Title: More Braga Santos on Naxos Post by: Dundonnell on August 05, 2018, 03:28:05 pm I see that Naxos has returned to the music of Joly Braga Santos to record the Piano Concerto (a comparatively late work from 1973) and the two early Symphonic Overtures.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Braga-Santos-Symphonic-Overtures-Philharmonic/dp/B07FSJK2DC/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1533479233&sr=1-1&keywords=Braga+Santos (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Braga-Santos-Symphonic-Overtures-Philharmonic/dp/B07FSJK2DC/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1533479233&sr=1-1&keywords=Braga+Santos) Title: Re: More Braga Santos on Naxos Post by: guest145 on August 05, 2018, 06:40:29 pm Great news -- I love his music!
Title: Re: More Braga Santos on Naxos Post by: Vandermolen on August 05, 2018, 11:00:57 pm Great news -- I love his music! +1 Very exciting news and I like the cover image as well! Title: Re: More Braga Santos on Naxos Post by: patmos.beje on August 07, 2018, 12:25:57 pm At last! I have been searching for the Piano Concerto regularly on the internet for the last couple of years. I assumed it was only a matter of time before it would be recorded and issued on CD. It seems a mixture of the acerbic and consonant. You can hear parts of it from its UK premiere in 2015 on You Tube. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UU-PIexetg Title: Re: More Braga Santos on Naxos Post by: Dundonnell on August 07, 2018, 02:05:28 pm It is no good pretending that Braga Santos continued to compose the sort of rich, romantic, lyrical music of the first four symphonies. These are wonderful, life-enhancing works which a number of us love unreservedly. They were written when Braga Santos was in his twenties.
But Braga Santos evolved his idiom as he got older and came into more contact with contemporary music. His music did become more dissonant and (as you say) acerbic.His later music may therefore come in some ways as "a disappointment" but that is clearly the music he wanted to write and the listener needs to come to terms with that and take it on its merits. Btw.....this new Naxos disc now means that my September shopping list has risen to six cds: 1) John Jobert Symphony No.3/Piano Concerto from Lyrita 2) Ruth Gipps Symphonies Nos. 2 and 4 from Chandos 3) Walter Braunfels Piano works from Capriccio 4) Wilhelm Stenhammer Cantata "Sangen" from BIS 5) Weinberg Symphony No.13 from Naxos 6) the Braga Santos .......an expensive month!! ;D Title: Re: More Braga Santos on Naxos Post by: patmos.beje on August 09, 2018, 07:23:49 pm It is no good pretending that Braga Santos continued to compose the sort of rich, romantic, lyrical music of the first four symphonies. These are wonderful, life-enhancing works which a number of us love unreservedly. They were written when Braga Santos was in his twenties. But Braga Santos evolved his idiom as he got older and came into more contact with contemporary music. His music did become more dissonant and (as you say) acerbic.His later music may therefore come in some ways as "a disappointment" but that is clearly the music he wanted to write and the listener needs to come to terms with that and take it on its merits The vocal ending to the sixth symphony excepted, I am not enthusiastic about the later style of Braga Santos. It appears that in the new CD, which comprises 8 premiere recordings, all the music - apart from the Piano Concerto - belongs to the early lyrical phase of Braga Santos. Whilst it seems certain the music will fall short of the quality of the lyrical symphonies, the CD, nonetheless, is an interesting prospect. The sleeve notes make interesting reading: https://www.naxos.com/mainsite/blurbs_reviews.asp?item_code=8.573903&catNum=573903&filetype=About%20this%20Recording&language=English# Title: Re: More Braga Santos on Naxos Post by: Christo on August 09, 2018, 08:55:09 pm Great news indeed. Still, there's enough orchestral music left to hope for yet another CD:
Elegia tragica (1943) Paisajem, symphonic poem Op. 22 (1952) Canção, Op. 23 (from the film Chaimite) (1955) Ruinas do Carmo, symphonic poem Op. 33 (1961) Otonifonias. suite for brass band Op. 50 (1977) Title: Re: More Braga Santos on Naxos Post by: patmos.beje on August 23, 2018, 10:23:16 pm In case anyone is interested, samples from the forthcoming Naxos CD can be heard at: https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/classical/products/8470937--braga-santos-piano-concerto Title: Re: More Braga Santos on Naxos Post by: relm1 on August 24, 2018, 01:11:13 am In case anyone is interested, samples from the forthcoming Naxos CD can be heard at: https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/classical/products/8470937--braga-santos-piano-concerto Yes, interested. CD sounds wonderful, can't wait! Title: Re: More Braga Santos on Naxos Post by: patmos.beje on August 24, 2018, 12:07:47 pm In case anyone is interested, samples from the forthcoming Naxos CD can be heard at: https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/classical/products/8470937--braga-santos-piano-concerto Yes, interested. CD sounds wonderful, can't wait! That was my reaction too when listening to the samples ;D ::) :) ;) :D Title: Re: More Braga Santos on Naxos Post by: patmos.beje on September 13, 2018, 05:37:32 pm Rob Barnett’s Review of the CD on MusicWeb: http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2018/Sep/Braga_Santos_PC_8573903.htm Title: Re: More Braga Santos on Naxos Post by: patmos.beje on September 15, 2018, 12:14:36 am Arrived yesterday in the post. A splendid CD of attractive and memorable music! Vintage Braga Santos so far as the lyrical music is concerned. The Viola Concerto excepted, for me the Piano Concerto, with its three disparate movements, is more enjoyable than his other concertos. The largely dissonant first and second movements are followed by a catchy and delightful third movement which brings the consonant and dissonant sides of the composer harmoniously together. :D ;D ;) :) Title: Re: More Braga Santos on Naxos Post by: Vandermolen on September 15, 2018, 09:06:12 am Arrived yesterday in the post. A splendid CD of attractive and memorable music! Vintage Braga Santos so far as the lyrical music is concerned. The Viola Concerto excepted, for me the Piano Concerto, with its three disparate movements, is more enjoyable than his other concertos. The largely dissonant first and second movements are followed by a catchy and delightful third movement which brings the consonant and dissonant sides of the composer harmoniously together. :D ;D ;) :) Title: Re: More Braga Santos on Naxos Post by: Dundonnell on September 15, 2018, 03:42:11 pm Having been away from home for three days I picked up a box with six new cds today (the largest number I have bought at the same time for many a long year!).
Yes, the Braga Santos lyrical pieces are all most attractive but oddly enough it was not the two Symphonic Overtures but the works written in the 1950s which I found most impressive: the sombre and grand Prelude to "Viver ou Morrer" and the four orchestral miniatures which pack enormously enjoyable depth into such a short time-scale. The percussive Piano Concerto comes as quite a shock after these earlier works. That is obviously the way Braga Santos wished to go in the second half of his career and one can understand why: a composer responding to modern trends in music. I know which side of his work I prefer but ........... Title: Re: More Braga Santos on Naxos Post by: Admin on September 16, 2018, 12:26:23 am A post from member Expi has been removed.
The reason for this is that he appeared to be encouraging members to access music on recently released cds free of charge from sites which either no longer exist or are effectively pirate sites. The oft-repeated rules and standards of this forum rule out such behaviour here and, by implication, elsewhere. Companies which take the trouble, effort and expense of recording music, particularly but not exclusively previously unrecorded music, deserve our support and our respect. If we wish them to continue in existence and to record music in which we are interested then we should purchase the cds. ,,,,,and Yes, I am well aware that some people upload these cds to You Tube and that the music can then be downloaded free of charge. This is not however a practice that we should condone let alone encourage. Title: Re: More Braga Santos on Naxos Post by: guest251 on September 16, 2018, 08:50:11 am Ah, he of the numerous postings of 'irrelevant'. ::) ::) ::)
Title: Re: More Braga Santos on Naxos Post by: Vandermolen on September 17, 2018, 05:44:43 pm Having been away from home for three days I picked up a box with six new cds today (the largest number I have bought at the same time for many a long year!). 'Viver ou Morrer' and Symphonic Prelude (1955) are my favourites on an enjoyable disc. At one brief moment in the third movement of the Piano Concerto it sounded like the old, tuneful, Braga Santas was trying to break through!Yes, the Braga Santos lyrical pieces are all most attractive but oddly enough it was not the two Symphonic Overtures but the works written in the 1950s which I found most impressive: the sombre and grand Prelude to "Viver ou Morrer" and the four orchestral miniatures which pack enormously enjoyable depth into such a short time-scale. The percussive Piano Concerto comes as quite a shock after these earlier works. That is obviously the way Braga Santos wished to go in the second half of his career and one can understand why: a composer responding to modern trends in music. I know which side of his work I prefer but ........... Title: Re: More Braga Santos on Naxos Post by: Vandermolen on September 17, 2018, 05:50:53 pm Having been away from home for three days I picked up a box with six new cds today (the largest number I have bought at the same time for many a long year!). It's been a heavy CD month for me too Colin!Yes, the Braga Santos lyrical pieces are all most attractive but oddly enough it was not the two Symphonic Overtures but the works written in the 1950s which I found most impressive: the sombre and grand Prelude to "Viver ou Morrer" and the four orchestral miniatures which pack enormously enjoyable depth into such a short time-scale. The percussive Piano Concerto comes as quite a shock after these earlier works. That is obviously the way Braga Santos wished to go in the second half of his career and one can understand why: a composer responding to modern trends in music. I know which side of his work I prefer but ........... Braga Santos on Naxos VW and Ireland on Dutton Ruth Gipps on Chandos Poledouris, organ transcription of 'Conan the Barbarian' (who says I don't have refined tastes?) on Naxos. Langgaard symphonies 2 and 6 on Dacapo. |