Alexandre Levy (10 November 1864 – 17 January 1892) was a Brazilian composer, pianist and conductor. Born in São Paulo, he pioneered a fusion of classical composition with Brazil's popular folk music and rhythms. Levy died prematurely at the age of 27, and is the first known musician to die at the infamous age. His hometown grants a prestigious award in his name.
His Jewish family came from France and was musically active. His father founded the most important music business of the city and was himself clarinetist.
Darius Milhaud, in his ballet Le Bœuf sur le toit, borrowed a theme from Levy's Tango Brasileiro.
List of piano works
1880
Fantasia para dois pianos a partir de temas da ópera O Guarany
1881
Impromptu-Caprice, op. 1
1882
Fosca, fantasia brilhante, op. 3
3 Improvisations, op. 4
Romance sans paroles
A la Hongroise
Pensée fugitive
Valsa-Capricho, op. 5
Mazurca n. 1, op. 6 no 1
Mazurca n. 2, op. 6 no 2
Recuerdos - Polca de Salão
1883
Causerie
Cavalcante
Collin Maillard
Étude
Je t'en prie
Petite marche
1885
Plaintive
Scherzo-valse, op. 9
1887
Improviso n. 2
Trois Morceaux, op. 13
Coeur blessé
Amour passé
Doute
Allegro Appassionato, op. 14
Variations sur un thème populaire brésilien (Vem Cá, Bitu)
1890
Tango Brasileiro
Samba (Suite Brésilienne, IV.)
1891
Schumanniana, op. 16
Allegretto, ma un poco agitato
Allegro moderato
Lento
Allegretto giocoso
Moderato assai
Allegro
Moderato
Allegro molto - Presto
Date of composition unknown
Papillonnage
En mer (poème musical) a quatro mãos
Depart. Mer Calme
Le Ciel s'assombrit. Tempête
Clair de Lune. Idylle Fugitive
Comala (poème musical)
Further reading
Bettencourt, Gastão de. Temas de música brasileira. Rio de Janeiro: Ed. A Noite, 1941. Mariz, Vasco. História da Mùsica no Brasil. Rio de Janeiro: Nova Fronteira, 2005. 6ª edição, pp. 116–8. Cacciatore, Olga Gudolle. Dicionário biográfico de música erudita brasileira. Rio de Janeiro, Forense Universitária, 2005.