Francisco Manuel da Silva

Who was Francisco Manuel da Silva?

Francisco Manuel da Silva was a songwriter and music professor. He was born and died in Rio de Janeiro. He had great prominence in the musical life of Rio de Janeiro in the period between the death of José Maurício Nunes Garcia and Antônio Carlos Gomes. He was a singer of Capela Real since 1809, and later a cello player. He was one of the founders of Imperial Academia de Música e Ópera Nacional, of Sociedade Beneficência Musical e Conservatório Imperial de Música, which became Instituto Nacional de Música and is called Escola de Música da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.

He was taught by José Maurício Nunes Garcia and, most probably, by Sigismund Neukomm. He was directly responsible for Capela Imperial's reinstatement and being turned to its old beauty. He left a handful of works, spread around Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and São Paulo archives, covering gospel music, modinhas and lundus.

He wrote the Brazilian National Anthem, first as a patriotic march, since Dom Pedro I's resignation, later being officialized as anthem by the Brazilian Republic Revolution. He also composed one opera, O prestigio da lei.