Migone, Francisco Xavier

Francisco Xavier Migone (1811-1861) was a pianist, composer, music director and teacher. His first work was a four-voice mass presented in January 1831 at the private chapel of Fernando Maria de Sousa Coutinho, the 2nd Marquess of Borba, by his teacher, the composer and organist Frei José Marques e Silva (Vieira 1900, ii, pp. 85-86). According to the autograph score, it was dedicated to António Manuel de Menezes (1788-1848), 1st Count of Seia (P-Ln, C.N. 3 and C.N. 4//1: https://purl.pt/30336 and https://purl.pt/30337). Marques e Silva was also responsible for securing an appointment for Migone as a teacher at the University of Coimbra, though due to the ongoing Liberal Wars it never materialised. In any case, Migone was made professor of piano at the newly created music conservatory (Conservatório de Música), following the liberal victory, in 1835. Migone subsequently became a leading musician in Lisbon, especially from 1842 onwards, the year he was appointed to succeed João Domingos Bomtempo as director of the conservatory, all the while keeping his duties as professor of piano. Shortly after, Migone became master of the S. Carlos theatre (1843-1846; 1848-c.1857), working as a director and eventually presenting his own stage works there, the most successful of which was Sampiero (1852). He undertook journeys to Milan and Paris in 1857 to recruit new singers for the theatre, though together with his busy career they took their toll on his health; he was forced to stop working shortly after. According to Vieira, Migone, who became a Commander of the Order of Christ (Comendadore da Ordem de Cristo) was the Portuguese musician of his time who achieved the greatest professional success (1900, ii, p. 88).

Ernesto Vieira, Diccionario biographico de musicos portuguezes: historia e bibliographia da musica em Portugal, 2 vols. (Lisbon: Typographia Mattos Moreira & Pinheiro, 1900), ii, pp. 85-89.