Joly Braga Santos

[vandermolen]

Johan (Jezetha version  ) mentioned echoes of Respighi in the music of Braga Santos and this was made very clear to me today, listening to the very moving climax, which begins about two minutes into the last movement of the Third Symphony - a very Respighian moment and perhaps my favourite section of the Symphony.

[The new erato]

Thanks to Carlos I now have a recording of the Portugalsom version of Braga Santos Symphony No 3 with Alvaro Cassuto conducting the London Symphony Orchestra.

Any hints of where to buy Portugalsom? My usual dealer came up blanks.....

And yeah, I forgot to mention the bank account.

[vandermolen]

Any hints of where to buy Portugalsom? My usual dealer came up blanks.....

And yeah, I forgot to mention the bank account.

Sadly the company seems to have disappeared. I have only found second hand copies on Amazon (usually the US one) - they appear from time to time but can be rather expensive (but not always). Otherwise  kind members of GMG have done copies for me.

[Guido]

The symphonies are on Spotify.

[Mirror Image]

Hello, vandermolen! I met up with Christo a few weeks ago (thanks to this forum we renewed our acquaintance!) and he said that Braga Santos is great and, IIRC, that you recommended Braga Santos to him... Since then I listened to some clips, and yes - it's my cup of tea alright! (Christo also played me Tubin's Sixth, which was another ear-opener.)

It shouldn't take much to open your ears since you enjoy Havergal Brian's music. Such an inventive composer and a tough nut to crack.

Anyway, Braga Santos is fantasic. I own all of the Marco Polo recordings and have enjoyed them immensely.

[vandermolen]

It shouldn't take much to open your ears since you enjoy Havergal Brian's music. Such an inventive composer and a tough nut to crack.

Anyway, Braga Santos is fantasic. I own all of the Marco Polo recordings and have enjoyed them immensely.

Which is your favourite?

[Mirror Image]

Which is your favourite?

This recording:



As I mentioned, I think in another thread, I consider "Symphony No. 4" Braga Santos' masterpiece. The "Symphonic Variations" is also a great work.

[vandermolen]

This recording:



As I mentioned, I think in another thread, I consider "Symphony No. 4" Braga Santos' masterpiece. The "Symphonic Variations" is also a great work.

Me too 

[Tapio Dimitriyevich Shostakovich]

Me too 

Please add me as well In the Andante, the theme between 5:40 - 8:20 makes me just going crazy. I can't resist singing out LOUUUUD. To me the most beautiful music which has ever been written, and this is not an exaggeration. [EDIT: It's even better. Period] Especially I love the (Question: Wagner?) tubes as in 6:30..
And then, brutality follows, a kind of Ork invasion .

BTW, wife+my music works like this. It's a pretty random thing:

[wife enters room @ Andante 06:00] "Oh, quite beautiful music."
[wife enters room @ Andante 10:00] "Your music makes me sick."

My wife says she loves Classical music. Her understanding of ideal classical music is that it must consist of Butterflies, Flutes and Spring. "Life is too short for the such stuff" she tends to say. My understanding of things is, you need to walk through the deepest valleys in order to even more enjoy the highest mountain peeks. Ok I bore you...

[jowcol]

4 is so good, but I love the first 4 so much.  (I'd rank them 4, 2, 1, 3, but I'd change on any given day).

My not liking the 5th and 6th reasons have nothing to do with lack of musicianship, but just a very selfish  wish that he would do more of his lyrical writing. 

[vandermolen]

Please add me as well In the Andante, the theme between 5:40 - 8:20 makes me just going crazy. I can't resist singing out LOUUUUD. To me the most beautiful music which has ever been written, and this is not an exaggeration. [EDIT: It's even better. Period] Especially I love the (Question: Wagner?) tubes as in 6:30..
And then, brutality follows, a kind of Ork invasion .

BTW, wife+my music works like this. It's a pretty random thing:

[wife enters room @ Andante 06:00] "Oh, quite beautiful music."
[wife enters room @ Andante 10:00] "Your music makes me sick."

My wife says she loves Classical music. Her understanding of ideal classical music is that it must consist of Butterflies, Flutes and Spring. "Life is too short for the such stuff" she tends to say. My understanding of things is, you need to walk through the deepest valleys in order to even more enjoy the highest mountain peeks. Ok I bore you...

Very occasionally my wife says that she likes the music I play but, sadly, the usual response from her and my daughter is ' MUST WE LISTEN TO THIS NOISE?'

[karlhenning]

Oh, what they'd say if they overheard much of the music I play . . . ; )

[Tapio Dimitriyevich Shostakovich]

Oh, what they'd say if they overheard much of the music I play . . . ; )

Play or consume? So, you're on the dark side of teh clarinets?
Play the Sibelius En Saga clarinet outro 24/7 and everything will be fine.

[karlhenning]

Play or consume?

Both readings.

[Mirror Image]

Very occasionally my wife says that she likes the music I play but, sadly, the usual response from her and my daughter is ' MUST WE LISTEN TO THIS NOISE?'

What sounds like noise to someone else sounds like the heavens crashing down upon you to somebody else. I like to think of this old adage: "One man's junk is another man's treasure."

[one_o_six]

Hi,

I've picked this old thread because I couldn't resist.
Please forgive the intromission, and also my limited English.
I'm just a lurker since some time, because I just don't have enough time to participate in the forum (actually; he should be working right now, instead of posting), and had thus gave up doing it rather early.
Anyway, I do check the notifications I receive by mail, concerning the very few topics I took part (perhaps only «what are you listening to»). Clicking here and there, I noticed some Braga Santos references, and couldn't resist.
I've succeeded in skipping most of my favorite composers mentions, but this case is a peculiar one, because... Well, how can I say it?

I've always been a fan of Symphonies 4th & 5th, although rather different. The 4th has a special charm, and I had the happiness (it's the right word) of having listened to it, not far ago.
Braga Santos music isn't heard much these days, although he composed several small pieces, in order to fit live performances. For example, I've heard Alvaro Cassuto conducting Staccato Brilhante in the very ending of a concert. Maestro Cassuto said he asked the composer a specific piece of encores, and Staccato Brilhante was the issue.
But what I want to tell you is about the 4th Symphony. No need to say I'm familiar with the two known recordings, by Cassuto and Silva Pereira. As you seem to know, the later is somehow compromised by the choir, which, IMO, just failed. It may be a very good choir, but, although similarities between Romanian and Portuguese languages, the sibilance itself ruins the singing, not to say more. Words are imperceptible for a Portuguese, which is enough to be said.
OTOH, the Cassuto recording is overall OK (and has a much better sound).

Anyway, I was incredibly lucky, for attending a live performance of the 4th, in February 2008.
I have also attended a 3rd Symphony later (October 2008), by the same performers, but the 4th was simply magic.
As you surely know (and better than me), live classical music is another world, compared to recordings. Large symphonies are perhaps the best example, Mahler and Bruckner are well known cases.
Gulbenkian Orchestra director Lawrence Foster conducted the 4th in the Gulbenkian hall, in the non-sung version, although the Gulbenkian Foundation has a well-known choir.

The performance went rather well. I would have loved to hear Alvaro Cassuto's opinion, given he was very close to the conductor (and supposedly better conductor of Braga Santos' works than Silva Pereira). By the end, Foster took the printed score on his hands, above his head. For me he meant the applauses should be addressed to the music, which I totally agreed. 

I just regret most Gulbenkian concerts aren't recorded and commercially edited. I'm sure that performance would stand the comparison to Cassuto's.
If you've heard the 4th thru a good sound system with big loudspeakers you already may like the dynamics, but in live form it gets another dimension. As most of you know (I've read a few posts here...), there's a lot of silence, a lot of rhythm (percussion), the whole work is rather varied. In the hall I was almost paralyzed, with suspense. Although knowing the work rather well, I was always expecting what would come next, almost with anxiety.

By the end, a French couple, realizing I was familiar with the work, asked me about it, they'd never heard of it. We spoke a few. They said it was a pleasant surprise. They wouldn't imagine Portuguese music like that. I told them about the context and so on, but wonder if they've ever bought a recording though.

Well, I must go back to work. Please forgive the intromission and picking an old thread.

[bhodges]

Hi,

I've picked this old thread because I couldn't resist.
Please forgive the intromission, and also my limited English.
I'm just a lurker since some time, because I just don't have enough time to participate in the forum (actually; he should be working right now, instead of posting), and had thus gave up doing it rather early.

Hello, Jorge, thanks for the report from the Gulbenkian Hall.  This is in Lisbon, yes? 

And no problem reviving an old thread--people do it here all the time.   Feel free to post more often--not many reports from Portugal here! 

--Bruce

[DavidRoss]

Thank you so much for your post, Jorge.  Nothing to forgive about your English; your command seems as good as that of many native speakers.

You've rekindled my interest in Braga Santos and I shall be listening to Cassuto's recording of the 4th later today in honor of you.

Welcome to GMG!  I hope we'll see more from you as your time allows.

[karlhenning]

Bem-vindo, Jorge!  I'm a great fan of Braga Santos.

[jowcol]

Bem-vindo, Jorge!  I'm a great fan of Braga Santos.

I'm another fan, Jorge, and really enjoyed your post!