Organists and Organ Builders: mutual influences between Frei José Marques e Silva and António Xavier Machado e Cerveira

Professional relations between composers and instrument makers are a constant throughout music history and the connection between the type of organ developed in Portugal (especially in the region of Lisbon) during the turn of the 19th century and a specific repertoire produced in the same area and period has been already pointed out. Frei José Marques e Silva (1782-1837) was organist at the Bemposta Chapel, where António Xavier Machado e Cerveira (1765-1828) built an organ in 1791. The musical writing of Marques e Silva makes extended use of the idiosyncrasies of Cerveira's instruments and it is highly probable that the organist of the Queen's chapel and the Royal organ builder would have met. The analysis of several works by Marques e Silva – namely his Te Deum for male choir and two organs, written in 1812 for the Basilica of Mafra right after Cerveira's renovation works – suggests a mutual influence: not only is the music of Marques e Silva clearly intended for the the organs of Cerveira, but also some specific features of the instruments seem to have been created at the composer's request.