His life...

Abade Costa (Porto (?) c.1714 ñ Vienna (?) c. 1780)

Through his letters, (1) we know that he left Portugal for Spain and Italy in 1749, (2) and stayed in Rome until 1754. Than we find an interruption on his correspondence, the next letter takes us to Venice, 1761. Although his final destination was Vienna, where, through the officies of the Portuguese Diplomat João de Bragança, Duke of Lafões, he met Gluck, Wagenseil, Hasse, Ditesdorf, Metastasio and C. Burney.

A. Costa and Burney became good friends, in the book of the English historiographer, (3) arrived to Vienna in 1772, we can appreciate some interesting aspects of the Abate's temperament and musical skills.

G Tartini. The Italian violinist and composer refers to the Portuguese guitarist in his "Somata à violino, e Basso [Ö] sopra lo stile che suona il Prette della chitarra Portughese" (5)

On his article, (4) Lopes-Graça makes an analysis of the letters and refers that in 1780 A. Costa was 66 years old.

The Portuguese guitarist and philosopher died blind and impoverished in Vienna, on an uncertain date ca.1780.

HIS MUSIC