The symphony À Pátria (To the Homeland) is the only work of its genre composed in Portugal between 1822 and 1924.
Composer's Artistic Vision
José Viana da Mota was the first Portuguese composer to introduce Nationalism into his compositions, influenced by Wagner and Liszt.
Composer Biography
José Viana da Mota, a Portuguese composer, was born in 1868 on São Tomé Island, then a Portuguese colony off the West Coast of Africa.
Performer Biography
Álvaro Cassuto, the conductor on this recording, is Portugal's foremost conductor and has held music director positions with several orchestras, including the Portuguese National Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Composer Biography
José Viana da Mota's musical studies in Berlin were sponsored by the Portuguese Royal Family, and he later had lessons with Franz Liszt and Hans von Bülow.
Composition History
Viana da Mota's symphony, À Pátria (To the Homeland), composed in 1895, is a musical representation of a political manifesto reacting to the British Ultimatum of 1890.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The symphony À Pátria (To the Homeland) is a musical tribute to Portuguese prowess and discovery, with each movement inspired by Luís de Camões' epic poem, The Lusiads.
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