Perhaps the name Carlos Seixas doesn’t immediately ring a bell. Yet his story is a crucial harmony in Lisbon’s rich musical heritage. This is the Carlos Seixas Statue. It commemorates a composer who graced Portugal’s musical landscape in the 18th century.
José António Carlos de Seixas was born in Coimbra in 1704. His father was an organist. Music was in his blood. By age fourteen, Carlos followed in his father’s footsteps. He became the organist for the Coimbra Cathedral.
In 1720, Seixas moved to Lisbon. He took a position in the court of John V of Portugal. He served as court organist and harpsichordist. His skill and elegance at the keyboard quickly made him a favorite. Noble families sought him out as a teacher.
Legend says that Domenico Scarlatti met Seixas. Scarlatti was working in Portugal at the time. The king’s brother suggested Scarlatti give Seixas harpsichord lessons. But Scarlatti recognized Seixas’s talent. He quipped that Seixas should be giving him lessons instead.
Carlos Seixas excelled as an organist, harpsichordist, and composer. He married D. Maria Joana Tomásia da Silva at twenty-eight. They had two sons and three daughters. In 1738, King John V knighted him into the Order of Christ.
Sadly, his life was cut short. He died in 1742 at only thirty-eight from rheumatic fever. He was buried in the Santa Maria Basilica in Lisbon.
Many of Seixas’s compositions were lost. The great Lisbon earthquake of 1755 destroyed much of his work. Only a fraction of his output survived. Three orchestral pieces and around one hundred keyboard sonatas remain. Also a few choral works are still around today. These pieces offer a glimpse into his genius.
His surviving music showcases a range of styles. Some pieces echo Baroque toccatas. Others embrace the emerging galant style. Some are touched by the German Empfindsamer Stil. He blended diverse influences. These included the German Mannheim school and the French minuet. He added the Italian style of Scarlatti.
Carlos Seixas’s music embodies a spirit of improvisation. Despite limited travel, his work reflects a world of musical ideas. Macario Santiago Kastner called his works “unoccupied” with a particular form.
Today, Carlos Seixas’s legacy lives on through his music. Scholars study and perform his compositions. Recordings bring his music to new audiences. The Carlos Seixas Statue stands as a reminder. It celebrates a Portuguese composer who left an indelible mark on music. Take a moment to appreciate the statue. Think of the sounds that once filled Lisbon’s air thanks to Carlos Seixas.