Freitas Branco was active in restructuring musical education at the Lisbon Conservatory of Music, becoming its deputy director under José Vianna da Motta, a distinguished student of Franz Liszt.
Composition History
Freitas Branco's Scherzo Fantastique was written in 1907 when he was seventeen, predating Igor Stravinsky's work of the same name by a year.
Composer Biography
Luís de Freitas Branco, a preeminent figure in Portuguese music, was born in Lisbon in 1890 and lived there most of his life until his death in 1955.
Compositional Technique
Freitas Branco's First Symphony reflects the influence of César Franck's Symphony in D minor, notably in its three-movement form, which deviates from the traditional German four-movement structure.
Recording & Production
This album is the first disc in a four-volume series dedicated to the symphonies and other orchestral works of Luís de Freitas Branco.
Performer Biography
Álvaro Cassuto, the conductor on this album, is Portugal's foremost conductor and has led many orchestras worldwide, including the London Symphony and Royal Philharmonic.
Historical Context
When Freitas Branco began composing, Lisbon lacked a permanent orchestra for symphonic works, with only the São Carlos Royal Opera playing operatic repertoire.
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