Little gems of Brazilian piano music: an annotated catalog of Inah Machado Sandoval’s piano compositions

The purpose of this essay is to create a catalog of all known compositions for solo piano of the Brazilian pianist, teacher, and composer Inah Lacaz Machado Sandoval. Tia Inah, (English: “Aunt” Inah) how she was affectionately called by those who knew her, relatives or not, was born in São Paulo in 1906, the youngest daughter of an outstanding piano teacher who taught her how to play the instrument. After getting married in 1927, Sandoval moved to the city of Franca, in the interior of São Paulo state. There, she composed her first piece that same year and never stopped composing, have written nearly two hundred works including, solo piano pieces, songs, and hymns.

With clear influences of composers such as Ernesto Nazareth, Marcelo Tupinambá, Chiquinha Gonzaga, Frédéric Chopin and Isaac Albéniz, Sandoval`s compositions constitute an excellent example of the history of the piano in Brazil. Unfortunately, except for one piece for children called “Soldadinhos Valentes,” all her works remain unpublished and still in manuscripts. The goal of this project is to expose these works to performers and teachers, making them widely accessible.

The material used as basis for the elaboration of this document was made available by Cesário Ramos Machado, nephew of the composer, and Maria Helena Sandoval Machado, daughter of the composer who, besides granting written permission to edit and disclose Sandoval`s works, graciously provided the manuscripts of her compositions as well as video and audio recordings, interviews, recital programs and newspaper clippings.

Ultimately, this project will make available a valuable resource for pianists who are interested in Brazilian piano music in a broader sense and works by women composers in particular. It will include editions of all available manuscripts of Sandoval`s compositions for solo piano as well as a one paragraph description for each piece from a pedagogic standpoint. The editions will be accessible via a supplemental file. In addition to the editions and descriptions, the liner notes and article about Sandoval `s biography and compositional style will provide a better understanding of her musical expression. Ultimately, this project will promote Sandoval `s music to pianists, teachers, and audiences alike.