artista que o país perdeu’, Canto gregoriano, xciv (1980), 3–18
L.F. Rebelo: História do teatro de revista (Lisbon, 1985)
JOSÉ CARLOS PICOTO/ADRIANA LATINO
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