Paulina

Levy wrote two Polkas, entitled Paulina and Recuerdos. Paulina was the name of his only sister who, like his older brothers, Luiz Henrique and Alexandre, was also a pianist. No edition of the work has been found, only a manuscript in Said Tuma's private collection, which indicates the date of composition as 1882. The name Paulina is written on a note positioned at the top of the score, which appears on the photocopy. One can conjecture that, instead of the name, Paulina could be the dedication. But it is written on the same note, “Paulina – Polka by Alex. Levy”. Thus, it is assumed that title and authorship are certified. This piece does not appear in the list of works printed by the Casa Levy in 1929 but is mentioned in the list prepared by musicologist Arnaldo Senise. Some studies of Levy's work expressly value its ties to urban popular music, leading to an understanding of the composer as a "pre-nationalist". However, the Recuerdos and Paulina polkas, which use popular elements in vogue at the time, are never mentioned as an example of this trend. This work approaches what is broadly called salon music. The recording made for this project is the first known record of this work.