Joly Braga Santos

[Christo]

Braga Santos fans rejoice: [asin]B005YD11Q0[/asin]

We do!

[Karl Henning]

Huzzah!

[The new erato]

But the prize on amazon.com is pretty horrible. For VAT free export you can have it well below £ 4 on many UK sites.

[Mirror Image]

But the prize on amazon.com is pretty horrible. For VAT free export you can have it well below £ 4 on many UK sites.

I seldom buy directly from Amazon as their prices aren't competitive with their own Marketplace sellers, which will be whom I buy this recording from.

[vandermolen]

New Naxos release looks very good - looking forward to receiving it.

Meanwhile...

A bit more Information about J. Braga Santos from my charming Portuguese student (printed with her permission):

'He and another three friends (including my great-uncle...) had a quartet called 'Os Aguias', which in English means 'The Eagles'. 
According to my grandmother, they used to practice at my family's home, although they were always being told off or kicked out of the house for being 'too noisy' by my great-grandmother.
He was very ugly, although his name is 'Joly' which in French means 'beautiful/handsome/pretty.  My great-uncle would say that my grandmother looked like him to get on her nerves, although my grandmother would find it rather insulting.'

Poor Braga Santos! Not only was he neglected by his own countrymen but also, it seems, not much appreciated by his family either! Still, I did rather well out of this as my student's grandmother sent her back with the Portuguese boxed set of orchestral music by Braga Santos (Marco Polo recordings) which she, very generously, presented to me!

http://www.editions-ava.com/store/composer/117/

[vandermolen]

The new Naxos CD is great. The Symphonic Overture and Elegy in memory of Vianna da Motta are classic Braga Santos and anyone who responds to symphonies 1-4 at least should love these works. The lighter 'Alfama' is very approachable and I also really enjoyed the 'Variations' of 1976 in Braga Santos's more modern style. In his booklet notes the conductor Alvaro Cassuto suggests that 'the present recording offers both experienced Braga Santos enthusiasts as well as novices, a bird's eye view of the various musical styles to be found in the music of this outstanding Portuguese composer...' clearly a reference to the 'Braga Santos experts' of this Forum 

[asin]B005YD11Q0[/asin]

[jowcol]

The new Naxos CD is great. The Symphonic Overture and Elegy in memory of Vianna da Motta are classic Braga Santos and anyone who responds to symphonies 1-4 at least should love these works. The lighter 'Alfama' is very approachable and I also really enjoyed the 'Variations' of 1976 in Braga Santos's more modern style. In his booklet notes the conductor Alvaro Cassuto suggests that 'the present recording offers both experienced Braga Santos enthusiasts as well as novices, a bird's eye view of the various musical styles to be found in the music of this outstanding Portuguese composer...' clearly a reference to the 'Braga Santos experts' of this Forum 

[asin]B005YD11Q0[/asin]

Thanks.  I'm already in the doghouse over impulsive spending.  At least this is on Naxos....

[Dundonnell]

The new Naxos CD is great. The Symphonic Overture and Elegy in memory of Vianna da Motta are classic Braga Santos and anyone who responds to symphonies 1-4 at least should love these works. The lighter 'Alfama' is very approachable and I also really enjoyed the 'Variations' of 1976 in Braga Santos's more modern style. In his booklet notes the conductor Alvaro Cassuto suggests that 'the present recording offers both experienced Braga Santos enthusiasts as well as novices, a bird's eye view of the various musical styles to be found in the music of this outstanding Portuguese composer...' clearly a reference to the 'Braga Santos experts' of this Forum 

[asin]B005YD11Q0[/asin]

Look forward to buying this cd AFTER Christmas

[Dundonnell]

Listened to the new Naxos today

How wonderful again to revel in that gloriously distinctive 'Braga Santos sound', those broad, swinging melodies, the rich and colourful orchestration

How the concert-going public can be denied the opportunity to hear such gorgeous music is a real sadness.

Just imagine how a Braga Santos symphony, played by a top-notch orchestra conducted by Cassuto would go down at, say, the London Proms

[Mirror Image]

How the concert-going public can be denied the opportunity to hear such gorgeous music is a real sadness.

But thankfully, for the record buying public, this isn't much of a problem. I think hearing something in a concert hall is always an exciting event to behold, but we must be realistic about these things I think. I'm happy at home cranking up Braga Santos on my stereo. We're at least fortunate to have had some outstanding recordings made so we can, at least, hear and study the music. This, in itself, gives me much reason to celebrate.

[vandermolen]

Been listening to this CD again - what a fine, inpiriting work 'Symphonic Overture No 3' is.  Absolutely classic Braga Santos and much the same goes for the moving 'Elegy'.  In fact I liked every work on this disc including the more modernist ones.  At Naxos price this CD would actually be a great introduction to a great composer.
[asin]B005YD11Q0[/asin]

[pjme]

I bought the disc last week and enjoy it a lot.

Good work Naxos and thank you Alvaro!

Peter

[vandermolen]

I bought the disc last week and enjoy it a lot.

Good work Naxos and thank you Alvaro!

Peter

It's one of my most frequently played CDs at the moment.  Glad you enjoy it too.

[Mirror Image]

Thought I would revive this thread. Braga Santos is such an outstanding composer. I've owned the Marco Polo series for a couple of years now and each time I revisit any of the recordings, I'm instantly catapulted to that joyous first time I heard the music with fresh ears. I find something new in the music each time I hear it. Where's Jeffrey and Colin at when we need them?

[Christo]

Happen to be playing the new Naxos cd with the ballet Alfama at the moment. Most of the music is not 'new', as I already owned Portugalsom/Strauss cds with the Symphonic Overture No. 3, Elegia a Vianni da Motta and Três Esboços Sinfónicos, also presented here.

The most substantial newcomer are the Variações para orquesta from 1976 then, but I only played it once so far. Alfama is indeed quite nice. One or two dances are remarkably similar to some of the 'Hardanger tunes' by Geirr Tveitt, coincidentally. In the booklet, conductor Álvaro Cassuto records, how he "discovered" the work only recently. However, the title was always on all the work lists, even in the Braga Santos entry in the 'old' New Grove I think.

[vandermolen]

Thought I would revive this thread. Braga Santos is such an outstanding composer. I've owned the Marco Polo series for a couple of years now and each time I revisit any of the recordings, I'm instantly catapulted to that joyous first time I heard the music with fresh ears. I find something new in the music each time I hear it. Where's Jeffrey and Colin at when we need them?

I'm just above John - if you look at the previous messages! I hope that you are not implying that I am not living up to my reputation as a 'Braga Santos Expert' (Herrenberg).

[Dundonnell]

We are not-or should not be-finished with the orchestral ouput of Braga Santos

A further Naxos cd could be compiled with:

Piano Concerto(1973: 24 mins.); Viola Concerto(1960; 28 mins.); Symphonic Overture No.1(1946; 7 mins.); Symphonic Overture No.2(1947; 15 mins.)

Then there is the Requiem "In memoriam Pedro Freitas Branco" of 1964 which could be coupled with a number of songs written for voice and orchestra.

...and while we are in Portugal:

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Naxos/8572892

.....looks interesting

[vandermolen]

We are not-or should not be-finished with the orchestral ouput of Braga Santos

A further Naxos cd could be compiled with:

Piano Concerto(1973: 24 mins.); Viola Concerto(1960; 28 mins.); Symphonic Overture No.1(1946; 7 mins.); Symphonic Overture No.2(1947; 15 mins.)

Then there is the Requiem "In memoriam Pedro Freitas Branco" of 1964 which could be coupled with a number of songs written for voice and orchestra.

...and while we are in Portugal:

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Naxos/8572892

.....looks interesting

A reference to this work by Colin, who sadly no longer posts here, referenced this CD by Lopes Graca. Forgive me if we have discussed it before but it is a great discovery, especially if you like the music of his compatriots Braga Santos (remember him? ) and Freitas Branco. The Symphony by Lopes Graca is catchy, memorable, inspriting and moving in places. I have played it over and over again.

[asin]B007N0SVTC[/asin]

[kyjo]

I was listening to Braga Santos' Symphony no. 4 the other day and was reminded of what an utterly FANTASTIC work it is, from start to finish! Not a single dull moment in the whole 54 minutes. From the nervous energy of the first movement, the doomed processional of the second, the heart-warming pastoral idylls of the third, to the exuberant joyousness of the finale, this is a work which really touches my soul. Though there are passages reminiscent of Sibelius, RVW, and Respighi, Braga Santos has his own, deeply humane voice. The finale even has (surely coincidental) echoes of populist Copland and John Barry's score for Dances with Wolves, but, make no mistake, this is a truly symphonic work that has such a life-affirming quality to it that it never fails to put a huge smile across my face. And it was written in 1950!

What really makes this work stand out to me is its abundance of memorable melodies. I will freely admit that many lesser-known works I have encountered may have brilliant orchestration/construction/etc but lack truly memorable melodies. Braga Santos undoubtedly has a true melodic gift. For the past couple days, I've been walking around constantly humming the insanely catchy tunes from the finale especially! I think I could say without exaggeration that this is one of my top 5 favorite pieces at the moment!

Any other admirers of this work (or Braga Santos in general) here besides Jeffrey (vandermolen) and Johan (Christo)?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsvX_vm-IXI

P.S. I very much like Braga Santos' other works as well (esp. Symphonies nos. 2 and 3) but for now I'll restrict myself to ranting about Symphony no. 4!

[SymphonicAddict]

I was listening to Braga Santos' Symphony no. 4 the other day and was reminded of what an utterly FANTASTIC work it is, from start to finish! Not a single dull moment in the whole 54 minutes. From the nervous energy of the first movement, the doomed processional of the second, the heart-warming pastoral idylls of the third, to the exuberant joyousness of the finale, this is a work which really touches my soul. Though there are passages reminiscent of Sibelius, RVW, and Respighi, Braga Santos has his own, deeply humane voice. The finale even has (surely coincidental) echoes of populist Copland and John Barry's score for Dances with Wolves, but, make no mistake, this is a truly symphonic work that has such a life-affirming quality to it that it never fails to put a huge smile across my face. And it was written in 1950!

What really makes this work stand out to me is its abundance of memorable melodies. I will freely admit that many lesser-known works I have encountered may have brilliant orchestration/construction/etc but lack truly memorable melodies. Braga Santos undoubtedly has a true melodic gift. For the past couple days, I've been walking around constantly humming the insanely catchy tunes from the finale especially! I think I could say without exaggeration that this is one of my top 5 favorite pieces at the moment!

Any other admirers of this work (or Braga Santos in general) here besides Jeffrey (vandermolen) and Johan (Christo)?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsvX_vm-IXI

P.S. I very much like Braga Santos' other works as well (esp. Symphonies nos. 2 and 3) but for now I'll restrict myself to ranting about Symphony no. 4!

I share your enthusiasm about this symphony kyjo, and completely agreed. It's something incredibly marvelous, certainly one of the most uplifting scores ever created. Braga Santos was inspired by the folk Portuguese music when composed it, and I say: wow, the Portuguese music is heavenly! The 4th movement, for me, is like the true bliss land, where problems don't exist, just happiness and joy. Symphonies like this one are ranked so high by me, symphonies where I can perceive the human soul, the positive side of human beings.