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Tier 3 · vertical & regionalfull biography
Ernesto Nazareth
Person · male · Brazil · Rio de Janeiro · born 1863 · died 1934 · recording since 1975
Brazilian composer and pianist (1863–1934)
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Also known as Ernesto Júlio de Nazareth · エルネスト・ナザレー
Timeline
12 events▣ Album 9◦ Birth 1† Death 1★ Debut release 1
1860s
1930s
1970s
· Debut release
Debut release: Arthur Moreira Lima interpreta Ernesto Nazareth
First documented Album in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
2000s
· Album
Album: Bach: Partita No. 1, BWV 825 / Schubert: Improvisos / Nazareth
Album
source: musicbrainz
2010s
Biography
English biography785 words · 4 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1373648853
Biography
Ernesto Júlio de Nazareth (March 20, 1863 – February 1, 1934) was a Brazilian composer and pianist, especially noted for his creative maxixe and choro compositions. Influenced by a diverse set of dance rhythms including the polka, the habanera and the lundu, he combined these elements with his classical training to create compositions that he called “Brazilian tangos". These would be the precursors for what is known today as Choro. His piano repertoire is now part of the teaching programs of both classical and popular styles, as Nazareth once served at the boundary between these two worlds.
Biography
Nazareth was born in Rio de Janeiro, one of five children. His mother, Carolina da Cunha, gave him his first piano lessons. At the age of ten, after his mother's death, he continued his piano studies with Eduardo Madeira and Charles Lucien Lambert.
Strongly influenced by Chopin, Nazareth published his first composition Você Bem Sabe (which means "You know it well") in 1877, at age 14. At that time, he had begun his professional career playing in cafes, balls, society parties and in the waiting rooms of theaters. In 1893, Casa Vieira Machado published his famous tango Brejeiro.
In 1879, he wrote his first tango, Cruz perigo. In 1880, at age 17, he made his first public appearance at the Mozart Club. The following year, he composed the tango Não caio n'outra, his first great success, with several reprints. In 1885, he performed in concerts in different clubs of the court. In 1893, Casa Vieira Machado launched a new catalogue of his compositions, including the tango Brejeiro, which achieved national and even international success; the Republican Guard band of Paris included it in their repertoire and recorded it.
His first concert as a pianist took place in 1898. The following year he prepared the first edition of the tango Turuna. In 1905, he had his first work, Brejeiro, recorded by singer Mario Pinheiro with the title O sertanejo enamorado with lyrics by Catulo da Paixão Cearense. Meanwhile, the "Casa Édison" marching band recorded his tango Brushed, which became quite successful. In 1907 Nazareth was appointed third book-keeper of the National Treasury, a position that he did not occupy for not mastering the English language. In 1908, he began working as a pianist at the Mozart Club.
The following year, he participated in a concert held at the National Institute of Music, playing his gavotte Corbeille de fleurs and tango Batuque. He began giving private piano lessons, and worked as a pianist for Casa Gomes in 1921, and the Odeon Cinema from 1920 until 1924. In São Paulo and Campinas he performed several shows in the Municipal Theater and the Conservatory. He was given a grand piano as a gift from his admirers. He was one of the first artists to play for the Society Radio of Rio de Janeiro. In 1932 he presented, for the first time, a recital in which he performed only his compositions.
In 1933, after a period of mental instability following the deaths of his wife and daughter, and diagnosed with syphilis and worsening hearing problems caused by a fall during childhood, Nazareth was hospitalized at the Juliano Moreira Asylum in Jacarepaguá. He fled the asylum February 1, 1934 and was found dead three days later in the adjacent forest near a waterfall, where he had drowned.
Catalog of works
Nazareth was noted for creatively combining diverse influences into his music, not only of Brazilian music but also from the music of Europe, Africa and ragtime. Many of his compositions remain part of the repertory today. He composed 88 tangos, 41 waltzes, 28 polkas and numerous sambas, galops, quadrilles, Schottisches, fox-trots, romances and other types of scores, totaling 211 complete compositions.
Media
'Escovado' is a common slang which means 'smart'. Ary Vasconcelos tells us in his book Panorama da Musica Popular Brasileira that Nazareth was a "devoted family man who often gave the songs he composed titles in honor of his son, sometimes his wife, or another relative". Travesso was dedicated to his son Ernesto, Marieta and Eulina to his two daughters, Dora to his wife Theodora, Brejeiro to his nephew Gilbert, etc.
Escovado was first published by Casa Vieira Machado & Co. and dedicated to Fernando Nazareth, the composer's younger brother. It became one of Nazareth's greatest success, having the main theme been later tapped by the French composer Darius Milhaud in his Le bœuf sur le toit (1919). In September 1930, accepting an invitation made by Eduardo Souto, then artistic director of Odeon-Parlophone, Nazareth recorded this piece.
Brejeiro is one of the ambient songs in the game Civilization VI, when playing with Brazil. The version used in the game was composed and directed by Geoff Knorr.
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 16 | 74.5th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 14 | 84.5th |
| Studio albums | 12 | 92.8th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 12 | 88.9th |
| Recording span (years) | -41 | 7.1th |
| Genres | 1 | 56th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (14 release groups · 12 studio albums)
Albums · 12
Arthur Moreira Lima interpreta Ernesto Nazareth
1975 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 25 tracks · 1:37:36
Disc 1A1Fon Fon2:12A2Confidências6:00A3Retumbante3:02A4Faceira5:44A5Turuna4:56A6Ameno Resedá2:26B1Batuque4:32B2Coração Que Sente5:35B3Duvidoso2:46B4Turbilhão de Beijos6:25B5Labirinto3:01B6Apanhei-Te Cavaquinho2:07Disc 2C1Famoso3:29C2Fidalga6:46C3Floraux3:56C4Nenê2:47C5Mercedes4:33C6Odeon2:58D1Brejeiro2:09D2Eponina6:28D3Escovado2:49D4Passaros Em Festa6:00D5Sarambeque2:49D6Vem Cá, Branquinha2:11D7Você Bem Sabe1:55Arthur Moreira Lima interpreta Ernesto Nazareth Volume 2
1975 · studio album
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Tracklist · 13 tracks · 49:07
1Famoso3:322Fidalga6:503Floraux3:594Nenê2:295Mercedes4:366Odeon3:047Brejeiro2:118Eponina6:319Escovado2:5210Pássaros em festa6:0311Sarambeque2:5112Vem cá, Branquinha2:1313Você nem sabe1:56Arthur Moreira Lima interpreta Ernesto Nazareth Volume 3
1977 · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks · 52:01
1Bambino3:222Crê e espera6:033Tenebroso5:374Favorito4:175Perigoso2:466O futurista3:557Plangente6:338Dirce4:039Subtil3:5010Quebradinha4:5911Meigo3:5912Espalhafatoso2:372005 · studio album
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Tracklist · 15 tracks · 1:06:48
1Epônina, valsa6:152Odeon, tango para piano3:103Elegantíssima, valsa capricho4:084Coração que sente, valsa7:225Ouro sobre azul, tango5:076Vesper, valsa5:117Escorregando, tango brasileiro2:468Turbilhão de beijos, valsa lenta6:289Apanhei-te, Cavaquinho, polka2:3310Zênite, tango2:4211Confidências, valsa6:3512Ameno resedá, polka3:2013Improviso, estudo de concerto3:5014Batuque, tango caracteristico4:4315Fon-Fon, tango2:382005 · studio album
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Tracklist · 17 tracks · 1:03:23
1Espalhafatoso (Boisterous)2:282Brejeiro (Mischievous)2:003Confidências (Confidences)7:064Escovado (Cunning)4:105Nenê (Baby)3:226Ameno Resedá2:327Turbilhão de Beijos (Whirlwind of kisses)6:568Gaúcho2:439Plangente (Lamenting)5:1210Topázio Liquido (Liquid Topaz)3:1711Ouro Sobre Azul (Gold on Blue)3:1612Sarambeque2:5913Epônina5:4814Escorregando (Going down well)2:3615Tenebroso (Gloomy)3:2016Odeon3:0817Apanhei-te Cavaquinho (I have grabbed you, Cavaquinho!)2:302005 · studio album
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Tracklist · 25 tracks · 1:16:04
1Brejeiro2:112Odeon2:493Vem ca branquinha2:274Fon-Fon2:185Gaucho2:5369 de Julho4:027Sarabeque2:528Dengozo2:299Carioca4:2410Nene2:4711Espalhafatoso2:4212Adieu5:2313Improviso3:0614Andante Expressivo2:5215Voce bem sabe1:5116Ameno Reseda2:4617A Fonte do sospiro2:0118Apanhei-te Cavaquino2:1219Coracao que sente4:3420Passaros em Festa4:1821Saudade2:5322Expansiva2:2123Confidencias3:2824Faceira3:4025Elite-Club2:452008 · studio album
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Tracklist · 17 tracks · 1:04:01
1Brejeiro (tango)2:212Pássaros em Festa (waltz)5:113Tenebroso (tango)4:064Apanhei-te Cavaquinho (choro)2:315Confidências (waltz)4:156Sarambeque (tango)3:067Travesso (tango)3:158Coração que Sente (waltz)5:479Odeon (Brazilian tango)2:5810Epônina (waltz)5:1311Cubanos (Brazilian tango)2:4812Crê e Espera (waltz)3:1913Fon Fon (tango)2:5914Vesper (waltz)4:3215Faceira (waltz)4:1216Batuque (tango caracteristico)4:2417Ameno Resedá (polka)3:04Bach: Partita No. 1, BWV 825 / Schubert: Improvisos / Nazareth
2009 · studio album
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Tracklist · 14 tracks · 1:02:24
1Partita No. 1 em si bemol maior, BWV 825: I. Praeludium1:552Partita No. 1 em si bemol maior, BWV 825: II. Allemande2:053Partita No. 1 em si bemol maior, BWV 825: III. Corrente1:594Partita No. 1 em si bemol maior, BWV 825: IV. Sarabande3:525Partita No. 1 em si bemol maior, BWV 825: V. Minuets I & II2:536Partita No. 1 em si bemol maior, BWV 825: VI. Gigue1:357Improvisos, Op. 90 (D 899), No. 1 em dó menor9:538Improvisos, Op. 90 (D 899), No. 2 em mi bemol menor4:599Improvisos, Op. 90 (D 899), No. 3 em sol bemol menor5:5210Improvisos, Op. 90 (D 899), No. 4 em lá bemol maior7:4711Pássaros em festa5:0912Confidências4:1513Coração que sente5:4614Vésper4:242015 · studio album
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Tracklist · 18 tracks · 1:18:33
1Escovado - Tango4:142Ameno Reseda - Polca3:113Fantástica - Valsa Brilhante3:484Suculento - Samba Brasileiro3:115Plangente - Tango Em Estilo Habanera5:386If I Am Not Mistaken - Fox-Trot3:517Cacique - Tango3:428Carioca - Tango5:119Poloneza - Polonaise7:2710Pássaros Em Festa - Valsa4:4211Dengoso - Maxixe3:0912Batuque - Tango Caracteristico4:1613Marcha Fúnebre3:3414Ouro Sobre Azul - Tango4:1215Êxtase - Romance4:4616Marietta - Polca3:3717Digo - Tango6:3518Recordações Do Passado - Valsa3:29Arthur Moreira Lima interpreta Ernesto Nazareth, Volume 4
— · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks · 52:28
1Carioca6:272Escorregando2:333Adieu4:314Sustenta a... nota2:535Yolanda5:426Elegantíssima4:097Expansiva5:098Janota1:509Ouro sobre azul5:5810Improviso3:5711Dora6:2912Pinguin2:50— · studio album
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Tracklist · 15 tracks · 54:41
1Odeon (Tango)2:372Escorregando (Tango brasileiro)2:283Duvidoso (Tango)2:464Eponina (Valsa)6:415Batuque (Tango)4:146Fon-Fon (Tango)2:127Confidencias (Valsa)6:418Famoso (Tango)3:459Mercedes (Mazurca de Expressao)3:5910Vem Cá, Branquinha (Tango)2:3811Apanhei-te, Cavaquinho (Polka)2:0112Brejeiro (Tango)2:0313Bambino (Tango)3:3214Sarambeque (Tango)2:3815Carioca (Tango)6:26— · studio album
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Tracklist · 44 tracks · 2:28:12
Disc 11Cheirava-te (Polca)2:352Polca em Sol (Polca)4:223Falando às Flores (Schottisch)4:164Sinhá (Polca)3:235Despedida 1905 (Polca)4:096Não Venhas Assim (Polca)2:537Sertanejo (Tango)2:498Valsa em Dó (Valsa)4:069Roceira (Tango)4:5310Olegária (Valsa)4:4611Tira Poeira (Polca)3:4512Poesia e Amor (Schottisch)3:0513Assim Mesmo (Polca)2:5514Bouquet (Schottisch)4:12Disc 21Quando Eu Sonhava (Polca)3:072Carinhosa (Polca)3:303Flausina (Polca)3:144Solicitadora (Polca)2:535Candoca (Polca)2:586Lembrança da Ilha do Governador (Choro)3:547Bellinha (Valsa)3:358Invejosa (Polca)3:069Saudades de Maxambomba (Polca)2:4410Evangelina (Polca)2:4111Dudu (Polca)2:4312Jocosa (Polca)2:3313Saudades da Lapa (Polca)4:0014Vamos Dançar (Polca)2:52Disc 31Cruzeiro (Tango)2:422Garoto (Tango)2:573Guerreiro (Tango)2:564Paraíso (Tango)2:165Perigoso (Tango)3:106Pingüim (Tango)2:577Retumbante (Tango)3:028Jovelina (Choro)3:139Valsa (Valsa)4:2910Purcina (Polca)3:2311Fraternidade (Polca)3:3212Rosinha (Polca)3:4213Gelina (Polca)3:5614Mazurca (Mazurca)2:5115Marianinha (Polca)2:5016Amapá (Choro)4:17
Album · 2
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Tangos d'Argentine, Tangos du BrésilSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 15 tracks · 1:03:231Apanhei-te Cavaquinho2:56 2Otoño porteño3:57 3Libertango4:12 4Invierno porteño3:49 5Adios Nonino6:09 6Escorregando2:25 7Verano porteño4:34 8Milonga del angel4:42 9La muerte del angel3:34 10Odeon3:10 11Los Paraguas de Buenos Aires2:27 12Tango Etude n.34:20 13Histoire du tango: Bordel 19004:13 14Histoire du tango: Café 19307:10 15Histoire du tango: Night Club 19605:45 | Compilation | 8 October 2006 | |
| 2010 | Coleção Folha Raízes da Música Popular Brasileira, Volume 20Search SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 14 tracks · 47:061Odeon2:27 2Apanhei-te cavaquinho2:18 3Brejeiro1:49 4Faceira4:02 5Perigoso2:52 6Quebradinha4:57 7Tenebroso5:35 8Bambino3:19 9Floraux3:32 10Atlântico2:55 11Fidalga3:45 12Sarambeque2:50 13Famoso2:52 14O futurista3:53 | Compilation | 2010 |
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Ernesto Nazareth head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 16 | 74.5th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 14 | 84.5th |
| Studio albums | 12 | 92.8th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 12 | 88.9th |
| Recording span (years) | -41 | 7.1th |
| Genres | 1 | 56th |
Awards & honours
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ernestonazareth2.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/23881bc5-1e0c-49f8-b23f-de5261b84efadiscography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/23881bc5-1e0c-49f8-b23f-de5261b84efacore—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1356808genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1356808seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernesto_Nazarethbiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernesto_Nazareth
Why this artist is in the database
- List of Brazilian musicians
- List of composers by name
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
Image: no portrait · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q1356808 · MusicBrainz: 23881bc5-1e0c-49f8-b23f-de5261b84efa
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