Esther Scliar facts for kids

Esther Scliar (born September 28, 1926 – died March 18, 1978) was a talented Brazilian pianist and composer. She created many pieces of music and taught others about music.

A Young Life in Music

Esther Scliar was born in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Her parents were Isaac and Rosa Scliar. Esther spent her early childhood in Rivera, Uruguay. When her parents separated, Esther moved with her father to Passo Fundo. There, she and her sister were raised by their aunt, Jayme Scliar Kruter.

Esther started taking piano lessons in Passo Fundo. Her teachers were Eva Kruter Kotlhar and Judith Pacheco. Later, her father remarried, and they moved back to Porto Alegre. Esther finished her studies at the American College and also graduated in piano from the Institute of Fine Arts.

Becoming a Musician and Teacher

After finishing her studies, Esther taught piano. She also continued to study composition at the Institute of Fine Arts. She later studied in Rio de Janeiro with H.J. Koellreuter and in Venice with Hermann Scherchen.

Esther also became involved in politics. She joined a political group called the Communist Youth, which was part of the PCB. This showed her interest in making society better.

Scliar worked as a pianist and taught many subjects. She taught harmony, music theory, analysis, and composition. She taught at places like the Instituto Villa-Lobos and Seminários de Música Pró-Arte. In 1952, she studied how to lead a choir with Nilda Müller in Montevideo. She then started and led the first choir for the Musical Youth Association of Porto Alegre.

In 1966, Esther wrote the music for a movie called The Loss of Mario Fiorani. She even won an award for "Best Song" at a film festival called the Brazilian Film Week II.

Later Years

In 1952, Esther found out she had tuberculosis. Later, in 1968, she had a stroke. Because of her health, she had to leave her job at the Villa-Lobos Institute. Her father passed away in 1975. Esther Scliar died at the age of 51 in 1978.

Her Musical Works

Esther Scliar's music was often inspired by folk music, which is traditional music from a region. She wrote about ninety musical pieces in total. Here are some of her selected compositions:

• 1950 Ao sair da Lua (for chorus)
• 1952 A pedrinha vai (for chorus)
• 1953 Vira a Moenda (for chorus)
• 1953 Dorme-Dorme (for chorus)
• 1953 Beira Mar
• 1953 Maracatu Elefante (based on a melody by Capiba)
• 1953 Papagaio louro (text by Geny Marcondes)
• 1953 Flor da noite (text by Geny Marcondes)
• 1953 Acalanto (text by Geny Marcondes)
• 1953 Oração à manhã (text by Geny Marcondes)
• 1953 Por sete mares (text by Geny Marcondes)
• 1953 Bumba meu boi
• 1953 Uma, duas angolinhas
• 1953 Romeiro de São Francisco
• 1953 Si quizieras que cantemos
• 1953 La Virgen de las Mercedes
• 1953 Toada de Nanã
• 1953 No Parque (for children's chorus)
• 1954 A Esquila (for voice and piano - poetry by Laci Osório)
• 1954 Novos Cantares (with poetry by García Lorca)
• 1954 Modinha (with poetry by Langston Hughes)
• 1954 Modinha (with poetry by Juan Ramón Jiménez)
• 1954 Eu plantei a cana
• 1954 João Pestana
• 1954 Boiadeiro
• 1954 Duas Toadas (for solo piano)
• 1956 Eu Fui Chamado pra Cantar no Limoeiro (on a folk theme, for 4 voices, string quintet and piano)
• 1957 Cantiga do Cacau (for chorus)
• 1957 Abertura
• 1960 Sonata (for flute and piano)
• 1960 Orchestration of A Marcha dos Deputados (music by Geny Marcondes) for Revolução na América do Sul, a documentary by Augusto Boal
• 1961 Sonata (for piano)
• 1962 Musical direction of Quatro Séculos de Maus Costumes, directed by Paulo Afonso Grisolli
• 1962 O Menino Ruivo (for mixed chorus a capella, with poetry by Reynaldo Jardim)
• 1962 Desenho Leve (for chorus, with poetry by Cecília Meireles)
• 1963 Score and musical direction of As famosas Asturianas de Augusto Boal
• 1964 Canto Menor com Final Heróico (for chorus, text by Reynaldo Jardim)
• 1965 Lua, Lua, Lua (for chorus, text by Lucia Candall)
• 1965 Pachamana (for chorus)
• 1965 Para Peneirar (for chorus)
• 1965 Entre o Ser e as Coisas (for voice and piano with poetry by Carlos Drummond de Andrade)
• 1966 Music for the film A Derrota by Mário Fiorani
• 1966 Movimento de Quarteto (for quartet)
• 1971 Busca da Identidade entre o Homem e o Rio (for chorus with poetry by José Carlos Capinam)
• 1973 Sentimiento del Tempo (for mixed chorus with poetry by Giuseppe Ungaretti)
• 1974 Ofulú Lorerê ê (after a song of Oxalá) (for chorus)
• 1976 Imbricata (for flute, oboe and piano)
• 1976 Estudo nº 1 (for viola)
• 1976 Praia do Fim do Mundo (for chorus, with poetry by Cecília Meireles)
• 1976 Toada de Gabinete (for chorus)
• 1977 Intermorfose
• 1978 Invenção a Duas Vozes (for alto sax and piano)

Books

Esther Scliar also wrote books about music theory and analysis. These books helped students learn more about music.

• Fraseologia Musical (1982)
• Elementos de Teoria Musical (1985)
• Análise de Density 21, 5 de Varèse (1985)
• Solfejos Gradativos - Ed. Goldberg