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Unexpectedly vivid

BASIL RAMSEY experiences
the music of Portuguese composer
Joly Braga Santos


Marco Polo    8.225186

Braga Santos - Music for strings. © 2001 HNH International Ltd

 

I am led by this music to recall that of Frank Martin, always a composer of substance. Braga Santos weaves his musical thoughts in a language unexpectedly vivid yet of basically straightforward content. There's a spirit of profundity permeating feeling, and there's no hint of dreariness.

The performances from England's Northern Sinfonia meet the challenges by dint of their skilful presentation and their enthusiasm for lively musicmaking. Braga Santos' textures do not need weight so much as luminosity, and this is keenly felt. From the 1968 Concerto for violin, cello, strings and harp, the latest on this disc, is a passage which gives a taste of this music [listen -- track 9, 0:00-1:01].

 

Copyright © 6 April 2002 Basil Ramsey, Eastwood, Essex, UK

 

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Joly Braga Santos: Music for Strings

8.225186 DDD Stereo 67'51" 2001 HNH International Ltd

Bradley Creswick, violin, Alexander Somov, cello, Sue Blair, harp, Northern Sinfonia conducted by Álvaro Cassuto
Concerto for Strings in D (1951); Sinfonietta for Strings (1963); Variations Concertantes for Strings and Harp (1967); Concerto for Violin, Cello, Strings and Harp (1968)

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Record Box is Music & Vision's regular Saturday series of shorter CD reviews