Joly Braga Santos: Complete Chamber Music, Volume Two
Joly Braga Santos (1924–88) was one of the most important composers in twentieth- century Portugal. In his early works his fondness for modal harmony, absorbed from the Portuguese masters of the Renaissance, and his busy counterpoint combine to make him sound surprisingly close to such particularly English composers as Vaughan Williams and Moeran. Although his harmonic language became more astringent with time, it retained a burly sense of humour and a powerful charge of energy, often infused with the spirit of Portuguese folk-dance. The five works on this second volume cover three decades of composition, from the mid-1950s to the mid-1980s, and offer a wide array of instrumental combinations.
Jill Lawson, piano (Tracks 1–7)
Eliot Lawson, violin (Tracks 1, 5–7)
Natalia Tchitch,viola (Tracks 1–4)
Catherine Strynckx, cello (Tracks 1 , 5–7)
Adriano Aguiar, double bass (Tracks 2–4)
Ricardo Lopes, oboe (Tracks 2–4, 8–9)
Nuno Ivo Cruz, flute (Tracks 8–9)
António Saiote, clarinet (Tracks 8–9)
Carolino Carreira, bassoon (Tracks 8–9)
Paulo Guerreiro, horn (Tracks 8–12)
Jorge Almeida, trumpet (Tracks 10–12)
António QuÃtalo, trumpet (Tracks 10–12)
Pedro Monteiro, trumpet (Tracks 10–12)
Jarrett Butler, trombone (Tracks 10–12)
VÃtor Faria, trombone (Tracks 10–12)
IlÃdio Massacote, tuba (Tracks 10–12)
Listen To This Recording:
-
Piano Quartet, Op. 28 (1957)
- Piano Quartet, Op. 28
- I Prelúdio
- II Sarabanda
- III Tarantella
- I Largo
- II Allegro
- III Lento
- I Adagio
- II Allegretto
- I Moderato
- II Allegretto
- III Andante
Suite of Dances, Op. 63, for piano, oboe, viola and double bass (1984)
Piano Trio, Op. 64 (1985)
Adagio e Scherzino for woodwind quintet (1956)
Suite for Brass for three trumpets, horn, two trombones and tuba (1985)*
*FIRST RECORDING
FIRST COMPLETE RECORDING
Gustavo Infante :
The second volume of Braga Santos’s complete chamber music brings a good selection of pieces, including some of his late works. A totally biased opinion here, as I love his music. This said, it’s an excellent recording made by excellent musicians, and which certainly complements the Naxos recordings of his orchestral works for all those who are interested in discovering more about his music.
MusicWeb International :
‘As ever Toccata has not stinted in its production values. The booklet is excellent, full but always pertinent. The recording has been well judged, and the performances are fully attuned to Braga Santos’ musical imperatives. There’s also a wide variety of instrumentation to be savoured here. There’s nothing I didn’t like about this release.’
—Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International
MusicWeb International :
‘All works here are played with remarkable assurance, commitment and deep musicality by musicians who clearly love the music. […] In short, this is a very fine release by any count and I urge anyone enjoying Braga Santos’ music to explore it without delay.’
—Hubert Culot, MusicWeb International