Alvaro Cassuto, the conductor on this album, was a leading Portuguese avant-garde composer in his early twenties and studied conducting in Vienna.
Composer Biography
As a student, Joly Braga Santos was a disciple of Luis de Freitas Branco, the leading Portuguese composer of the preceding generation.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Joly Braga Santos aimed to contribute to a "Latin symphonism" and to oppose the trend of his predecessors who rejected monumentalism in music.
Compositional Technique
Symphony No. 2 by Joly Braga Santos uses a structural motif, similar to a 'leitmotif', to create a common link between its different movements.
Composition History
Joly Braga Santos composed his first four symphonies, including Symphony No. 2, between the ages of 22 and 27.
Compositional Technique
The ballet 'Crossroads' by Joly Braga Santos incorporates clearly identifiable folklore, such as popular dances, but enriches them with polytonal treatment.
Composer Biography
Joly Braga Santos, born in Lisbon in 1924, is considered the leading Portuguese symphonist of the 20th century.
You might also enjoy...
Stravinsky: Symphonie en 3 mouvements & Jeu de cartes
Braga Santos: Symphony No. 2 / Encruzilhada
Zemlinsky: Symphony No. 1 / Das Glaserne Herz
Bernstein: Kaddish - Schuman: Judith
Rathaus: Symphony No. 1; Der letzte Pierrot
Zemlinsky: Symphony No. 1 / Das Glaserne Herz
Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps (Rite of Spring) & Symphony of Psalms
