Joly Braga Santos

Started by Dundonnell, August 20, 2007, 02:51:55 PM

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vandermolen

Quote from: SymphonicAddict on September 17, 2018, 11:48:10 AM
Excellent, Jeffrey! That work was one of the most enjoyable along with the Symphonic Prelude No. 2 Lisboa. The rest of the works don't disappoint at all either.

A friendly pic of the great Portuguese gentleman  :)
Indeed Cesar! I've listened to the whole CD now with much pleasure. Even the Piano Concerto, in his later and less accessible style, held my attention. At one point near the start of the third movement it sounded like the old Braga Santos was trying to break through! A fine CD - I agree.
:)
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

relm1

What do you consider to be his symphonic masterpiece?  Also, has anyone heard any of his operas?  I was listening to the new Piano Concerto Naxos release and thought it sounds very theatrical.  Would like to hear his operas.

Daverz

Quote from: relm1 on September 23, 2018, 04:29:26 PM
What do you consider to be his symphonic masterpiece?

I'll go out on a limb and say that the consensus is Symphony No. 4.

[asin]B00006B1KD[/asin]

relm1

So I am a little confused by Braga Santos.  His lyrical early music is fantastic, but his piano concerto which is from his late phase is no worse than any Prokofiev piano concerto from half a century earlier.  Did he slowly devolve away from tonality?  What exactly was his relationship with atonality because I don't know what to make of his later music.  I find the new Naxos recording of early music plus the late piano concerto very comfortable listening yet I didn't quite get Symphony No. 5 and 6 which preceded it.    He is sort of a very mild progressive in his later stage.

kyjo

Quote from: relm1 on September 23, 2018, 04:29:26 PM
What do you consider to be his symphonic masterpiece?  Also, has anyone heard any of his operas?  I was listening to the new Piano Concerto Naxos release and thought it sounds very theatrical.  Would like to hear his operas.

Definitely no. 4 - one of my very favorite classical works - though nos. 1-3 are fantastic as well, as is the more "difficult" no. 5 (for some odd reason, I haven't gotten round to listening to no. 6 yet).  Unfortunately, his operas remain unrecorded - perhaps Naxos has them up their sleeve?
"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" - Sergei Rachmaninoff

kyjo

#425
Quote from: relm1 on September 23, 2018, 05:17:14 PM
So I am a little confused by Braga Santos.  His lyrical early music is fantastic, but his piano concerto which is from his late phase is no worse than any Prokofiev piano concerto from half a century earlier.  Did he slowly devolve away from tonality?  What exactly was his relationship with atonality because I don't know what to make of his later music.  I find the new Naxos recording of early music plus the late piano concerto very comfortable listening yet I didn't quite get Symphony No. 5 and 6 which preceded it.    He is sort of a very mild progressive in his later stage.

He seems to have had a very abrupt stylistic shift in the late 1950s/early 60s - not sure what inspired the change, as we lack an easily available detailed biography of the composer. Although his later works are significantly darker in tone and more dissonant than his earlier ones, they never lapse into noisy atonality and always have purpose to them. In fact, there are even some spots in his later works where it sounds like (as Jeffrey mentioned earlier) the "old Braga Santos is trying to break through" (e.g., a passage near the end of his Cello Concerto). Oddly enough, Braga Santos' later music sometimes reminds me of some of the later symphonies of William Schuman in its predominantly dark, angry, almost nightmarish atmosphere. Amazon reviewer G.D. vividly describes the 5th Symphony as containing "...thumping drums and flaring brass amidst string textures that reminds me of old steam engines letting out puffs of vapor dissolving against the troubled, overcast night sky." Couldn't have said it better myself!
"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" - Sergei Rachmaninoff

vandermolen

#426
Quote from: relm1 on September 23, 2018, 04:29:26 PM
What do you consider to be his symphonic masterpiece?  Also, has anyone heard any of his operas?  I was listening to the new Piano Concerto Naxos release and thought it sounds very theatrical.  Would like to hear his operas.

I'd say symphonies 3 and 4 although the old Portugalsom (long gone) performance of Symphony 3 with the LSO is better than the Marco Polo (it's the other way round with Symphony 4 where the Marco Polo, without the chorus at the end, is superior). Many thanks to Christo for alerting me to the earlier LSO recording of Symphony 3.

Kyle's point about symphonies 5 and 6 being reminiscent of the later William Scuman symphonies is interesting and I agree with him.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Christo

Quote from: vandermolen on September 23, 2018, 10:21:41 PM
I'd say symphonies 3 and 4 although the old Portugalsom (long gone) performance of Symphony 3 with the LSO is better than the Marco Polo (it's the other way round with Symphony 4 where the Marco Polo, without the chorus at the end, is superior). Many thanks to Christo for alerting me to the earlier LSO recording of Symphony 3.

Kyle's point about symphonies 5 and 6 being reminiscent of the later William Scuman symphonies is interesting and I agree with him.
Agreed on all points. Both Nos. 3 and 4 are my favourites, in the specific recordings Vandermolen mentions here. Though it's good to have another recording of No. 4 with final chorus - the Romanian RTV SO and 'George Enescu Choir' under Silva Pereira, a recording from 1987 - the Marco Polo is indeed much better.

I was happy enough to 'discover' Braga Santos in the old days, before there were any Marco Polo or Naxos recordings, and these 'old' Strauss/Portugalsom CDs retain a special place in my heart. Actually in the cases of both No. 3 and No. 5 these 'old ones' are the recordings that I still prefer.


... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948

vandermolen

Quote from: Christo on September 24, 2018, 04:17:48 AM
Agreed on all points. Both Nos. 3 and 4 are my favourites, in the specific recordings Vandermolen mentions here. Though it's good to have another recording of No. 4 with final chorus - the Romanian RTV SO and 'George Enescu Choir' under Silva Pereira, a recording from 1987 - the Marco Polo is indeed much better.

I was happy enough to 'discover' Braga Santos in the old days, before there were any Marco Polo or Naxos recordings, and these 'old' Strauss/Portugalsom CDs retain a special place in my heart. Actually in the cases of both No. 3 and No. 5 these 'old ones' are the recordings that I still prefer.

It would be great if those old Portugalsom recordings could be reissued maybe as a boxed set. I recently picked up a Portugalsom boxed set of the symphonies of Braga Santos's teacher Freitas Branco, so maybe there is some hope.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

SymphonicAddict

On the last days I've been in a Braga Santos exploration, listening to his other orchestral works other than the symphonies and concertos:

Alfama Suite
Elegy to Vianna da Motta
Variations on an Alentejo theme
Divertimento No. 1
The Three Symphonic Overtures
Nocturno for Strings
Pastoral
Romance
Symphonic Prelude
Intermezzo
Viver ou Morrer: Prelude

Encruzhilhada

Three Symphonic Sketches
Sinfonietta for strings
Symphonic variations
Divertimento No. 2
Variations Concertantes for Strings and Harp
Staccato Brilhante


The first group of works represent his sunny side, the infectiously tuneful music. Encruzhilhada is a mix between his  two phases (a very appropriate name btw!), and the last group contains his more demanding stuff. I'm amazed by how dramatic his change was, but not certainly negative, in fact, I enjoyed enormously the works of his late period, eg. the Symphonic Variations (not to be confused with the Alentejo Variations), the Three Symphonic Sketches and the Variations Concertantes for Strings and Harp gave me the strongest impression, it's amazing music, dark and threatening too! Braga Santos knew how to create suspense and nightmarish atmospheres, who would believe it?  :D

As for the first group, there are some beautiful and poignant gems, among them Elegy in memory of Vianna da Motta (that was exceptional), Alfama Suite (great tunes gallore, above all in the Pas de trois), and the Divertimento No. 1. The Symphonic Overture No. 3 and the Alentejo Variations have a special aura for me, the sense of well-being they give me bring some tears of sheer joy to my eyes.

vandermolen

Quote from: SymphonicAddict on January 24, 2019, 10:54:46 AM
On the last days I've been in a Braga Santos exploration, listening to his other orchestral works other than the symphonies and concertos:

Alfama Suite
Elegy to Vianna da Motta
Variations on an Alentejo theme
Divertimento No. 1
The Three Symphonic Overtures
Nocturno for Strings
Pastoral
Romance
Symphonic Prelude
Intermezzo
Viver ou Morrer: Prelude

Encruzhilhada

Three Symphonic Sketches
Sinfonietta for strings
Symphonic variations
Divertimento No. 2
Variations Concertantes for Strings and Harp
Staccato Brilhante


The first group of works represent his sunny side, the infectiously tuneful music. Encruzhilhada is a mix between his  two phases (a very appropriate name btw!), and the last group contains his more demanding stuff. I'm amazed by how dramatic his change was, but not certainly negative, in fact, I enjoyed enormously the works of his late period, eg. the Symphonic Variations (not to be confused with the Alentejo Variations), the Three Symphonic Sketches and the Variations Concertantes for Strings and Harp gave me the strongest impression, it's amazing music, dark and threatening too! Braga Santos knew how to create suspense and nightmarish atmospheres, who would believe it?  :D

As for the first group, there are some beautiful and poignant gems, among them Elegy in memory of Vianna da Motta (that was exceptional), Alfama Suite (great tunes gallore, above all in the Pas de trois), and the Divertimento No. 1. The Symphonic Overture No. 3 and the Alentejo Variations have a special aura for me, the sense of well-being they give me bring some tears of sheer joy to my eyes.
Totally agree with you Cesar - especially your last paragraph.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

SymphonicAddict

Quote from: vandermolen on January 24, 2019, 11:13:52 AM
Totally agree with you Cesar - especially your last paragraph.


kyjo

Attention all BSEs! Naxos will be releasing a recording of the great composer's late Piano Trio (1985), along with a trio by his teacher Freitas Branco and shorter works by Frederico de Freitas and Alexandre Delgado:

https://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.574014

Due to its composition date, we would expect the Piano Trio to be characteristic of his dark, dissonant later style, but the blurb on the Naxos website describes it as being characteristic of his "infectious lyricism". :o We shall see...

"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" - Sergei Rachmaninoff

SymphonicAddict

A performance of the Braga Santos Piano Trio is on YouTube if you want to check it out.

kyjo

Quote from: SymphonicAddict on August 05, 2019, 02:24:46 PM
A performance of the Braga Santos Piano Trio is on YouTube if you want to check it out.

Oh, you're right! Thanks for reminding me.
"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" - Sergei Rachmaninoff

Symphonic Addict



More interesting forthcoming stuff. Very glad to know this label is interested in neglected or 'rarely-heard' composers.
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

kyjo

Quote from: Symphonic Addict on November 28, 2019, 12:26:07 PM


More interesting forthcoming stuff. Very glad to know this label is interested in neglected or 'rarely-heard' composers.

Fantastic news!!! Major kudos to Toccata Classics and other labels (CPO, Naxos, Chandos, Dutton, Lyrita, etc.) who tirelessly work to bring the work of these neglected composers to light. I've always wanted to hear Braga Santos' chamber music, and now we will finally have the opportunity!
"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" - Sergei Rachmaninoff

Symphonic Addict

Quote from: kyjo on November 28, 2019, 01:52:24 PM
Fantastic news!!! Major kudos to Toccata Classics and other labels (CPO, Naxos, Chandos, Dutton, Lyrita, etc.) who tirelessly work to bring the work of these neglected composers to light. I've always wanted to hear Braga Santos' chamber music, and now we will finally have the opportunity!

Thoroughly agreed.
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

dissily Mordentroge

Do we know how many volumes are planned?

Symphonic Addict

Quote from: dissily Mordentroge on November 28, 2019, 02:45:36 PM
Do we know how many volumes are planned?

Don't really, at least not yet. I just hope they cover all his chamber music.
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky