At seven she started taking piano lessons in São Paulo, where her family had moved to, with Luigi Chiaffarelli, an Italian who had been a pupil of Busoni and who was responsible for her incomparable tone, her seamless legato, her left hand being able to sing unknown phrases and her pedal sustaining the sound like if "floating" on the air. Chiaffarelli was also the teacher of Antonietta Rudge, another Brazilian pianist who made an international career in Europe in the beginning of the century and whom Artur Rubinstein considered as one of his musical passions.
At the age of 13, Guiomar Novaes was already known in São Paulo as a very gifted pianist and called attention of officials of the Brazilian Government; she received a grant for four years of study in Europe. In Paris, Mme. Novaes applied for the Paris Conservatoire, where she took first place among 388 candidates who auditioned. The jury consisted of Debussy, Fauré and Moszkowski. Mme. Novaes was admitted to the Conservatoire and there studied with Isidore Philipp. Her official European debut was with the Chatelet Orchestra, under Gabriel Pierné. She toured England, Italy, Switzerland and Germany and won a First Prize at the Paris Conservatoire.
The 1914 war interrupted her career in Europe and she went back to her native São Paulo in Brazil. She got an invitation to go to the USA and there her debut was at Aeolian Hall in New York, in 1915. After that, she kept on playing in the USA for near 57 years. Her last American recital was at Hunter College in 1972.
In Brazil Mme. Novaes married the Brazilian architect Octavio Pinto, who was probably her greatest admirer. They had two children, Ana Maria and Luiz Octavio. Octavio Pinto was an architect, but also a composer. His piano suite Scenas Infantis (Memories of Childhood), published by G. Schirmer, was recorded by his wife and often played as encore in her recitals.
Mme. Novaes was invited by Queen Elizabeth II to play a recital at the opening season of Queen Elizabeth Hall in London on April 30, 1967; the program included works by Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin and Debussy and encores by Villa-Lobos, Purcell and Vuillemin.
She died in São Paulo, Brazil, in 1979.
I. Philipp - Feux-Follets Op. 24 #3 - rec. 27 June 1919 A. Levy - Tango Brasileiro - rec. 1 April 1920 I. J. Paderewski - Nocturne in B-Flat, Op. 16 #4 - rec. 3 April 1920 C. W. Gluck (arr. Brahms) - Gavotte from "Iphigenia in Aulis" - rec. 9 April 1920 L. V. Beethoven - (arr. Anton Rubinstein) - Turkish March from "Ruins of Athens" - rec. 9 April 1920 F. Mendelssohn - Spring Song Op. 62 # 6 - rec. 9 April 1920 M. Moszkowski - Guitarre Op. 45 #2 - rec. 9 April 1920 F. Chopin - Mazurka in D Op. 33 # 2 - rec. 9 April 1920 F. Liszt - Waldesrauschen (Etude de Concert) - rec. 11 June 1923 F. Liszt - Gnomereigen (Etude de Concert) - rec. 11 June 1923 M. Moszkowski - La Jongleuse Op. 52 # 4 - rec. 12 June 1923 C. W. Gluck (arr. I. Friedman) - Dance of the Blessed Spirits from "Orfeo"- rec. 12 June 1923 E. MacDowell - Witches' Dance Op. 17 # 2 - rec. 12 June 1923 A. Rubinstein - Nocturne in G Op. 75 # 8 - rec. 12 June 1923 L. M. Gottschalk - Grande Fantasie Triomphale sur l'Hymne National Brésilien Op. 69 - rec. 12 June 1923 R. Strauss (arr. Godowsky) - Standchen Op. 17#2 - rec. 8 April 1927 I. Albéniz (arr. Godowsky) - Tango in D Op. 165 # 2 - rec. 8 April 1927 J. Ibert - The Little White Donkey from "Histoires" - rec. 8 April 1927 H. Villa-Lobos - O Polichinelo from "Prole do Bebê #1" - rec. 8 April 1927 L. M. Gottschalk - Grande Fantasie Triomphale sur l'Hymne National Brésilien Op. 69 - rec. 8 April 1927
I. Albéniz (arr. Godowsky) - Tango L. V. Beethoven - Piano Sonata # 26 Op. 81a (Les Adieux) F. Chopin - Berceuse Op. 57; Etudes Op. 10 #5 and Op. 25 #9; Nocturne Op. 15 #2; Prelude Op. 28 #15 C. W. Gluck (arr. Brahms) - Gavotte from "Iphigenia in Aulis" C. W. Gluck (arr. C. Saint-Saëns) - Carpice sur des Airs de Ballet from "Alceste" B. L. Godard - Dance of the Butterflies Op. 69 L. M. Gottschalk - Grande Fantasie Triomphale sur l'Hymne National Brésilien Op. 69; The Last Hope Op. 16 A. Grunfeld - Romance Op. 45 # 1 J. F. Händel (arr. Parsons) - Largo J. Ibert - Le Petit Âne Blanc T. Leschetizky - Etude Héroique Op. 48 #3 A. Levy - Tango Brasileiro F. Liszt - Dance of the Gnomes E. MacDowell - Witches Dance Op 17 #2 F. Mendelssohn - Spring Song Op 62 #6 E. Moret - Valse #1 M. Moszkowski - Guitarre Op 45 #2 W. Niemann - Night in Seville Op. 55 #2 H. Oswald - Valsa Lenta I. Paderewski - Nocturne Op. 16 #4 I. Philipp - Feux Follets Op. 24 #3 A. Rubinstein - Nocturne Op. 75 #8 G. Sbambati - Landler (Tirolèse) R. Schumann - Nachtstücke Op. 23 #4
The recordings made by Guiomar Novaes for Columbia are:
H. Villa-Lobos - As Três Marias H. Villa-Lobos - Branquinha (from "A Prole do Bebê 1") H. Villa-Lobos - Moreninha (from "A Prole do Bebê 1") H. Villa-Lobos - A Pobrezinha (from "A Prole do Bebê 1") J. S, Bach - Toccata in D major (Fantasy and Fugue) I. Albéniz - Triana; Evocación F. Mompou - Jeunes-Filles au Jardin C. Guarnieri - Toccata D. Scarlatti - Sonatas L 8 and L 487 I. Philipp - Feux-Follets Op. 24 #3 W. A. Mozart - Rondó K 511 C. W. Gluck (arr. C. Saint-Saëns) - Carpice sur des Airs de Ballet from "Alceste" Daquin - L'Hirondelle F. Couperin - La Tendre Nanette F. Chopin - Ballade # 3 Op. 47 O. Pinto - Cenas Infantis Brazilian Folk Songs (arr. G. Novaes)
Some previously unreleased Columbia recordings have been remastered and released on CD by MUSIC & ARTS. The 2-CD album (CD-1029(2)) is called "GUIOMAR NOVAES PLAYS CHOPIN & unissued studio recordings, 1940-1947".
The unreleased Columbia Chopin recordings are: Scherzo nš 3 in C sharp minor Op. 39 Sonata nš 3 in B minor Op. 58 Etude in E major Op.10 nš 3 Sonata nš 2 in B flat minor Op. 35 Also included, from her Chopin recital at Town Hall in 1949, are: Impromptu nš 2 in F sharp major Op. 36 Fantaisie in F minor Op. 49 24 Preludes Op. 28 Two Mazurkas (Op. 41 nš 1 and Mazurka in a minor without opus, dedicated to Émile Gaillard) Scherzo nš 4 in E major Op. 54 The encores at the recital were also included in the CD: Chopin - Nocturne in F sharp major Op. 15 nš 2 Chopin - Etude in G flat major Op. 25 nš 9 Gluck/Friedman - Dance of the Blessed Spirits Philipp - Feux-follets Acknowledgement - we thank Mr. Farhan Malik for the Columbia information.
Acknowledgement - we thank Mr. Richar Turk for the Turnabout information.
Acknowledgement - we thank Mr. Farhan Malik for the International Piano Archive information.
F. Mignone - Velho Tema (Transcendental Etudes #1) O. Pinto - Scenes of Childhood M. Nobre - Samba Matuto (from Ciclo Nordestino) A. Ribeiro Pinto - Pregão (from Imagens Perdidas) J. Souza Lima - Improvisação # 1 C. Guarnieri - Ponteio #30 H. Villa-Lobos - Prole do Bebê #1 (Branquinha & Moreninha) H. Villa-Lobos - O Ginete do Pierrozinho (from Carnaval das Criancas) H. Villa-Lobos - Guia Prático (Manda Tiro, Tiro, La; Pirulito; Rosa Amarela; Garibaldi foi a Missa) L. M. Gottschalk - Grande Fantasie Triomphale sur l'Hymne National Brésilien Op. 69
These recordings are included in a 2-CD album called Piano Brasileiro (Brazilian Piano), released in 1996.
This CD can be ordered at Concerto, MCD, FNAC do Brasil or Saraiva Megastore. The program featured is a live recital, recorded at Sala Cecília Meireles, Rio de Janeiro, on Agust 30, 1969 (stereo, remastered):
C. W. Gluck (arr. Sgambatti) - Melody from "Orfeo" C. Saint-Saëns - Capricce sur des Airs de Ballet de Alceste (Gluck) R. Schumann - Carnaval Op. 9 O. Pinto - Cenas de Infância (nš 2 and nš 3) F. Chopin - Sonata nš 2 Op. 35 F. Chopin - Mazurka Op. 24 nš 4 L. vuillemin - Les Binious (nš 1 from En Kernéo) L. M. Gottschalk - Grande Fantaisie Triomphale sur l'Hymne National Brésilien Op. 69
Special Acknowledgement - We would like to express our deepest thanks to Ms. Orsini, who provided us a with a copy of her most valuable thesis "Guiomar Novaes - a Life, a Work", presented in 1988 at the University of São Paulo during her Associate Professor exam. Through Ms. Orsini's research work, we were able to get information about Mme. Novaes's recordings on Duo-Art, as well as some recordings on Victor and Columbia. We also had the chance of getting comprehensive information regarding Mme. Novaes's concert and recital programs throughout her career, which was the source for the Novaes Repertoire page.
rpassarj@compuserve.com or rpassarj@attglobal.net
Last update 23-Oct-03
Background music heard is Saint-Saëns's Caprice, based on Gluck's opera Alceste. Click here to download the file (8.96 KB).