Manuel Joaquim

Manuel Joaquim was born in Tinhela de Monforte on 21 October 1894 and died in Coimbra on 28 March 1986. He was a leading figure in Portuguese musicology, and his name is associated above all with the study and editing of the music of his country. He trained as a military musician and in 1929 became a bandmaster.

Throughout his life he combined musical practice with historical research, focusing almost always on the Portuguese repertoire. He drew up descriptive catalogues of important musical manuscripts, among them those held at the Ducal Palace in Vila Viçosa, and prepared editions of composers such as Duarte Lobo, Lopes Morago and Manuel Mendes. Among his other writings, the study of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, published in 1954, is the one most often cited.

His legacy lies in the rigour of his research and the clarity of his method. His writings are distinguished by scholarly precision and are fundamental to an understanding of the history of Portuguese music.